To protect curved, finished surface and provide support for workmen, portable flooring has been made from rigid plastic foam blocks, faced with aluminum strips. Held together by nylon webbing, the flooring can be rolled up for easy carrying

Carmody, R. J.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

Plastic 
Flooring Rolled Up
Nylon 
on-Skid Surface - 
m^inum Strip ' 
Foam
Flooring on Curved Surface 
1964	 Brief 63-10387 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
This NASA Tech Brief is issued by the Technology Utilization Division to acquaint industry 
with the technical content of an innovation derived from the NASA space program. 
Portable Flooring Protects Finished Surfaces, Is Easily Moved 
The problem: Protecting the curved, finished sur-
faces of tanks or large machines when workmen must 
stand on such surfaces. Space limitations and small 
access openings usually prohibit the use of large tim-
bers or braces on stringers. 
The solution: Temporary flooring that is also 
portable. it is made from blocks of rigid plastic foam, 
faced with aluminum strips. The assembly is held 
together by nylon webbing. 
How it's done:Plastic foam planks, (styrofoam, 
poly-urethane or similar plastic foams), about 1 inch 
thick and 4 inches wide are fastened together with 
nylon webbing 2 inches wide. Length of the foam 
planks may be varied to fit the application. Several 
methods of fastening the webbing to the planks are 
suitable but in this case the webbing is put through 
slots in the planks. Aluminum strips approximately
0.020 inch thick are glued to the tops of the 
planks and then an adhesive-backed, non-skid surface 
is cemented over the aluminum. The resulting mat is 
a portable, temporary flooring that will support the 
weight of a worker. It can be quickly rolled up so 
that it can be carried through the openings of cylin-
drical or spherical tanks. 
Not only does the portable flooring serve as a satis-
factory support for the workman and his equipment 
but it acts as a shock absorber if tools are dropped. 
This flooring is lighter and offers more protection than 
wooden floor mats while it distributes weight better 
than foam-rubber pads. It can be assembled in the 
shop from standard materials and will last indefinitely. 
Notes: 
I. This innovation may be used as temporary flooring 
over flat, curved or irregular surfaces which must 
(continued overleaf) 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States Govern-
ment, nor NASA. nor any person acting on behalf of NASA: A. Makes 
any warranty or representation, express or implied, with respect to the 
accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information contained in
this document, or that the use of any information, apparatus, method, 
or process disclosed in this document may not infringe privately-owned 
rights; or B. Assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of, or for 
dama g es resulting from the use of, any information, apparatus, method, 
or process disclosed in this document.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19630000069 2020-03-11T16:47:49+00:00Z
as a protective covering for walking c-n wiP1r-
faces in ground servicing. 
Patent Status: NASA encourages commercial use 
of this innovation. No patent action is contemplated.
	
40 
Source: R. J. Carmody 
Marshall Space Flight Center (M-FS-1 5)
be protected. It is particularly useful where only a 
small opening is available or where weight of the 
protective flooring would be a work factor. 
2. Portable flooring could serve as a temporary pas-
senger walk-way to an aircraft over wet ground or
Brief 63-10387


Portable flooring protects finished surfaces, is easily moved

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