Indoor Surfaces

1
Indoor Surfaces

• Chapter 8

2
Steps in Surface Selection

• Definition
• Solicitation
• Comparison
• Visitation
• Selection
• Quality
• Manufacturer
• Installer

• Life-Cycle Cost
• Bidding
• Installation

3
Surface Direct Links

• Cost
• Type
• Installation
• Maintenance

• Facility Usage
• Appearance
• Longevity
• Overall Facility Success

4
Indoor Surface Areas

• Floors
• Ceilings
• Walls
• Windows

• Specialty Areas
• Locker Rooms
• Steam Rooms
• Aerobic/Exercise Areas
• Strength Training Areas
• Racquetball Courts
• Offices/Teaching Areas

5
DIN REQUIREMENTS FOR SPORTS FLOORS1. Force
Reduction or Shock Absorption - This measures a
floor's ability to absorb the shock of an impact.
A solid concrete slab is used as a reference
point. The minimum allowable score for a sports
floor on this test is 53 force reduction. For
Aerobic floors, a high force reduction value is
desirable. 2. Standard Deformation or Resilience
- This measures a floor's ability to deflect or
"give" when impacted by the Artificial Athlete -
Stuttgart. The minimum allowable score for a
sports floor on this test is 2.3 millimeters. 3.
Deformation Control - This measures a floor's
ability to control the area spread of the
deformation as outlined in the previous test. The
maximum allowable score for a sports floor on
this test is 15. This means that a maximum of
15 of an impact's deformation can be spread to a
point 500 millimeters (20 inches) from the point
of impact. 4. Ball Rebound - This measures a
floor's ability to provide a suitable surface for
ball bounce. The minimum allowable score for a
sports floor on this test is 90. This means that
a sports floor must produce a ball rebound height
of at least 90 as compared to a concrete floor.
5. Behavior Under Rolling Load - This measures a
floor's ability to withstand the weight of a
rolling load, such as that of bleachers or other
portable equipment. To pass this test, a sports
floor must be able to withstand the trauma caused
by a rolling cart carrying 1500 n (337 lbs.),
without damage. This weighted cart is rolled over
the sports floor 300 times. After the test, the
sports floor is disassembled to examine the
condition of the components. A floor passes the
test only if none of the components have been
damaged. 6. Sliding Behavior - This measures a
floor's ability to control the sliding of the
athletes who are playing on the floor. In short,
a DIN certified floor must provide a surface that
does not slide excessively as to cause an athlete
to loose control and fall, while also providing a
surface that will allow sliding when a severe
force is exerted.
6
Indoor Facility Surface Areas

• The three main areas indoor facility surfaces
  are divided into are
• 1. Service/ancillary areas
• 2. The main floor
• 3. Office/administrative areas
• Planning for, and the selection of, appropriate
  indoor surface materials can profoundly impact
  facility use and costs

7

• Making informed facility surface choices allows
  for
• Optimal facility use
• Enhanced user satisfaction
• Reduced incidence of injuries
• Facility Players
• Owner/funding source
• Facility Manager
• Maintenance Staff
• Participants/Users

8
Factors that Influence the Surface Choice

• Budget
• Activity Offerings
• Life Expectancy
• Maintenance Costs
• Risk Management
• Foundation
• Climate

9
Is there a Perfect Indoor Surface?

• No - there is no perfect surface
• The needs of players are vastly different and few
  surface choices are likely to satisfy all
  constituents regardless of surface choice
• Communication is critical in the surface
  selection process as all three players must
  be heard to produce an acceptable surface that
  meets the construction goals and program mission

10
Multipurpose vs. Single Use

• Flooring decisions should be made based on
  planned use
• Single-purpose surface choices are much easier to
  make, yet multiple surface options remain

11
Facility Areas

• Service/ancillary areas
• Locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms
• Must pay attention to moisture issues and slip
  and fall concerns
• Main arena or activity center
• Typically encompasses the most time in the
  decision-making process
• Typically a hardwood or resilient synthetic
  material
• Offices, administrative areas, or classrooms

12
Synthetic vs. Hardwood Flooring

• Durability, Flexibility, and Cost are three
  factors that have allowed synthetic floors to
  challenge traditional hardwood flooring
• Two popular synthetic surfaces are
• Polyvinyl chlorides (PVCs)
• Polyurethane
• PVCs are typically prefabricated, while
  polyurethane is either poured in place or
  produced in pre-fabricated sheets

13
Flooring Cost Factors

• Materials used
• The thickness of the selected surface
• The condition of the existing surface
• The planned use should be the central factor
  directing all facility surface decisions

14
Administrative Offices and Classroom Spaces

• Typical tile flooring options usually include
• Vinyl
• Asphalt
• Rubber
• Linoleum
• Hardwood flooring is a more expensive option
  initially however, over time it is competitive
  with most synthetic surfaces
• Indoor/Outdoor carpeting is generally the least
  expensive flooring surface option

15
Flooring Choice Factors

• Flooring choices are commonly made based on the
  following factors
• Initial cost outlay
• Maintenance
• Performance Features
• Aesthetics
• Longevity

16
Optimal Flooring Choice Factors

• Facility Design
• Facility Function
• Facility Budget
• Flooring choices tend to be made by
  individuals responsible for design and
  construction project aspects rather than
  ensuring the surface meets the needs of the end
  users

17
Optimal Flooring Choice Factors Contd

• Although maintenance and operational costs are
  usually the most significant overall facility
  expense this factor is often overlooked when
  considering the initial financial outlay
• Flooring choices are often made by financial
  rather than practical purposes

18
Additional Factors that Influence Flooring
Choices

• Point-Elastic
• Surface maintains impact effects at the immediate
  area of contact on the floor with the ball,
  object or individual
• Area-Elastic
• Surface allows for dispersion of impact where a
  bouncing object, or individual jumping can be
  felt around the point of impact

19
Hardness

• Hardness is another term that is utilized to
  describe the nature of a flooring surface and its
  ability to react to surface contact
• Hardness is defined readily in the fields of
  mineralogy, metallurgy and engineering and not so
  easily with regard to a flooring surface
• In mineralogy hardness is defined as the
  ability of a surface to resist scratching. A
  softer surface scratches more easily than a hard
  one

20
Hardness Measures

• Mohs Scale a mineral hardness measure,
  developed by Frederick Mohs, a German
  mineralogist
• In metallurgy and engineering hardness is
  determined by pressing a hard material onto a
  surface and the size of the indentation is the
  hardness of the substance. This is called the
  Brinel test named after Swedish engineer Joseph
  Brinel

21
Deutsches Institut fur Normans - DIN

• The DIN standard is embraced by manufacturers of
  wood athletic floors and is the industry-wide
  benchmark against which all wood floors are
  judged
• DIN standards are available for minimum levels
  of shock absorption, ball bounce, deflection,
  surface friction, and rolling load

22
Resilience

• Resilience is the shock-absorption ability of a
  floor based on the force applied to the surface
  area
• A concrete floor has no resiliency (zero )
• Point-elastic floors (synthetics) have a low
  absorption ratio (10-50) with most in the
  25-35 range
• Resilience is influenced by the thickness and
  hardness of the surface material as well as the
  sub-flooring present

23
Area of Deflection

• Area of deflection is the amount of impact that
  is felt in the vicinity around the points of
  contact
• The area of deflection should not adversely
  impact the activities of other individuals
  concurrently on the surface
• This is typically not a factor for recreational
  use but it can be a major consideration for
  competitive or varsity play

24
Rolling Load

• The capacity of a surface to withstand damage
  from external forces such as bleacher movement,
  equipment transport, or similar activities
• Walk-off areas
• Areas of heavy use that can be negatively
  impacted over time by repeated wear and tear
• Tare space
• Areas not developed for primary use or activities

25
Product Life Cycle Factors

• Product Life Cycle how long a product will
  withstand expected use regardless of appearance
• Churn general wear and tear on a given surface
  given the expectations for a given location
• Attractive Life aesthetic appearance of a
  product based on its appearance not its
  functionality

26
Sub-floor Construction Options

• Suspension Floor the finished floor rests on
  top of the sub-floor material
• Spring Floor coiled metal springs, covered by a
  plywood sub-flooring with the finished floor
  resting on the plywood
• Padded Floor padded materials such as foam or
  another synthetic or porous material, laid over
  concrete or plywood, and covered with the
  finished flooring

27
Dead Spots

• Areas on a floor surface that create inconsistent
  performance of objects impacting the floor (i.e.,
  variable ball bounce), are known as dead spots
• Quality installation and proper maintenance
  maximize surface performance

28
Selection Criteria for Flooring Materials

• Economic feasibility with initial outlay and
  lifecycle costs
• Ease of maintenance and replacement
• Potential performance capabilities for both
  intended and possible use
• Overall compatibility in appearance according to
  surrounding surfaces and equipment in the facility

29
Additional Flooring Choice Factors

• Events planned for the facility
• Facility need and use patterns
• Aesthetics
• Wood surfaces are graded based on the number of
  defects and deficiencies (first grade fewest
  defects)
• Wood floor choices are also made based on color.
  Higher grade floors tend to be lighter lower
  grades darker and more grainy

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Surface Selection Process

• Flooring checklist (Vicklund, 1995)
• Select room or space considered
• Prioritize the activities planned for the space
• Decide on a point-elastic or area-elastic floor
• Review performance criteria for selected floor
• Test flooring options by reviewing samples and
  comparing costs
• Compare life-cycle costs for flooring options
• Play on the different surfaces
• Check the manufacturers referenced projects
• Make a final decision

31
Surface Selection Process

• Flooring checklist (Flynn, 1993)
• Definition surface characteristics needs
• Solicitation consider all manufacturers and
  material options
• Comparison compare positive and negative
  attributes of various options
• Visitation perform site visits for considered
  surfaces
• Selection decide based on research efforts
• Quality various levels of quality may be
  possible after a surface is chosen

32
Flooring checklist (Flynn) contd

• Manufacturer consider a variety of factors such
  as technical support, history, quality control,
  reputation, timeliness, guarantees, references
  (solicited and unsolicited)
• Installer should be recommended by the
  manufacturer (familiar with the materials) as
  well as the time frame required for work
  completion (including guarantees)
• Maintenance What is required to maintain the
  surface selected?

33
Life-cycle costs with operations and
maintenance considerations

• Moussatche, Languell-Urquhart Woodson (2002)
• Initial cost what is the total initial system
  cost?
• Life-cycle cost consider the initial,
  operational, maintenance and if necessary,
  replacement costs
• Bidding pay close attention to written
  specifications to avoid misunderstandings
• Installation the manufacturer should perform
  periodic on-site supervision of the installer

34
Risk Management and Safety Considerations

• Surface choices have significant safety and
  financial liability implications
• Resiliency
• Slip
• Traction
• Absorption
• Foot support
• Activities planned for the space
• Age and ability of the intended users

35
Slip Resistance

• Slip resistance is measured by a tribometer, a
  device recognized by the American Society of
  Testing and Materials (ASTM)
• This device measures how slippery various floors
  are and determines appropriate activities for
  each space, shoe requirements, and cleaning
  schedules
• Appropriate risk-management programs address
  these factors and should be considered during the
  planning process

36
Surface Repairs and Risk Management

• Surface repairs need to consider the impact on
  end users, as well as the effect on manufacturer
  warranties
• Repairs may need to be made by industry
  professionals
• Facility surface repairs can have a direct link
  to liability issues and must be carefully
  considered by maintenance and planning staff

37
Walls and Ceilings

• Walls serve many functions beyond their obvious
  purpose to divide spaces and create multiple
  activity areas
• Walls also serve as barriers to sound, light, and
  moisture
• Typical gym walls do not function well with sound
  absorption, and attention to this may impact the
  utilization of this surface with activities
  planned for the space

38
Walls and Ceilings - continued

• Acoustical treatments on walls and overhead
  structures should be high enough to not impede
  the utilization of the space as well as potential
  damage from objects
• Trends continue toward advanced aesthetic
  properties of ceilings and walls
• Banners, tasteful color schemes, sound panels,
  and other porous materials can be utilized to
  assist in this endeavor

39
Activity Area Concerns

• Padding where, how much, how high, how thick,
  and what material?
• With liability concerns the presence and
  performance of wall padding should be a concern
  to facility architects, planners, and managers
• Walls in main gym areas should have an eight foot
  minimum height and should always be padded

40
Activity Area Concerns contd

• Electrical outlets should be provided every 50
  feet and protected by padding
• All padding should be checked on a regular basis
• Ceiling height is also a factor with specific
  activities planned for the space
• objects striking the ceiling can cause damage
• objects can get lodged in the ceiling structures

41
Ceiling and Wall Acoustics

• Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) is the
  capability of the ceiling to absorb noise
• Sound Transmission Class (STC) measures the
  effectiveness of a wall or ceiling in the
  blocking of sound between offices
• With Health Insurance Portability and
  Accountability Act (HIPPA) regulations the
  privacy of clients must also be considered when
  making surface choices in facility construction
  and renovation

42
Windows and Lighting

• Windows should be carefully considered in the
  planning of indoor facilities
• Windows provide aesthetic appeal, as well as
  natural divisions of space in a facility
• Climate is also a factor in the placement of
  windows as they can impact warming features by
  allowing sunlight into the space
• Windows can also create glare in activity spaces
  and must also be considered

43
Windows and Lighting contd

• The selection process for windows should be based
  on the following factors (Piper, 1997)
• Lighting factors tinted glazing, heat absorbing
  glazing, and low-emissivity coatings
• Keeping the elements out
• Heat Loss
• Aesthetics
• Security
• View

44
Additional Considerations - Floor

• Adequate number and placement of floor drains
• Proper sloping for drainage (if necessary)
• Water resistance and rounded bases where
  flooring meets the wall in locker or shower areas
• Floor plates are flush mounted and placed where
  needed
• Provision of non-skid, slip resistant flooring in
  all wet areas (pool, shower, etc.)
• Lines painted as appropriate prior to sealers
  being applied

45
Additional Considerations - Walls

• Adequate number of recessed drinking fountains
• A minimum of one wall of mirrors in exercise
  rooms
• All corners in shower and locker rooms rounded
• Wall coverings aesthetically pleasing and
  matching the décor and facility color scheme
• Electrical outlets strategically placed and
  protected
• In wet or humid areas materials should be easy
  to clean and impervious to moisture

46
Additional Considerations - Ceilings

• Ensure ceiling heights meet planned facility
  activities
• Ensure ceilings are acoustically treated with
  sound-absorbent materials
• Ensure ceilings and access areas are accessible
  for routine repair and maintenance
• Use acoustical materials that are impervious to
  moisture when used in moisture-dense areas

47
Service and Ancillary Areas

• Locker and shower areas must utilize
  slip-resistant surfaces
• Cleaning and maintenance of these surfaces should
  be carefully considered during the planning
  process
• Most common wet-area floor options are Tile,
  poured epoxy, coated concrete, rubber/vinyl/acryli
  c, carpet, flow-through tile, and exposed
  concrete and punched surfaces

48
Service and Ancillary Areas - continued

• Maintenance and hygiene factors are most
  important with locker area surface decisions
• Surfaces should be durable to moisture, humidity,
  and dirt
• Aesthetics and image are always important in
  facility design, however, maintenance should be a
  primary consideration in the planning process and
  odor containment tops the list of priorities

49
Service and Ancillary Areas - continued

• Locker rooms should contain hot and humid/wet
  areas, as well as dry dressing areas within
  close proximity
• Non-slip tile is the best for these floors
• Careful tile color selection is also a factor for
  these areas as soap and dirt have a tendency to
  build up in these areas
• Risk-management attention should be focused on
  all locker room and shower areas

50
Service and Ancillary Areas - continued

• All wet-area floors should be pitched away from
  dry areas and directed towards drains
• Floors in wet-areas should be designed with
  safety, aesthetics, and maintenance in mind
• Moisture is clearly the enemy particularly in
  locker and shower areas
• Migration of moisture must be controlled
• Effective HVAC systems must balance humidity
  control and energy-saving considerations

51
Aerobic/Exercise Facilities

• Impact activities remain popular in fitness,
  recreational and athletic centers and efforts
  to reduce impact-related injuries continues
• Spring-loaded or floating hardwood floors
  remain popular for such surfaces
• Flooring should allow for regular steam cleaning
  as moisture once again can create hygiene factors
  that must always be considered

52
Aerobic/Exercise Facilities contd

• Wood flooring remains the popular choice as it is
  both aesthetically pleasing and continues to
  provide flexibility for most multipurpose areas
• Although polyurethane surfaces continue to
  improve, these surfaces are not resilient enough
  as they are often poured directly over concrete
• Sub-flooring remains an important consideration
  for any flooring decision

53
Aerobic/Exercise Facilities contd

• Carpeting remains popular, and newer varieties
  have enhanced shock-absorption qualities
• Carpet is versatile, inexpensive, and works well
  for many multipurpose areas
• Carpets are susceptible to staining and can
  easily be discolored, stretched, and retain odors
• The expected life-span of carpets in high traffic
  areas can be as little as two to four years
• Wood remains a popular choice for multi-purpose
  areas, although humidity is a concern

54
Strength Training Areas

• Facility surfaces remain dependent on the
  equipment utilized however, durable carpeting
  remains popular for most weight training areas
• If an area is dominated by free weights, a
  resilient rubber surface is recommended tiled,
  poured or pre-fabricated
• Pre-fabricated options come in sheets or tiles
  and can be glued onto existing surfaces

55
Strength Training Areas contd

• Appearance and aesthetics remain a central factor
  in the design and construction of strength
  training areas
• Aesthetic appeal is not necessarily more
  expensive however, attention in the planning
  process should pay heed to color schemes,
  equipment upholstery, and flooring choices

56
LEED Green Building Rating System

• Emphasis on LEED certification is gaining
  increased popularity and should be factored into
  the planning process in all facility construction
• Facility planning should explore all emerging
  LEED-compliant options and factor these into the
  decision-making process for all facility surfaces

57
Racquetball Courts

• Hardwood remains the choice for playing surface
  for racquetball courts
• Maple floors are attractive, provide favorable
  ball bounce, as well as good shock absorption
• As with other facility areas, moisture is a
  concern with any wood surface and must be a
  maintenance focus

58
Racquetball Courts - continued

• Wall systems for racquetball are
• Reinforced fiberglass concrete
• Plaster
• Panels
• Poured-in-place cement slabs
• Shatterproof glass
• Plaster remains popular however it tends to be
  expensive to maintain

59
Summary

• Facility surfaces are available in many colors,
  textures, and materials, and with varying degrees
  of performance characteristics.
• When deciding on what best fits your facility,
  keep in mind the following concepts in the
  decision-making process
• Economic feasibility of the initial and
  life-cycle costs
• Maintenance and replacement cost and ease

60
Summary - continued

• Performance capabilities for intended and
  possible future use
• Overall compatibility in appearance with
  surrounding materials within the facility
• Safety and risk-management factors