ENF-1180-C01 Engineering Materials & Construction Practices

Transcription

1 ENF-1180-C01 Engineering Materials & Construction Practices Instructor: Lorne Atwood Assignment: Final Report Research Topic: Flooring Comparison Student: Allan Johnston Submitted:

2 Table of Contents Introduction Page 3 Comparison. Page 4 Executive Summary.. Page 6 References.. Page 7 Page 2 of 7 Created on :29:00 AM

3 Introduction This report outlines and compares characteristics of vinyl plank and cork flooring. Vinyl was first manufactured in the late 1800s as a rigid material but had no commercial use until the 1920s. Vinyl flooring has been used in housing construction since 1894, replacing linoleum as the preferred manufactured flooring. For the past few years, vinyl planking has become a popular flooring product for do-it-yourself home renovations and new construction. The cork industry has mainly been used to supply stoppers for bottles. Lately, because of growing environmental concerns globally, low-pollution, low-energy-consumption products have been used to replace vinyl and other building materials. Although cork flooring has traditionally been used locally where it is grown, it is now available world-wide. Page 3 of 7 Created on :29:00 AM

4 Comparison The following is a chart highlighting the various properties of each material. Most noteworthy is differences in durability, environmental impact, energy consumption at production, and end-of-life disposal. Please see Other Points following this chart. Vinyl Plank vs. Cook Flooring Properties Vinyl Plank Flooring Cork Flooring performance -high durability -low maintenance -mid durability -high maintenance economics -low to medium cost of purchase -high cost of purchase, installation; low cost of maintenance environmental impact human health impact raw materials manufacture -100% recyclable, reducing landfill -non-biodegradable in landfill -cannot be incinerated due to release of dioxins & other toxins -can contain airborne toxins after installation -can be made from recycled materials, reducing use of raw materials and disposal in landfill -made from non-renewable resource (petroleum) -dioxins (carcinogen) created in manufacturing, cumulatively toxic in human body -ethylene dichloride, vinyl chloride, & other toxins created in manufacturing process, causing human health issues -phthalates used to soften PVC (cushioning) is toxin, harmful to human life exposed -manufacturing is closed-loop system, limiting human exposure to toxins -polyvinyl chloride resins -plasticizers (solvents) -pigments & stabilizers -carrier sheet / backing -calcium carbonate (filler, whitener) -fungicide -requires high amount of energy to produce -materials are heated & mixed, creating PVC pellets -pellets heated and rolled into sheets or melted and formed into sheets or tiles and bound to backing -product is oven cured -product coated with thin urethane film purchase cost -wide range of purchase cost ($13-$38 / m 2 ) -average installation cost -cost of higher priced varieties can be offset by user installation -continuously sustainable (does not destroy source upon harvest) -renewable resource -recyclable where facilities exist -can be incinerated -harvested by manual labour, creating employment -renewable cycle 9-year interval -harvested using manual labour without use of chemicals -Oak cork tree bark -solvents (cleaning) -sealant -moderate amount of energy to produce -high purchase cost ($64-$86 / m 2 ) -high installation cost Page 4 of 7 Created on :29:00 AM

5 availability -high availability from most home improvement stores -available by order (not generally in stock) maintenance cost -low cost of maintenance -single pieces difficult to replace, thus increasing repair costs -high cost of maintenance if damaged by gouging or water -single pieces easily replaced, thus minimizing repair costs installation -user or builder installed -can be installed over existing flooring -user installed but must be sealed by professional usability -average usability -cushioned, pleasing to walk on durability -scratch and damage resistant -stain resistant -water resistant can be washed, steam cleaned -can be damaged by sharp objects -must be kept dry -must be dry-mopped construction properties -scratch resistant -clip together (DIY-friendly) -water resistant -warranted up to 25 years -non-toxic -fire retardant -thermal, acoustic, & vibrate insulating -generally designed to last average of 25 years expected useful life embodied MJ/kg * MJ/kg *1 energy embodied -CO kg CO2 / kg *2 -CO MJ/kg *2 pollution -CO2e 3.19 kg CO2 / kg *3 -CO2e - n/a *3 user experience -unknown at this time -range of customer satisfaction from low to very high disposal -does not decompose -is a natural substance, can be -contains toxins that cannot break disposed of in landfill, compost, down -typically 100% recyclable -rate of recycle unknown at this time recyclability biodegradability -high customer satisfaction -some difficulty in installation -not biodegradable -may be toxic to soil and water environs if left to decompose -medium customer satisfaction due to durability issues with water -not conducive to do-it-yourself projects -100% biodegradable Other Points Flooring receives comparatively heavy use throughout its lifecycle (Considering, 2007). Flooring is installed during the last phases of construction and may be subject to budget cuts. Flooring typically has strong first-impression among residents and guests. Changes in flooring styles occur frequently over time. Various type of flooring (carpet, tile, laminate, hardwood, etc.) are often subject to fads. Although vinyl plank flooring can be recycled, recycling facilities or collection points may not exist in the end user s area. Cost of transportation to recycling facilities or collection points may be prohibitively high to consider the material recyclable. In-floor heating and its effects on vinyl plank and cork flooring may not addressed in this report. There are 14-billion pounds of vinyl flooring manufactured in the United States each year. (Lewitin, Feb. 2017) Other names: LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) *1 MJ/kg (Mega Joules per kilogram) calculations from Circular Technology embodied energy calculator V 2.0 (Jan. 2011). *2 Carbon coefficients: kilograms of CO2 / kilogram of material created based on vinyl flooring, not vinyl plank flooring (unavailable at this time) *3 CO2e (Carbon Dioxide equivalent) is a standard of unit of measure for measuring carbon footprint of manufactured goods. Page 5 of 7 Created on :29:00 AM

6 Executive Summary Vinyl plank flooring and cork flooring both have benefits and detriments. Depending on manufacturing processes of vinyl as a flooring material, it can be environmentally friendly or substantially damaging. Its overall cost of manufacturing, its off-gas pollutant content in manufacturing, use, and disposal, and its disposal or recycle are all contributors to its long-term viability. Cork, with its low environmental impact from harvest to processing to usage and disposal, is considerably less intrusive on the environment. Its use is still limited as knowledge and acceptance is not widespread. Ultimately, the onus is on the builders and consumers to weigh considerations of both. Page 6 of 7 Created on :29:00 AM

7 references All About: Cork Flooring Considering the Life-Cycle Cost of Flooring. (2007, April.) Retrieved February 13, 2017, from Cork Flooring Environmental Impact of Vinyl Flooring Flooring Manufacturing Efficiency - Die Cutting - Luxury Vinyl Planks Lewitin, J. (Feb. 15, 2017) The environmental impact of vinyl flooring. Retrieved from Pros and Cons of Luxury Vinyl Plank Floors The Home Depot cost of vinyl plank flooring Vinyl Floor Covering Background Vinyl Plank Flooring Costs What are CO2e and global warming potential (GWP)? carbon footprint Page 7 of 7 Created on :29:00 AM