47.5 MB - The Whole Building Design Guide

acceptable, depending on the type of adhesive and foundation(gypsum board substrate and wood-framed walls with tile typicallydo not remain stable).Flooring: Many critical facilities have durable floors that resistwater damage. Ground floors often are slab-on-grade and finishedwith tile or sheet goods. Flooring adhesives in use sincethe early 1990s likely are latex-based and tend to break downwhen saturated. Most carpeting, even the indoor-outdoor kind,is difficult to clean. Wood floors are particularly susceptible tosaturation damage, although short duration inundation maynot cause permanent de-formation of some wood floors. However,because of low tolerance for surface variations, gymnasiumfloors in schools are particu-larly sensitive and tend to warp afterflooding of any duration (see Figure 2-17).Figure 2-17:This parquet wood gymnasium floor wasdamaged by dimensional changes due tosaturation. Hurricane Katrina (2005)Wall and wood components: When soaked for long periods of time,some building components change composition or shape. Mosttypes of wood will swell when wetted and, if dried too quickly, willcrack, split or warp. Plywood can delaminate and wood door andMAKING CRITICAL FACILITIES SAFE FROM Flooding2-47