125 Years of Product Innovation and Evolution
Terrazzo Today: Elegant, Durable, and Green
As the original recycled-content material, today’s terrazzo provides a variety of green attributes that can contribute to sustainable, environmentally responsible design and construction projects.
Durability
Terrazzo floors have an outstanding record of durability and performance dating back hundreds of years. These floors will typically last the life of the structure, despite changes of occupancy and use. For example, Indianapolis’ long-abandoned, 100-year-old St. Vincent’s Hospital was reconfigured in 2013 as Ivy Tech Community College’s new student center. A large portion of the original hospital structure was demolished, but the century-old cementitious terrazzo floor in the main entry was restored and incorporated into the structure. New epoxy terrazzo in complementary colors was then installed in the common areas of the new sections of the completed 211,650-square-foot facility. Attesting to the durability and longevity of the original material, terrazzo contractor John Blakely of Blakely Corporation notes, “The project was a rare opportunity to incorporate terrazzo that old into new construction. We didn’t redo the original terrazzo; we just brought back what was there.”
Low Maintenance
Both cement and thin-set epoxy terrazzo floors have extremely low maintenance costs. Annual stripping and resealing can utilize environmentally friendly water-based products. Routine maintenance includes dry and damp mopping, with an occasional spray buffing. By way of comparison, carpet requires energy-intensive daily vacuuming and periodic steam cleaning.
Composition and Embodied Energy
Terrazzo is composed of naturally occurring aggregates, recycled glass or plastic, and processed cement or epoxy binders. The binders constitute approximately 25 percent to 30 percent of the volume of the terrazzo floors; the remainder of the floor is composed of aggregates, pigments, and fillers. Initial life-cycle assessments of embodied energy appear extremely favorable due to the longevity and low energy usage for maintenance.
Recycled/Reused Content
Terrazzo contains significant amounts of recycled content, the most common being the aggregates, including post-consumer recycled glass and post-industrial stone left from slab granite and marble processing.
VOC Off-Gassing and Indoor Air Quality
Both cement-based and thin-set epoxy terrazzo systems are comprised of zero-VOC materials. Terrazzo exhibits little or no off-gassing over the life of the cured floor. The non-porous, cleanable terrazzo finish does not support microbial growth, nor does it allow moisture to accumulate, helping to maintain a mold-free environment with improved indoor air quality.
Regional Sourcing
The United States terrazzo industry consists of many manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors strategically located throughout the country. Terrazzo is manufactured on-site, minimizing post-commercial waste and transportation costs. By comparison, much of the marble and ceramic floor tile used in the United States is manufactured overseas and imported. Cement and sand used in cementitious terrazzo may be regionally sourced. Depending on the mix, aggregates may also have regional sources.
A project that brings all these attributes together is the University of Minnesota’s Amplatz Children’s Hospital. When young patients check in at the hospital, they receive a passport to discovery. Then, standing on the image of a compass in the terrazzo floor, they embark on a journey, with the graphic terrazzo floors in the public spaces serving as the guide. Each floor has its own theme, with an animal “storyteller” to direct visitors through images of grasslands, ocean, desert, or tropics.
In addition to the design flexibility terrazzo provided, it also contributed directly to the LEED certification attained by the facility, specifically its durability, longevity, low-maintenance profile, and lack of any VOC off-gassing. In addition, terrazzo’s antimicrobial properties contributed significantly to a healthy environment where children are constantly contending with germs. Since terrazzo is a solid surface that absorbs virtually nothing, it reduces infection concerns effectively to zero at the level of the floor.
The combination of all these sustainable attributes, coupled with its proven life-cycle benefits and its unique design flexibility, is now driving renewed interest in terrazzo floors across the country. What’s old is new—and even better.
Photo courtesy of National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association
Each floor in this children’s hospital has its own theme, with an animal “storyteller” to guide visitors through images of grasslands, ocean, desert, or tropics—all part of a Passport to Discovery theme across the whole facility. Terrazzo was the ideal flooring choice because it could be easily customized for each floor and each theme.
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