Sprung floor
Such floors are considered the best kind for dance and indoor sports and physical education,[1] and can enhance performance and greatly reduce injuries.
Sprung floors have been used in dance halls and performance venues since the 19th century, and are also used in gymnastics, cheerleading, and other athletic activities that require a cushioned surface.
Sprung floors provide benefits such as injury reduction, enhanced performance, and appropriate traction for users.
There is no combined safety standard applicable to multiple situations, such as for playground surfaces, sprung floors, or use in old-age centers, but a specification that conforms to a minimum sports or dance standard should be adequate to prevent serious injuries (e.g., broken bones) for children falling from 2 ft (0.61 m), as from a toddlers table, or hip injuries in the elderly.
[11][12] Sprung floors come in a few major types:[13] The construction may be built into the area, or it may be composed of modules that slot together and can be disassembled for tours.
The underfloor needs to be made flat either with levelling cement, very careful trowelling, or by using shims and a layer of masonite.
A semi-traditional floor would have wood battens laid on pads made of neoprene, which is more durable than rubber.
A number of green nightclubs, including Rotterdam's Club Watt, have installed sprung floors which help generate power for their music and lightshows.
A closed cell is like a balloon, where the air inside cannot escape and the pad is bouncy and returns most of the energy put in.
Open cells have small holes which let the air inside escape and tend to dissipate the energy input.
A core of softer durometer may have a harder outer layer shaped so that heavy falls encounter more resistance instead of 'bottoming out' to a concrete subfloor.
Other portable dance floors are made out of a polypropylene base with a commercial grade laminate top surface.
The ranges of parameters are wide enough to cover optimizing most special purpose halls as well: There does not seem to be a researched history of sprung floors.
[22] The earliest references on the web seem to be: Many sprung floors were installed for dance soon after 1900 in places like embassies, hotels, and private clubs.
Modern sprung floors are considered the best kind for dance and indoor sports and physical education, as they enhance performance and significantly reduce injuries.
A study by Smith et al. (2015) found that dancers using sprung floors reported fewer injuries compared to those on non-sprung surfaces.
[29] Additionally, research by the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) supports the effectiveness of sprung floors in minimizing joint stress.
The cushioning and shock absorption of a sprung floor helps to reduce the risk of injuries such as ankle sprains, shin splints, and joint pain that can occur from the high-impact movements of dance.
[28] The "give" of a sprung floor also allows dancers to land jumps and perform other acrobatic elements with less stress on their bodies.
Additionally, the increased energy return of a sprung floor can enhance a dancer's performance by providing a springy surface that propels their movements.
Many professional dance companies and studios therefore prioritize having sprung floors installed to protect their dancers' health and enable them to perform at their best.
