In 1992 Huddersfield Polytechnic changed its name to The University of Huddersfield and in January 2014 the University opened Student Central. This was a £22.5m development which brought together the University’s support services, access to the library, computing facilities, sport and leisure, together with a range of eating and social spaces all under one roof.
Like most red brick universities, the sports and leisure facilities feature very heavily in student life. These sports areas take a hammering and needed to be both resilient and functional. With this problem, very much in mind the university had to ensure that they dealt with a quality flooring manufacturer to deliver the sports flooring they would need. The brief had to offer a suitable solution for an ‘under rig’ flooring area which was positioned directly underneath the sports centres ‘Technogym Omnia’ system. Chosen for its comfort and safety performance properties Taraflex® Sport M Evolution from international flooring and interiors specialist Gerflor would be the specified product.
Taraflex® vinyl sports flooring from international flooring and interiors specialist Gerflor has been used in many international and local sporting events and is available in 17 colours and two wood-effect designs. The Sport M Evolution product offers a P1 category shock absorbency 25% to 35% and meets the EN 14904 Standard for indoor sports surfaces. Taraflex® is recognised for providing durability, safety and comfort without impairing performance. The range offers greater than 45% force reduction, making it unrivalled in the marketplace in terms of offering comfort for users. Taraflex® meets the EN Standard of 22196 for anti- bacterial activity (E. coli - S. aureus - MRSA) (3) returning >99% levels of growth inhibition. The product is also treated with Protecsol®, which renders polish redundant and is triple action meaning no polish is ever required, it contributes to easy maintenance and is anti-friction burn and slide/grip. Taraflex® has a double density foam backing and with another bonus, it’s environmentally friendly. Gerflor offers several installation solutions for Taraflex® including the Eco-Fit System which allows fast, free floating installation.
In 2014 at the time of the completed flooring installation Laurie Nettleton, Sport and Leisure Centre Manager said, “Gerflor installed a bespoke flooring solution at our Sports Centre providing protection underneath the functional rig. The floor was fitted in less than 5 hours and the team were efficient, friendly and professional”. Gerflor were also able to utilise their bespoke water cutting, HD printing and line marking service for this project.
Laurie Nettleton also added, “Team Hud sports staff are also impressed and find the markings helpful when delivering functional training classes. I personally love the solution, so much so that we are planning to expand the flooring into other areas within our new Fitness Suite”.
As the passage of time moved on the durability and performance of the Gerflor sports flooring would be a crucial element in the ongoing delivery to the users. Recently Laurie Nettleton commented, “The Taraflex floor is proving to be very durable and still looks as good as new. The floor is non-slip which is essential, it is aesthetically pleasing and works well under the Omnia frame”. She concluded by simply saying, “Feedback from students and staff at the University about the flooring has been very positive, which would suggest we got this purchase just right”.
