Situation:
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago provides pediatric care offering the latest innovations in medical technology, research and family-friendly design. The redesign of Lurie Children’s included all private inpatient rooms to reduce infection and promote healing. Acuity adaptable rooms in the Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit helped to eliminate transfers to another unit when a patient’s condition change. It also decentralized nursing stations to increase staff time spent in direct patient care and provided access to sunlight and views of nature to reduce stress. The entire interior design concept of the brand new 1.25 million square-foot hospital considered how color enhances the experiences of patients, families and staff from every public space to every patient care room. However exceptionally high moisture readings in the concrete slabs required remediation. Additionally, concrete slabs did not meet flatness specifications required by architects and finish flooring manufacturers. Some patient rooms had deviations up to 3/4’-1” in 10’ creating a need to raise and level the substrate to receive high-end vinyl sheet goods. Most hallways needed an average 1”-1 1/2” of ARDEX K15 Premium Self-Leveling Underlayment to meet specified tolerances.
Contractors: Mr. David’s Flooring International, Ltd. – Itasca, IL
Architect: ZGF Architects LLP/Solomon Cordwell Buenz/Anderson Mikos Architects, Ltd.
Products:
- ARDEX FEATHER FINISH® Self-Drying, CementBased Finish Underlayment (1 million square-feet)
- ARDEX K 15® Premium Self-Leveling Underlayment (50,500 bags)
- ARDEX SD-P® Self-Drying, Fast Setting Concrete Underlayment
- ARDEX MC™ ULTRA Two-Coat Moisture Control System for Concrete to Receive ARDEX Toppings and Underlayments
- ARDEX ERM™ Exterior Ramp Mortar
Challenge:
- New construction
- 23 story hospital projects
- Uneven doorway elevations in patient rooms
- 820,000 square-foot installation area
Solution:
ARDEX Regional Manager Bryan Chesley and ARDEX Sales Professional Marc Grider recommended ARDEX MC™ ULTRA Two-Coat Moisture Control System for Concrete to Receive ARDEX Toppings and Underlayments to remediate moisture issues. There are no limits for the thickness of the topping or underlayment installed over ARDEX MC ULTRA making this the perfect product to go underneath leveling products used in doorways. ARDEX K 15® Premium Self-Leveling Underlayment was used as a deep fill product to make doorways even. ARDEX FEATHER FINISH® Self-Drying, Cement-Based Finish Underlayment was used as a skim coat to finish the job. This project won a gold healthcare 2013 Design Award from Starnet Flooring.
