Challenge

Kirklees Active Leisure operates thirteen sport and leisure facilities on behalf of Kirklees Council. Its flagship site, Huddersfield Leisure Centre, is a £36m new-build that opened in 2015.

In the free weights area of the gym, exercisers were dropping heavy dumbbells on the floor, as well as performing Olympic lifting techniques with loads in excess of 100kg.

The original floor in this area was a raised access pedestal system overlaid with 25mm screw-fixed plywood and finished with 20mm rubber matting.

Approximately 12 months after opening, parts of the system were fracturing and the floor was visibly damaged. Kirklees Active Leisure approached TVS for help.

Solution

After some on-site testing and further explorative work, a decision was made to completely remove approx. 400m2 of the original flooring materials. Once removed, the structural slab was levelled using a self-levelling compound.

TVS then installed 70mm-thick impact protection tiles throughout the free weights area. On top of these, TVS T40 heavy-duty rubber tiles were installed and interconnected together with plastic dowels. The open edge of the free weights area was then finished to provide a safe transition to the other areas of the gym.

The resurfacing was carried out within seven days.

Result

The new elastic floor system absorbs impact shock and provides a stable performance surface for exercisers to lift off and to drop weights on. The structural slab is adequately protected and there’s no disruption to gym members as a result of any patch repair works.

The solution has also helped reduce noise and vibration throughout the building.

Installation was completed within a short time, providing minimal disruption and allowing the gym to be ready for the busy time of the New Year.

“TVS came highly recommended and were very quick to set the wheels in motion with a series of meetings and thorough consultations,” says KAL business development manager Barry Turnbull. “Time was of the essence, and TVS worked with us to find the most cost-effective solution for our needs and then quickly got to work to complete a complex project in just a week”.