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Greensburg Continues Rebuilding with Hospital Project

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Greensburg, KS, devastated by a powerful EF5 tornado in 2007, continues to make strides in its mission to rebuild “bigger, stronger, and greener.” The recovery process includes the construction of a new Kiowa County Memorial Hospital, where seamless epoxy and urethane flooring systems are being installed by Stonhard, an RPM Inc. subsidiary.

The hospital is expected to open in early 2010.

A crew from the company installed Stonhard UTS, a textured epoxy floor system, in the hospital’s kitchen/dietary area. The flooring system is described as offering decorative appeal, with cure to a durable floor that provides resistance to impact and chemicals. The seamless system is reported to maintain a hygienic, easy-to-clean environment by providing a surface where dirt and bacteria do not accumulate.

In the next phase of the ongoing rebuilding program, Stonres RTZ—a urethane floor system—will be installed in the hospital’s trauma area. The floor system is infused with rubber aggregates, and is described as highly stylized in appearance, easy on the feet, and sound-reducing for noise control. Other important characteristics include resistance to staining and blood and ease of cleaning.

Stonhard, a division of RPM Inc., says its floor systems are formulated with sustainability in mind, in that the materials “become part of the building rather than end up in a landfill at the end of their life.” The company says other green and sustainable aspects of the flooring include:

• low maintenance requirements, reducing the volume of water, harsh chemicals, waxes, and detergents entering the waste stream;

• specialized packaging that reduces landfill disposal of packaging waste; and

• the potential for LEED rating system credits in the areas of Materials and Resources, Construction Waste Management, Regionally Sourced Materials, and Indoor Environmental Quality due to low VOC content of floor-coating materials.

Greensburg, located in southwestern Kansas, was largely destroyed by a tornado on May 4, 2007. The twister caused 11 fatalities and leveled 95% of the town, which at the time had a population of 1,574. The National Weather Service estimated that winds from the tornado reached 205 mph.

Following the devastation, the Greensburg City Council passed a resolution calling for all city rebuilding to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum standards. The program includes the construction of 10 1.25-megawatt wind turbines to provide the city’s electrical power.