Sports halls: Versatile use and equipment requirements
Gyms or sports halls are permanent facilities that are in regular use by almost every school and many sports clubs. Most sports halls are used for both school and club sports and are run by local authorities. However, some sports halls – usually owned by clubs – are reserved exclusively for competitive sports and, in many cases, are designed for the use of specific individual sports. Typical indoor sports include handball, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and badminton. Due to school sports and the wide range of activities offered by sports clubs, the majority of halls are used for a much wider range of activities. Whether it's sports games in physical education, indoor football, table tennis, martial arts, dance sports or yoga – there is a huge variety of sports and activities taking place in sports halls every day.
Most sports halls have a very similar appearance. Rectangular in shape, with straight walls, high ceilings and a floor surface that is usually made of linoleum, PVC, polyurethane or parquet. Often, permanent installations are fixed and installed in the halls, such as storage rooms, basketball hoops, wall bars, exercise rings, climbing ropes and floor installations for the temporary attachment of further sports equipment such as nets, horizontal bars, etc. Larger sports halls can often be divided into several smaller areas by special lowerable partition walls, so that several school classes or sports groups can use the hall at the same time without getting in each other's way.
To ensure safe and smooth sports operations, it is very important that flooring, walls, ceilings and installation elements are installed in accordance with the applicable standards. ISP GmbH – the Institut für Sportstättenprüfung - tests all of these sports hall components for compliance with all applicable regulations and standards, both prior to installation or market launch and also on site.
Centre of sports activities – the sports hall flooring
In most cases, a sports hall flooring is laid on top of the screed after the structural work has been completed. The relevant standards distinguish between four different types of sports hall flooring constructions:
Point-elastic sports flooring
Point-elastic sports flooring is a soft sports flooring with a flexible, pliable surface that forms a hollow in the shape of the load-bearing area when pressure is applied at a specific point. This property means that this sports flooring offers protection even at low loads, and the risk of injury in the event of a fall is considerably reduced. Since this works better for people of lighter weight than for heavier people, it is particularly suitable for children (school sports). It usually consists of a flexible surface made of PVC or polyurethane, which is installed on an elastic layer.
Area-elastic sports flooring
In contrast, the area-elastic sports flooring is also flexible, but its surface is considerably less pliable, so that a considerably larger hollow is created under load. In contrast to the point-elastic sports flooring, it can withstand heavy loads and also offers more stability and less resistance during turning movements. The area-elastic sports flooring is more suitable for use by adults than the point-elastic flooring. It consists of an elastic layer made of synthetic foam (compact-elastic) or a construction made of crossed springboards on elastic pads (system-elastic), on which in turn there is a load distribution layer made of plywood or another wood-based material. The actual rigid surface (linoleum, PUR direct coating, parquet or even PVC) is then installed onto it.
Combined elastic sports flooring
The combined elastic sports flooring combines the protective properties of the point-elastic and area-elastic types. The structure is similar to that of the area-elastic sports flooring, with the difference that there is another elastic layer between the load distribution layer and the surface. The hollow of the loaded floor is both deep and wide at the point of loading (although not as deep over the area as with area-elastic flooring). Due to its versatile properties and good protection level for children and adults, it is used in many multipurpose sports halls.
Mixed-elastic sports flooring
The mixed-elastic sports flooring is something between point-elastic and area-elastic flooring. The surface corresponds to the point-elastic version, but a polyurethane load distribution layer is installed underneath. The underlying elastic layer is also made of synthetic material. This means that the hollow is larger when loaded than with point-elastic flooring, but not as large as with area-elastic or combined-elastic flooring.
The different types of sports flooring provide sports hall planners with various options, depending on whether the sports hall in question is to be used for specific sports types or for a wider range of sports activities.
There are also requirements for ceilings and walls
There are a number of requirements. Walls must be smooth, plane and splinter-free and must not be less than 2.70 m high. Usually, they are covered with a material that serves as impact protection.
Impact protection surface systems for walls are also available in point-elastic (synthetic/textile) and area-elastic (wood/glass) versions. Both wall and ceiling elements must meet the requirements for ball impact resistance.
ServicesHave your gyms and sports hall inspected.
Even though the vast majority of sports halls are very similar in terms of their rough structure and equipment, there are major differences in the materials and systemic structure of the sports hall flooring. ISP GmbH – the Institut für Sportstättenprüfung - will test your sports hall or your sports hall flooring, as well as impact protection surface systems for walls and wall and ceiling elements, to ensure they are safe and meet the requirements of the relevant standards.
Contact us
We will be happy to advise you on the procedure and background to the testing of gyms and sports halls.
Sports hall flooring
| Systems | Test criteria |
|---|---|
| point-elastic | Sports function |
| area-elastic | Protective function |
| combined elastic | Technical properties |
| mixed-elastic |