Rubber flooring for temporary event areas?
Choosing event flooring requires the venue, intended use, substrate, load capacity, weather resistance, fire performance and installation method to be considered. The flooring must be appropriate for its intended use.
Areas for standing audiences, catering and exhibition stands have different requirements from temporary sports areas or zones with stages, platforms and trusses. Where wheelchairs, transport trolleys or other wheeled equipment are used, the covering must provide an even, firm and unobstructed route.
For sports areas, elasticity, Slip-resistant characteristics and surface texture must suit the sport concerned. Furniture, sales stands and technical structures can transfer loads through small contact areas, so the event flooring’s load capacity, deformation behaviour and load distribution require assessment.
Load distribution is particularly relevant beneath stage, platform and truss feet, which require suitable spreader plates and a load-bearing substrate. Elastic event flooring does not replace a foundation or any required structural verification.
For longer periods of standing, the resilience of elastic event flooring can improve comfort for visitors and staff. Fire performance requirements arise from the applicable regulations and the conditions imposed for the individual event.
Event conditions may impose stricter requirements for escape routes than for the rest of the event area. For tents, the approval governing the installation is decisive; for exhibitions, the organiser’s technical regulations apply.
In outdoor areas and wherever drinks may be spilled, the surface must remain sufficiently Slip-resistant when wet. Water-permeable event tiles allow liquid to drain away, but the substrate must then absorb or drain the liquid.
The event flooring must stay in place once laid. Edges, access points, cable crossings and transitions must be finished without trip hazards using suitable ramps or edge profiles.
Loose-laid event flooring with an integrated interlocking system can be removed after the event without adhesive residues or drill holes. On sensitive substrates, a suitable protective or separation layer may be required.
On grass, the laying period should be kept short. Reduced light, pressure, heat and moisture can damage the turf.