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
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: Crude injury risk per fall was 20.3% on Kradal flooring compared to 28.7% on regular flooring. Falls mainly occurred in bedrooms (72%), bathrooms (15%), and communal areas (13%). No increase in fall rate was observed on the compliant surface.
Meta Analysis
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
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, 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: The Acoustic Underlay achieved AAAC 6-Star — the highest tier of impact sound insulation — with 27 dB improvement over bare concrete. Both products fire rated Bfl-s1 to EN 13501-1:2018.
Impact Attenuation Test
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.