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Rock Docks Academy replace their rubber sports floor

Rock Docks Academy replace their rubber sports floor

Taraflex® floors look great, perform against the toughest opposition and protect users from potential injury. Taraflex Performance is a P2* point elastic sports vinyl which has a high performing Impact Protection Index (IPI) value of 82%, ideal for a variety of applications including all kinds of sports and leisure activities. The best compromise for comfort and safety.

What was once a subjective matter, the level of protection can now be measured thanks to revolutionary independent studies conducted by one of France’s leading Universities. Protection is the property of the floor that reduces immediate injuries when falling, diving, sliding on the floor for all users (children, adults, athletes …) The higher the IPI, the higher the Protection (less pain, less bone traumatisms). It is inevitable that when people are active, they will fall. Children are even more likely to experience contact with the floor due to lesser developed motor skills, less technique when playing sports and also a more care free attitude. This highlights the need for the floor to protect.

Taraflex® floors also come equipped with Triple action Protecsol® surface treatment for easy maintenance, friction protection and “intelligent” sliding coefficient. They are incredibly well engineered sports floors.

Royal Docks Academy in London was a new build in 1999 and already their sports floor needed replacing so the BMAT (Burnt Mill Academy Trust) contacted Biddle Sport for a site meeting. BMAT have 12 schools with diverse personalities and one shared vision, their Director of Operations and Programmes is Lucia Glynn.

RD Pre refurb

It was easy to put her in touch with Gerflor and David Carter, their Taraflex Sport Specialist. He put together a specification to rip out the old rubber floor which had not adhered well, carry out the recommended preparation and install a new Taraflex Performance sports vinyl in Lagoon.

A Taraflex floor simply improves everything (even the colour) and provides a sports floor which will stand the test of time whilst providing high Impact Protection and easy low cost maintenance.

Cristian Durant www.sportsflooringcompany.co.uk installed the floor whilst we designed the court layout and painted the line markings direct for BMAT. The court marking drawing was designed to the exact requirements of the Head of PE and the lines painted in one day.

RD sketch

“We are delighted with the transformation of the sports hall floor at Royal Docks Academy. The new Taraflex flooring was installed by the Sports Flooring Company, creating a safe, durable, easy to clean surface which looks stunning. Biddle Sport worked with the Trust’s team to design the line markings to their specification and liaised closely with the Sports Flooring Company to programme their works in smoothly. The line marking design is striking and enhances the overall appearance of the flooring, as well as being easy to understand by players. We recommend both companies to others looking to replace their sports hall flooring.”

Lucia Glynn Director of Operations and Programmes BMAT

RD stages

FAQs

“Which Taraflex floor will best suit my needs?”

For all facilities you should list your activities and decide if any have priority over any other. We can then work out which Taraflex floor suits your specific needs.

“Does the shock absorption figure indicate how the floor will protect players?”

This figure should not be confused with Impact Protection. Impact injuries are far more likely to cause injury to more players, more frequently. The impact protection is an important factor that should be considered. In sport in general, head injury concern is becoming more talked about and specifying a point elastic floor can help in reducing such injuries in the same way that soft flooring has revolutionised injury prevention in outdoor play areas.

“i have seen other floors which show higher shock absorption figures, I presume these are better?”

The shock absorption figure uses an elite athlete as its model. Not all users will receive the published amount of shock absorption, school age users for example do not exert as much force so the floor will behave differently. With a Taraflex® floor, the floor starts to protect with the smallest amount of force. The headline figure will be lower but it will be more relevant to the users.

“I think we do prefer a softer floor but are concerned about how durable the floor is for non-sporting use?”

With about 70% of sport in the UK played in an Educational property, Gerflor understand that larger spaces are often used for non-sports gatherings. For decades, the foam technology in Taraflex® has meant that on such occasions there are no problems. Tables, chairs, high heels are all used daily somewhere in the country. If Taraflex® could not stand up to this use then simply they would not be used as widely as they are.

“So how much shock absorption/ force reduction do I need?”

The EN14904 standard states that a floor should have 25% as a minimum. A floor with this level should eliminate pain for an adult when running. A child will need less shock absorption due to them weighing less but 25% should still be the minimum. Taraflex® floors are between 25% and 45% and can reduce pain and injury potential for the majority of users.

“Once the floor is installed what is needed to maintain the floor?”

One of the biggest benefits of Taraflex® floors is the reduced maintenance requirements. With a surface treatment lasting the life of the material, only periodic cleaning is required. No sanding, sealing, polishing every two or three years, unlike alternative floors. This eliminates costly works and the inconvenience of shut down. Taraflex® compared to more traditional floors will have a significantly lower whole life cost.

*P2 category sports flooring complies with EN Standard 14904 having 35-45% shock absorbency.

The Taraflex Brochure “Specifying Sports Flooring for Sports Halls” can be viewed at: https://www.gerflor.co.uk/media/specifying-sports-flooring-for-sports-halls-brochure-uk-2021.pdf

Category: Court marking