Armstrong World Industries, headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was one of the United States’ largest manufacturers of resilient floor covering products, including vinyl asbestos tile (VAT), linoleum, and other flooring materials sold to commercial, institutional, and government markets. Armstrong supplied vinyl asbestos tile under the Armstrong brand to the Navy for installation in ship crew berthing compartments, officers’ quarters, CPO quarters, galleys, working spaces, and shore facility offices and barracks throughout the mid-20th century. Armstrong vinyl asbestos tile incorporated asbestos fiber as a binder and filler in the vinyl tile composition, providing the tile with dimensional stability and fire resistance properties that made it suitable for Navy ship and facility applications. Armstrong floor tile installers working in Navy ship construction and overhaul projects cut, fitted, and cemented vinyl asbestos tile in ship compartments throughout their tile installation work. Navy personnel performing floor tile replacement aboard ships or in shore facilities cut and removed Armstrong floor tile in the process of tile replacement, with tile cutting operations generating asbestos dust from the asbestos-containing tile composition.

Vinyl Asbestos Tile Composition and Asbestos Content

Armstrong vinyl asbestos tile incorporated asbestos throughout:

  • Asbestos binder in tile composition — Armstrong vinyl asbestos tile manufactured through the mid-1970s incorporated asbestos fiber as a binder material in the vinyl tile composite, with asbestos content in vinyl asbestos tile typically ranging from approximately 15–30% by weight in the tile product. The asbestos binder provided dimensional stability and reinforcement in the vinyl tile matrix, and the tile’s asbestos content was released as asbestos fiber when the tile was cut, broken, drilled, or sanded during installation or removal operations
  • Tile cutting during installation — floor tile installation crews working in Navy ship construction and overhaul — cutting Armstrong VAT tiles to fit around fixtures, hatchways, and irregular compartment boundaries — used power saws or hand scoring tools that generated asbestos dust from the cut tile edges. Tile installers performing fit-up cutting operations worked in the enclosed shipboard compartment environment with airborne asbestos dust from the tile cutting operations throughout the installation work period

Armstrong floor tile was installed throughout Navy ships:

  • Crew berthing compartments — Armstrong vinyl asbestos tile was installed in Navy ship crew berthing compartments as the standard deck covering material for enlisted crew sleeping and living spaces aboard cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and amphibious ships throughout the 1950s–1970s construction period. Navy crew members accumulated background asbestos exposure from the asbestos-containing VAT deck tile in their berthing compartments during underway operations and inport periods
  • Officers’ and CPO quarters — Armstrong floor tile was installed in officer staterooms and CPO quarters aboard Navy ships in the mid-century construction period, with ship officers and CPOs serving in these compartments accumulating background asbestos exposure from the compartment floor tile construction
  • Galley and mess decks — Navy ship galleys and mess deck areas used Armstrong-brand VAT floor tile as the standard covering for food preparation and dining spaces, with Culinary Specialists working in galley compartments accumulating background asbestos exposure from the galley and mess deck floor tile

Shore Facility Armstrong Tile Installation

Armstrong floor tile was installed in Navy shore facilities:

  • Barracks and administrative building construction — naval station barracks, administrative buildings, and support facilities installed Armstrong vinyl asbestos tile as the standard deck covering in office and living areas throughout the WWII and Cold War military construction period. Navy personnel and civilian employees working in these shore facilities accumulated background asbestos exposure from the Armstrong floor tile in the facility construction

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to Armstrong Products

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy floor tile materials. Floor tile installers, construction workers, and Navy personnel who worked in or lived in spaces with Armstrong vinyl asbestos tile and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.