EN 12503-4:2016

Overview

EN 12503-4:2016 (CEN) specifies a laboratory test method for the determination of shock absorption characteristics of sports mats. It applies to mat types defined in related parts of EN 12503: types 1–8 (EN 12503‑1:2013), 9–11 (EN 12503‑2:2016) and type 12 (EN 12503‑3:2001). The standard defines apparatus, test procedures (Procedure A and B), data processing, reporting and environmental conditioning required to produce repeatable shock absorption results.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and conditioning

  • Test pieces: whole mats laid on a solid concrete floor (types 1–8, 12) or complete ready‑for‑use mats (types 9–11).
  • Conditioning: minimum 24 h at (21 ± 3) °C prior to testing.
  • Laboratory floor: fully supported concrete ≥100 mm thick and compressive strength ≥40 MPa (for types 1–8 and 12).

• Apparatus

  • Indentors: defined diameters and masses (e.g. many types use a 150 mm indentor with masses 10–30 kg; type 12 uses 43 mm, 78 mm and 116 mm indentors with ~8 kg mass as specified).
  • Release mechanism: smooth vertical drop.
  • Accelerometer and data capture: rigidly mounted on indentor; instrumentation channel frequency class 1 000 per ISO 6487 and sampling frequency ≥10 kHz.
  • Thickness measurement: required for types 9–11 (accuracy ±5 mm).

• Procedures and measurements

  • Procedure A (types 1–11): tests at eight defined locations; fall heights specified per mat type (e.g. 150 mm up to 1 200 mm depending on type). Ten impacts per location; retained value = mean of last eight.
  • Procedure B (type 12): homogeneity test (five impacts per location) and shock absorption test using multiple indentor diameters and fall heights; retained value = mean of last three.
  • Output parameters: peak deceleration (g), deflection (mm or % of mat thickness), resilience (%). Resilience is calculated from the ratio of the squares of velocities after and before impact.

• Reporting

  • Test report must reference EN 12503‑4 and include mat identification, test temperature, indentor and fall heights used, thickness (where applicable), measured mean values, individual location means and any deviations.

Applications and users

• Practical use: assessing impact attenuation and safety performance of gymnastic, pole‑vault/high‑jump, judo and other indoor sports mats.
• Typical users: manufacturers, test laboratories, product certifiers, facility managers, safety engineers and standards bodies who require standardized shock absorption data for design, compliance, certification and procurement.

Related standards

• EN 12503‑1 (Gymnastic mats, safety requirements)
• EN 12503‑2 (Pole vault & high jump mats)
• EN 12503‑3 (Judo mats)
• ISO 6487 (instrumentation for impact tests)

Keywords: EN 12503-4:2016, sports mats, shock absorption, test method, indentor, accelerometer, CEN, mat types, resilience, impact attenuation.