INDOOR FLOORING
Sports hall flooring should be chosen to provide performance re- quirements for a variety of sports
national standards. CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN internal regulations, which stipulate the condi- tions for giving each standard the status of a national standard without any alterations. Standards are prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission and the European Free Trade Association. Therefore, with the publication of EN
14094 in 2006 the old British Standard (BS 7044) was withdrawn and new sports facilities should be built in accordance with the new European Standard. The Technical Committee CEN/TC 217
is responsible for all standards related to ‘Surfaces for Sports Areas’. The commit- tee was formed in 1988 and due to the complexity and politics of the countries involved it took 18 years to publish its first standard for indoor surfaces. The UK has a shadow committee (PRi 57), which reviews proposals to standard changes and ensures British interests are considered. The Sports and Play Con- struction Association (SAPCA) is the secretariat of this committee.
Types of indoor surfaces covered in EN 14904 There are four floor categories covered by this European standard: Area-elastic sports floor A sports floor to which the application of a point force causes deflection over a relatively large area around the point of application of the force Point-elastic sports floor A sports floor to which the application of a point force causes deflection only at or close to the point of application of the force Combined-elastic sports floor An area-elastic sports floor with a point-elastic top layer, to which the application of a point force causes
Insufficient grip can result in the user slipping on
the surface and too much grip can place high levels of stress on the user’s joints, which may result in injury
both localised deflection and deflection over a wider area Mixed-elastic sports floor A point-elastic sports floor with a synthetic area-stiffening component
Requirements of the Standard The requirements within EN 14904 can be split into three main parts: • Requirements for safety in use This includes tests such as shock absorp- tion and vertical deformation • Technical requirements This includes tests such as vertical ball be- haviour and resistance to a rolling load • Evaluation of conformity This includes type testing and factory production control Sports surfaces, when subjected to a
dynamic load, will undergo a complex reaction. During this impact the surface’s ability to deform, absorb and return en- ergy to the user is vitally important for performance and sporting locomotion. In addition, the grip between the foot- wear and sports surfaces is important as insufficient grip can result in the user slipping on the surface; and too much
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grip can place high levels of stress on the athlete’s joints, which may result in injury to the user. The tests within the standard will help evaluate the surfaces to measure these characteristics.
Aftercare While the initial choice of the surface and standards are very important, one should not overlook the ongoing maintenance and use of the facility as this will have a huge impact on the longevity and quality of the surface. There should be appro- priate provision for the maintenance requirements of the surface, which if not done correctly can significantly reduce the life expectancy of the facility. Many companies supplying, manufac-
turing and installing surfaces will often quote their products that have been test- ed and conform to the standard. A list of SAPCA members providing indoor sur- faces can be accessed from:
www.sapca.
org.uk/results.asp?id=5&ref=27 ● The full standard can be downloaded from BSi online
www.bsigroup.com Dr Colin Y
oung is technical and training manager at SAPCA. Issue 4 2010 © cybertrek 2010
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