The Science Behind Impact Absorbing Flooring
Every claim we make about Kradal is backed by independent, peer-reviewed research or third-party testing. This page provides the full evidence base — from a 3-year clinical trial to independent acoustic laboratory reports.
Clinical Studies
Clinical Study
Investigating the fall-injury reducing effect of impact absorbing flooring among female nursing home residents: initial results
Gustavsson J, Bonander C, Andersson R, Nilson F
A 2.5-year quasi-experimental, non-randomised controlled trial of 57 female residents in a Swedish long-term care setting, comparing 12 mm Kradal compliant flooring against standard vinyl, linoleum and ceramic tile. P
Key finding: The injury-to-fall rate was 16.9% on Kradal compared with 30.3% on standard flooring. After adjusting for body mass index, compliant flooring reduced the relative risk of injury in the event of a fall by 59% (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.20–0.80). The authors note that around 80% of recorded injuries were minor, and that the study lacked statistical power to test the effect on less common, more serious injuries.
Clinical Study
A quasi-experimental evaluation of compliant flooring in a residential care setting
Gustavsson J, Bonander C, Nilson F
Three-year quasi-experimental evaluation at two residential aged care facilities in Sweden. 193 participants (mean age 85.3 years) were observed over 46 months across intervention units fitted with Kradal compliant flooring and control units with standard flooring.
Key finding: The primary model showed a 29% reduction in injury risk per fall on compliant flooring, which did not reach statistical significance. Excluding six outlying individuals, the reduction was a significant 63% — consistent with the study's own interim analysis, which reported 59% and was published separately in Injury Prevention in 2015.
Meta Analysis
Compliant sports floors and fall-related injuries: evidence from a residential care setting and updated meta-analysis for all patient care settings
Bonander C, Gustavsson J, Nilson F
Updated meta-analysis pooling data from Kradal, SmartCell, and Tarkett studies across all patient care settings. Uses random-effects inverse variance model with subgroups for novel impact-absorbing flooring (Kradal, SmartCell) and sports flooring (Tarkett OmniSports).
Key finding: Pooled injury risk per fall on compliant flooring: relative risk 0.71 (95% CI: 0.52 to 0.97). Pooled injurious fall rate: RR 0.66 (95% CI: 0.39 to 1.12). No evidence of adverse effects on fall rates (HR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.63 to 1.38).
Qualitative Research
There is more to life than risk avoidance — elderly people’s experiences of falls, fall-injuries and compliant flooring
Gustavsson J, Jernbro C, Nilson F
Semi-structured interviews with eight elderly residents living in a facility with Kradal compliant flooring. Explored experiences of falls, injury prevention, and attitudes toward impact-absorbing flooring from the resident perspective.
Key finding: Residents embraced compliant flooring as an injury-reducing measure. They viewed falls as a normal part of life and preferred passive prevention (like flooring) that required no daily effort, compared to active measures like hip protectors which had poor compliance.
Independent Testing
ISO 16283-2:2020 Acoustic Test
Koikas Acoustics — Impact Sound Insulation Testing
Koikas Acoustics, Australia · Independent laboratory
Independent acoustic testing of both Kradal underlay products measured impact sound insulation performance on concrete substrates to ISO 16283-2:2020.
Key finding: Kradal Smart Foam Underlay achieved AAAC 5-Star — with 19 dB improvement over bare concrete. Fire rated Bfl-s1 to EN 13501-1:2018.
Impact Attenuation Test
Acousto-Scan — Impact Force Attenuation and Durability Testing (Report 6684)
Acousto-Scan, Australia · Independent laboratory
Independent impact testing measuring force reduction, deformation under impact, thickness recovery after repeated impacts, and durability under wheeled traffic.
Key finding: 46% of impact force absorbed by the Kradal underlay. The closed-cell foam shows zero thickness loss after 1,000 repeated impacts, maintaining its impact-absorbing properties throughout its service life.
Ergonomic Testing
Jacaranda Flame Consulting — Kradal Flooring as an Anti-Fatigue Mat
University of Sydney, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies
Independent ergonomic study comparing carer standing fatigue across three flooring surfaces: rigid flooring (plywood), the best-selling commercial anti-fatigue mat in Australia, and Kradal Smart Foam underlay. 65 participants stood on each surface for 30 minutes, with leg fatigue measured every 10 minutes using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) alongside observation of seven physical discomfort indicators. The study controlled for body weight across five weight groups (50–102 kg).
Key finding: Kradal Smart Foam produced the slowest fatigue accumulation rate of the three surfaces tested — 0.104 VAS points per minute, compared to 0.117 for the conventional anti-fatigue mat and 0.149 for rigid flooring. The pattern held across all weight groups, indicating the surface itself drives the difference.