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MFMA PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS GUIDE

Northern hard maple has often been called nature's perfect flooring surface. MFMA Northern Hard Maple is produced from trees grown north of the 35th parallel where shorter growing seasons and longer winters produce maple with closer, more uniform grain. In a floor, MFMA northern hard maple exhibits flexibility, resilience, durability, finishability and low-demand maintenance. Athletic performance is enhanced by its hard-but-resilient character. Subfloor systems further enhance maple's natural shock absorption and area elasticity.

Performance Standards -- An Introduction

Since 1897, the Milling Company Manufacturer members of the MFMA have dedicated their production of northern hard maple flooring to the highest levels of quality. Year after year, installation after installation, the MFMA Grading Rules have ensured consistent quality. Because of their prominent position in the athletic flooring market, the MFMA mills collectively continue to lead by establishing performance standards for sports floors.

Performance characteristics for floors: shock absorption, ball bounce, rolling load, etc. have been engineered into flooring systems for years. Today, however, more emphasis is placed on specific performance characteristics that can be measured by generally accepted methods and numbers. The MFMA mills engineer performance characteristics into their flooring systems for the benefit of those who will select and use them. In some instances, standards of performance may be specified to provide particular characteristics. For most flooring systems, the areas of performance offered by the MFMA mills are those contained in the DIN Standard 18032 Part 2. As an organization representing the worldwide sports flooring industry, the MFMA has fully accepted the areas of performance included in the DIN Standard 18032 Part 2, as desirable characteristics.

This guide will provide you with a brief history of DIN and a thorough background on the following performance characteristics: Shock Absorption; Vertical Deflection and Area of Deflection; Ball Bounce; Surface Friction; and Rolling Load. MFMA mills accept DIN values for each of these characteristics as industry minimums specifically for performance-engineered multipurpose flooring systems. MFMA is currently researching the interdependence of performance criteria and relative performance levels to determine acceptable performance ranges for each characteristic.

Our intent with this guide is to help you in your selection of those performance characteristics that are more appropriate for the activities being performed on your floor. It is important to note that this guide is not a technical explanation of the DIN Standard, nor is it a blanket endorsement of all of the DIN numbers. In fact, certain activities conducted on MFMA maple floors may be better served by an MFMA flooring system which exhibits a performance characteristic value exceeding or falling below the DIN requirement. MFMA is investigating the long-term effects of performance characteristic values on athletes/users, flooring system longevity, and the relevance of variances in DIN testing data within individual systems. As research continues in each area, MFMA seeks to establish well-rounded performance criteria for all floors that balance technical standards and measurement methods with practical design and flooring system life-cycle concerns.

DIN History

DIN Standards were initially developed by the Otto Graf Institute, affiliated with the University of Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany. Using the "Artificial Athlete Berlin" apparatus, which simulated the response of a typical participant's interaction with a sports surface, various tests were applied to point elastic (synthetic), area elastic (wood), combination and mixed flooring systems. The primary objective was to develop test methods and standards that would apply to government-funded projects in Germany.

When a particular flooring system meets the DIN Standard 18032 Part 2, it has been tested according to specific procedures and has met all of the requirements included in the Standard. There are now several testing facilities that can test flooring systems in accordance with the DIN Standards, and more specifically, DIN 18032 Part 2. For additional information on DIN testing procedures, contact any of the MFMA Manufacturer members for additional information on their system(s) that have been tested in accordance with the DIN Standard 18032 Part 2.

Individual Performance Characteristics

Shock Absorption
As an athlete impacts a sports surface, the impacting force is translated into two resultant forces: one absorbed by the floor and the other returned to the athlete. While hard surfaces such as concrete and asphalt provide little or no force reduction for the athlete upon impact due to running, jumping or falling, MFMA sports floor systems absorb these impact forces (shock) and are rated by the percentage of force reduction they provide as compared to hard surfaces. For example, a sports floor with a force reduction value of 60 percent will absorb 60 percent of the impact force and return 40 percent of that force to the athlete. Since different sports make different demands on athletes, various force reduction characteristics may be prescribed for various sports.

Shock absorption should be considered for any sports floor installation.

Vertical Deflection and Area of Deflection
The measurements of both area and vertical deflection are interdependent. However, in the total scheme of performance characteristics, the two together form a criterion for determining the total suitability of the floor. This is called deformation control.

The characteristic is a measure of the system's ability to provide vertical deflection for athletes performing in close proximity to each other. Vertical deflection deals with vertical displacement of the flooring surface during impact. For example, an average-sized person jumping on a concrete floor would transmit zero vertical deflection, while that same person jumping on a trampoline may create a vertical deflection of several inches. The area of deflection is a measurement of the surface of the floor set into motion during impact. A person jumping on a trampoline, for example, creates a very wide area of deflection. Someone jumping on sand creates a very limited area of deflection.

Consider deformation control when activity will be congested on the floor.

Ball Bounce
The measurement of a basketball's response reflecting (rebounding) off the MFMA maple surface as compared to its response off a hard surface such as concrete is referred to as ball bounce. At 100 percent rebound, the basketball reflects to a height equal to its response off concrete.

Ball bounce may not apply to all sports activities.

Surface Friction
Often called the coefficient of friction or sliding coefficient, this characteristic is used to measure a floor's ability to control the sliding of athletes on its surface. For an MFMA sports flooring system, the surface friction must be high enough to prevent premature and uncontrollable sliding of athletes on its surface, but also low enough to permit sliding off an extreme force (such as that from colliding with another athlete) when it is exerted upon an athlete. In addition, there may be federal and local requirements to be incorporated such as those enforced through the ADA.

Surface friction is a direct function of the finish on the surface and carries equal importance in all activities conducted on MFMA maple sports floors. To ensure a quality finish, make sure you specify a MFMA Tested Floor Finish. These products can be found on the current MFMA Finish List. Contact MFMA Headquarters for a copy at 847/480-9138 or visit our website (www.maplefloor.org) to view the most up to date list.

Rolling Load
Due to the potential damage to a wood floor system caused by some maintenance machines and game equipment, the rolling load characteristic is very important to all MFMA sports floors. This characteristic is applicable to point loads and rolling loads caused by rolling equipment and furniture. Additional provisions to protect the floor should be considered for items such as high lifts, portable backstops, bleachers, etc. To meet the demands of various users, sports surfaces today must withstand the transportation and use of rolling equipment and furniture.

General Performance Characteristics

The following matrix indicates the relative importance of general performance characteristics for various sports activities. Rolling Load and Surface Friction are equally important for all sports activities.

Sports Activity		Multipurpose Sports	Basketball	Volleyball	Aerobics & Dance	Raquet Sports	Roller Skating
Performance Characteristic	DIN Requirement
Shock Absorption	53 percent minimum
Vertical Deflection	2.3 mm minimum
Area of Deflection	15 percent maximum
Ball Bounce	90 percent minimum

= very important

= somewhat important

= not applicable

Please note: Performance criteria are interdependent. A higher or lower value for any of the performance characteristics addressed in this booklet may influence other characteristics in the flooring system. Variances are also inherent in performance test data on a single floor. Floors tested in accordance with DIN 18032 Part 2 will exhibit a range of values for each performance characteristic.

The above matrix is a general guideline to assist in determining which performance guidelines to consider when selecting an MFMA maple sports flooring system. It should not be used as a specification for a specific system. Contact any MFMA Manufacturer Member for performance data on their individual sports flooring systems.

Disclaimer: This MFMA Performance Characteristics Guide is designed to provide general information to architects, specifiers and consumers on performance issues. MFMA, its members, officers and agents disclaim any responsibility whatsoever for the accuracy or applicability of these guidelines under all circumstances and conditions.

Copyright 2001-2005, Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association, Inc. | All rights reserved.

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