Concrete and Lightweight Sprung Floating Floors for Anytime Fitness Gym
Anytime Fitness Leatherhead
We (Mason UK) were brought on board to design, supply, and install a jack up concrete floating floor for the Free Weights area on the Anytime Fitness project.
The Anytime Group leased the unit in Central Leatherhead creating a new gym in the area. The acoustics needed to be carefully considered as the unit was previously a furniture shop on a suspended ground floor slab, with residential apartments above and basement parking below.
We attended site prior to construction commencing with our test floor which simulates the performance of a jack up concrete floor system. Drop tests were undertaken to simulate the use of Free Weights. Measurements taken by the Acoustic Consultants, Cass Allen, confirmed a jack up concrete floating floor with 25mm deflection springs would provide the required attenuation of energy to meet planning criteria for structure borne noise within residential areas.
The shell of this building, however, was particularly flimsy. To accept the additional load of a 100mm thick concrete jack up floor, a 50mm screed needed to be removed first. Even with the screed removed, the structure failed to be up to the task. The only way forward was to use lightweight concrete reducing the self-weight of the floating floor to 1.8kN/m2.
Following structural approval, we supplied and installed a concrete jack up floor for the Free Weights area. Unfortunately, the initial response was not as good as expected, likely due to the removal of the screed layer. On our return to site, our team replaced the specified 25mm deflection springs with 50mm deflection springs which reduced the floor frequency to around 2.5Hz. Further acoustic testing was completed, and the structure borne noise levels with the revised spring selection passed the test with flying colours.
Following the successful installation of the jack up floating floor for the Free Weights Area we were called back to site to help mitigate problems attributed to the Functional Zone. This area had a 6mm bonded resilient flooring layer, which just did not cut the mustard. Slam tiles and other resilient floor finishes were tested but did not resolve the issue. Thuds could still be heard in the apartments and common spaces above.
The Mason Test Floor was brought into play again, this time using the lightweight MFS floor springs with a dry multi layered board build up and a weight tile over. The difference was astounding, reducing the structure borne noise levels on the first floor to practically inaudible.
Our team responded very quickly completing the installation of the MFS dry floating floor system and installing the resilient covering layer within days of approval, ensuring the gym could reopen with on 2nd December when the second lockdown period concluded.
Products Related to Article
Floating floors systems are used for many purposes, predominantly to prevent noise passing through the floor but also to isolate against vibration and impact
The jack up spring floating floor is used for low frequency isolation or where impact isolation is required, such as bowling alleys, gymnasia and health clubs.
A gym by its very nature is a place where people participate in noisy activities – running, jumping, shouting, ball sports and weight lifting etc are all part of typical gym usage; any construction must withstand this treatment whilst maintaining acoustic separation to prevent noise and structural vibration transmission.
