A flooring that conserves resources

Klinikum Karlsruhe © Elmar Witt

District Hospital Bergstraße Heppenheim © Markus Bachmann

Less is more – sufficiency is currently a popular topic and a consistent continuation of the sustainability concept. In view of limited natural resources and climate change, it is essential to save energy, reuse or recycle materials, use sustainable raw materials, and extend the usability phase of buildings. Especially municipalities are increasingly demanding resource-conserving construction with regard to meeting climate protection goals. This requires a rethinking from all stakeholders – planners, clients, end-users, as well as manufacturers of building materials. Because the most climate-friendly new building is not automatically the most sustainable solution, but must be weighed against the preservation and repurposing of existing structures. To achieve climate targets, preference should be given to CO2-neutral products both in new construction and renovation. Important here: considering all phases of the product lifecycle – from production through use to deconstruction and recycling. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the total lifecycle costs of buildings and construction products. Durable building materials can make a significant contribution to resource conservation and thus to efficient building. The less frequently, for example, a floor covering needs to be replaced, the better for the environment and the municipal budget. Many public buildings – from schools to museums to hospitals – therefore rely on nora rubber coverings. Due to their extreme wear resistance, rubber floors stand for exceptionally long service lives: the service life of norament floors is over 40 years under normal use, and over 30 years for noraplan coverings. This longevity, combined with low cleaning requirements, has a positive impact on lifecycle costs (LCC) as well as on lifecycle assessments (LCA), i.e., the ecological footprint of buildings according to the evaluation systems DGNB, BNB, or LEED.

CO2-neutral throughout the entire product lifecycle – for climate protection

The building sector is called upon to reduce its emissions from 118 million tons of CO2 equivalent in 2020 to 67 million tons by 2030. To achieve these ambitious targets, nora flooring can make an important contribution because they are CO2-neutral over the entire product lifecycle. The special feature: this involves a holistic approach according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), which goes beyond assessing greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing and also considers the phases of installation, use, and recycling. "As a responsible manufacturer, we work on avoiding and reducing greenhouse gases, which also includes compensation through the purchase of emission reduction certificates, which is voluntary and not guaranteed by all manufacturers due to the costs involved," emphasizes Martina Hoock, nora market segment specialist for education. In reducing the carbon footprint, nora systems follows the principle of the Federal Environment Agency for climate-friendly action: avoid, reduce, compensate. "The latter is so important because the CO2 emissions from building products during installation, use, and recycling can usually only be offset in this way," explains Hoock. When customers choose a nora floor, they can, if they wish, receive a certificate certifying that the coverings supplied for the project are CO2-neutral throughout their lifecycle. With this program, they are supported in achieving their own climate goals. Many public and private clients have already made use of this offer.

Durable and easy to clean – for a good lifecycle cost balance

Especially for flooring that remains in the building for a long time, wear resistance and durability are crucial factors for resource conservation and a good ecological balance. Because this is usually calculated over a period of 50 years. The robust rubber floors with their good performance and lifespan of 30 to 40 years need to be replaced only once during this period, unlike many other resilient coverings. For a comprehensive assessment of lifecycle costs, the cleaning and maintenance effort over the entire lifespan of a floor is also important. This can increase significantly with increasing surface wear, which is not considered in the limited one-year usage phase in the lifecycle assessment of environmental product declarations (EPD). In many schools and kindergartens, annual coating renewals are common. With the coating-free nora floors, this can be avoided – and throughout the entire lifespan. This can save large amounts of highly alkaline cleaning chemicals over time. This protects the environment and also saves time, costs, and organizational effort for many years, such as setting up and packing away inventory.

CO2-neutral, durable, easy to maintain – nora rubber floors contribute in multiple ways to resource-conserving, efficient building.