Play & Activity August 2021

Long-lasting legacy for Gerflor’s Taraflex at USW

In July 2010, The University of South Wales (USW) in Treforest had the foresight to install 923 m2 of TaraflexTM Performance vinyl sports flooring in ‘Maple’ and ‘Blue’ from international flooring specialist Gerflor.

This high-quality installation was also partnered with a Gerflor TaraflexTM Combisport system for a new building located at their Sports Park. It was a vision that would prove to yield fantastic results for the next eleven years.

USW has a strong sporting background, an excellent reputation for sport degrees, and impressive facilities for their students to study and train in. At USW they have some of the best facilities in the UK, offering clubs, courses, and qualifications.

With a complete range of shock absorption P1/P2/P3, TaraflexTM sports floorings from Gerflor provide the right solution every time and optimal safety for users.

The combination of D-Max/DMax+, CXP HD foam ensures that TaraflexTM sports floorings are durable and high-performing.

Taraflex TM also meets the EN 14904 Standard which is the minimum performance requirements to be met by indoor sports floors. Its objective is to draw attention to the necessity of installing safe, comfortable floors that reduce the risk of injuries.

TaraflexTM sports flooring has been fitted at every Olympic Games since 1976. Approved by many National and International governing bodies as a world class sports surface, it is also widely

installed within the education, community, leisure, health, and fitness sectors. TaraflexTM is ideal for new build projects and refurbishments and is extremely durable and cost effective to maintain. Over 6 million children everyday enjoy the benefits of TaraflexTM sports flooring as it delivers a versatile range that can be used for various multispecialist applications.

Taraflex TM Performance is available in 17 colours and 3 wood-effect designs as standard with an addition of 110 solid colour options available. It offers a P2 category shock absorbency of 35% to 45%. and is also treated with the Triple Action Protecsol surface treatment so that no polish is ever required for the lifetime of the floor.

Arrow Valley Country Park is reimagined

Arrow Valley Country Park is the largest area of open space in Redditch, so when KOMPAN were asked to reimagine an old, worn play area, we jumped at the chance.

KOMPAN were awarded the contract because we proved that we could create a real `WOW’ factor within this destination park.

We included impact from height and scale from a bespoke GIANT XL Lakeside Treehouse unit, which features a 9m high tower, offering a real understanding of the local distinctiveness and country park nature of the site.

It was also vitally important that the design provided access for all abilities.

KOMPAN supported the council on achieving planning permission for the high tower structure, dealing with the challenges of Covid, the harsh winter frost period, and elements of anti-social activity too, to deliver a project on time and to the council’s budget.

The Council are thrilled with the outcome and have already expressed their wishes to work with KOMPAN again in the future with, commissions already received for two other destination parks in 2021.

This is a very exciting relationship which will really impact the lives of those living in the local communities, for the better.

KOMPAN

Enquiry 21

The Taraflex TM Combisport system is ideal for installations requiring a low-profile floor for a vast range of new build and renovation projects. The patented sprung floor undercarriage system comprises tongue and groove panels with pre-adhered shock absorbent rubber crumb strips.

The recycled rubber strips have a unique wave shape to ensure optimum ball bounce, together with producing no dead spots. Extremely durable the panels have tongue and groove joints which ensure an even, flat floor helping to deliver rapid installation. The high-quality plywood surface is flexible and designed to provide optimum energy return over the full life of the product.

Gerflor Enquiry 20

Corkeen - the innovative and ecological solution

Satisfying customers across the nation, PlaySmart UK is a well-established team of playground surface specialists, offering an extensive range of environmentally friendly surfacing solutions at a competitive price.

Based in the West Midlands, the company manufactures, supplies and installs high quality surfacing options using the best materials on the market with a friendly, reliable service from start to finish.

With 18 years’ experience within the play surfacing industry, PlaySmart has provided hundreds of educational institutions, council play areas and landscape architects with innovative, safe and reliable solutions that are proven to be long-lasting and effective. The products and solutions are perfect for natural outdoor play environments, as a full range of state-of-the-art surfacing products.

Playsmart Enquiry

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As the name suggests, a multi-use games area (MUGA) is one that can be used for a variety of different sports and activities. They are becoming very popular with sports clubs, schools and other organisations that have limited spaces and need to get the best possible use out of a premium area.

A MUGA consists of an artificial, all-weather sports surface made with synthetic materials, which will typically include multiple pitch markings for different sports.