Dr. Robert Seymour & Mike Mayo gave a report to the Manhattan School District at Wednesday night's meeting on the Eisenhower Gymnasium Floor Replacement. Here is part of a Memo given to the Board:

Background Information

Last spring an art room fire sprinkler went off flooding the art room and the gymnasium. Although efforts were made over the summer to salvage the gym floor, the damage is significant and it cannot be repaired. Insurance will cover the cost of replacing the wood flooring system with an identical flooring system.

Current Considerations

The original flooring system is a low budget system known as a "Lankford" floor. This type of system has been used at many locations throughout this region for several decades. Current flooring technology significantly exceeds the performance of a "Lankford" floor system.

Most athletic flooring systems today are tested in accordance with DIN 18032, which is a standard test procedure developed in Germany. The floors are rated on six criteria, the four most important are below:

Shock Absorption The amount of force absorbed by the floor from an athlete.

Vertical Deflection How far the floor deflects under a jumping athlete.

Area of Deflection The distance the floor deflects from one athlete to influence the floor surface of an adjacent athlete.

Ball Rebound The bounce of a basketball off the floor system as compared to the bounce off a concrete floor.

The "Lankford" system has not been tested to DIN standards. It would not meet standards for shock absorption or vertical deflection - the two key criteria for protecting athletes from joint injury.

The "Lankford" system is also known as a floating floor system. Wood expands and contracts significantly depending upon relative humidity and wood moisture content. The floor at Eisenhower has had a history of difficulties accommodating this expansion, especially due to the attributes of a floating floor. Those problems were finally resolved shortly before the flood. An anchored floor system is typically a better choice in areas where there are significant humidity changes, such as occurs in Manhattan.

For insurance reimbursement purposes, the base bid for the gym floor project is to replace the existing floor with an identical system. This will identify the amount the insurance company will pay to replace the floor. An alternate bid is being taken to upgrade the floor to a DIN rated system that will be significantly better for the health of students during PE classes and athletic activities. In addition, the alternate floor system will be an anchored system to better accommodate the extremes of humidity in the Manhattan area.

Board of Education Policy

Board Policy DJEG requires approval of contracts in excess of $5,000.

Financial Implications

A DIN rated wood flooring system will cost more than a "Lankford" system. Because the alternate floor system will likely exceed the $10,000 threshold, the project is being bid for review and approval by the Board.

Recommendations

The gym flooring bids will be received on Monday, August 13. A recommendation will be hand carried into the Board meeting on Wednesday.

Options

Replace the existing "Lankford" system with an identical system at no cost to the District (beyond the insurance deductible).

Replace the existing system with a DIN rated anchored system at an additional cost to the District.