Multisport Flooring: Everything You Need to Know About Safety and Design

Multisport flooring surfaces are continually evolving.

In search of the best performance for athletes, the manufacturers of surfaces for indoor sports facilities combine the development of new solutions to guarantee the highest levels of safety, aesthetics, durability and sustainability.

We will look at these characteristics individually in order to summarize the latest developments in terms of technologies and materials for sports surfaces for multisport pitches or rubber flooring for gyms.

We will use the Powerplay™ rubber flooring as our benchmark: the only P1 prefabricated rubber flooring for multisport pitches certified to the EN 14904 standard.

So we are therefore talking about one of the most advanced rubber sports surfaces, which meets all the highest standards, as well as having some extra cards up its sleeve.

Multi-Sports Facilities: Improved Fire Safety

According to European regulations, all multi-sports flooring products must undergo testing to certify their reaction to fire.

From this point of view, Powerplay™ represents a unique product in the rubber sports flooring sector.

Thanks to the work of its R&D labs, Mondo has indeed achieved Euroclass Bfl-s1 for its surface, when the majority of competitor products do not exceed class Cfl-s1.

For the layperson, these codes refer to the “Euroclasses” laid out by the EN 13501-1 standard to identify the reaction to fire of a product or material.

For class Bfl-s1:

  • B - refers to the generic Euroclass for the reaction to fire of a product/material and follows the scale A1, A2, B, C, D, E, F, where F indicates the lowest level
  • fl - abbreviation of flooring, therefore indicating that the product has been tested for this intended use.
  • s-1 - the letter s refers to “smoke”: this subclass indicates the level of smoke emissions on a scale from 1 (weak or no emissions) to 3.

For a multisport gym or pitch, this is undoubtedly an additional level of safety for the players and operators.

Health and Safety: the Priority of Rubber Flooring

Excellent shock absorption, optimized friction for controlled sliding, improved elasticity: the research performed on rubber sports flooring often (correctly) focuses on improvements in technical performance for athletes.

Offering the best play and use conditions indeed also guarantees that young or amateur players will find security in their movements and play, helping prevent unnecessary injuries. This is as valid for the surface of a multi-sports pitch as for rubber gym flooring.

The task of multisport flooring does not end here in terms of user health and safety, however.

When creating rubber sports flooring for gyms or multisport facilities, it is important to also take into account volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in order to guarantee a safe and healthy sports and play environment.

From this point of view, a rubber gym flooring such as Powerplay™ meets all standards for Indoor Air Quality programs:

  • Greenguard and Greenguard Gold (UL Certification Program)
  • French classification (2011-321): Class A+
  • Italian regulations CAM (Criteri Ambientali Minimi - minimum environmental criteria) in accordance with Ministerial Decree 06/23/2022

Margin note. Progress has also recently been made from a microbiological point of view.

In tests performed under ISO 22196, Powerplay™ recorded a kill-rate of inoculated bacteria of 99.999% in 24 hours, with an antimicrobial activity factor, or “R” (usually for rubber flooring for gyms or for multi-sport pitches the minimum requirement of > 99% is just declared).

This means that the flooring offers superb natural antibacterial properties, without the addition of biocides to the product.

Flooring for Multisport Gyms or Multi-Purpose Sports Pitches: Make Way for Design

The eye (or the design) also plays its part.

For a multisport gym or a multi-purpose sports facility, the ability to set itself apart by offering members and users aesthetically pleasing – and ideally innovative – environments is undoubtedly a competitive advantage.

In order to achieve this result, the designers must be able to count on multisport flooring which allows them to “play” with colors and finishes.

Rubber sports floorings meet this requirement perfectly, offering a versatile and constantly updated range of colors.

In the case of Powerplay™, the fifteen available colors (including two marble-effect colors) offer the possibility to create exclusive and visually pleasing combinations in order to make the multi-sport gym or sports facility even more unique.

The real novelty of 2024 comes from a new special protective treatment developed by the Mondo laboratories, the technology called PRO2.

Created using dual technology (UV and laser), the treatment provides the rubber flooring with an ultra-matte effect which, in addition to being eye-catching, guarantees a low level of sheen as well as protection against dirt and scratches.

This new solution also achieves other goals, including easier cleaning, greater durability and significant savings for operators.

The treatment indeed makes sanding the surface for renewing the line markings unnecessary, with cost reductions of €500 - €1,000 per gym (1 Euro/m2).

Sustainable sports flooring: can we say that?

Making products ever-more sustainable, by focusing on materials and processes with reduced impact on the planet is a commitment that many manufacturers of rubber flooring for gyms and indoor sports facilities have been focused on for some time.

This means making clear and transparent choices, setting goals, and investing in R&D to achieve them.

In the case of Powerplay™, we like to define it as a multi-sport, environmentally responsible sports flooring, as it has been designed with a strong focus on the environment and player health.

Not only is it totally PVC-free, but it also guarantees that:

  • At least 20% of raw materials are recycled, free from contaminants and derived from recycled tires
  • Biomass accounts for 25% of the organic polymers: we are therefore talking about natural rubber, which is not derived from petroleum, and with a harvesting cycle of less than 10 years, and therefore quickly renewable
  • None of the substances used fall within the list of substances hazardous to people and the environment according to the REACH regulation
  • One hundred percent of internal production scraps are recycled

Mondo has also chosen to certify its flooring to document its environmental impact throughout its lifecycle via an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).

This assessment, carried out by independent technicians, analyzes the consumption of resources and the environmental impact of rubber sports flooring for every phase in an “accurate, verifiable and unambiguous manner”.

From design to disposal, the goal is to continue to develop new, ever-more sustainable solutions: a commitment that Mondo is working towards responsibly, with respect for both athletes and the environment!