Evaluation Method of Floor Hardness from the Viewpoint of Physical Fatigue Due to Long Standing Work

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K14296
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 23010:Building structures and materials-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology (2022-2023); Building Research Institute (2021)
• Principal Investigator: Fukuda Shintaro 東京工業大学, 環境・社会理工学院, 准教授 (50781887)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 長時間の立ち仕事 / かたさ / 身体の疲労 / 官能検査 / 性能値 / 評価方法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to establish a method for evaluating floor hardness from the perspective of physical fatigue. Specifically, a sensory test was conducted in which participants were asked to perform actions simulating standing work for long periods of time on several floors with different hardness, and then to respond to their level of fatigue. In addition, existing performance values that are expected to be related to physical fatigue were measured for the several floors on which the sensory test was conducted. As a result of examining the relationship between the psychological scales constructed from the responses obtained from the sensory test and the measured performance values, it became clear that the performance value Dc, which represents the hardness of a floor felt when sitting or lying down, can also be used as a performance value that represents hardness from the perspective of physical fatigue.

Free Research Field

建築部位の性能評価

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

我が国では高齢化が進行しており、介護従事者の不足が問題となっている。介護従事者は勤務中、被介護者の不測の事態に備えて常に座ることなく立ったり歩いたりしており、それによる身体の疲労は大きい。本研究では、そのような立ち仕事による身体の疲労を床のかたさによって軽減する可能性を探る目的で、床のかたさと身体の疲労の関係について検討した。その結果、疲労からみた床のかたさには最適値が存在していることが明らかとなった。介護施設等でかたさが最適な床を選定すれば、介護従事者への負担を軽減することができ、我が国における介護従事者の不足を間接的に解消する一助となると考えられる。