Impact on Learning

Coppin State University

• 03/01/15

THE CHALLENGE

In February 2010, after five years of planning and construction, Coppin State unveiled its brand new, 246,000-square-foot Physical Education Complex. The $136-million visionary facility includes a 4,100-seat basketball arena, an NCAA regulation pool, a fitness center, an auxiliary gymnasium, a dance studio, racquetball courts and classrooms, as well as many outdoor fields and recreation areas.

When plans were drawn up for the design of the basketball arena, polished concrete floors were specified for corridors, lobbies and locker rooms. However, as work began, project managers were extremely unhappy with the unsatisfactory appearance of the first applications in the locker rooms and put a halt to the entire installation.

THE SOLUTION

Finding themselves in an unexpected situation and drawing from numerous previous positive experiences with Stonhard, the project superintendent reached out to the company for guidance. Stonhard guaranteed a long-lasting decorative floor system that could be installed quickly and at a fraction of the cost of the originally specified polished concrete.

Stonhard recommended Stonproof ME7 as a crack-bridging agent on the surface of the concrete substrate, followed by Stonhard’s TecTop UF system. The Stonproof ME7 filled all cracks in the floor surface a smooth surface for the next steps in the installation process. TecTop UF creates a seamless, stain resistant floor surface that is durable and requires little maintenance. A colored epoxy undercoat and a layer of colorful, broadcasted vinyl flakes, finished off with a clear urethane sealer, resulted in decorative, eye-catching floors in the complex’s new lobbies, concourses, walkways, restrooms, locker rooms and pool observation deck.

IMPACT ON LEARNING

Coppin State sets for itself a broad mission — a central aspect of which is to offer educational access to students whose promise may have been hindered by a lack of social, personal or financial opportunity. Primarily a commuter institution serving a local population of mostly first-generation college students, the university anticipates a 25 percent growth in enrollment over roughly 10 years. Accomplishing this mission is achieved, in part, by developing top-notch facilities. The Stonhard floors in the Physical Education Complex contribute to the university’s goals, withstand heavy traffic and wear and tear and provide an easy-to-clean surface.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .