SIST EN 14808:2006

SIST EN 14808:2006 is the Slovenian standard identical to EN 14808:2005 for determining shock absorption of sports surfaces. It specifies the Artificial Athlete (Berlin) method, which measures how much impact force a sports surface reduces under a defined falling-weight test. The standard is used by people who need a repeatable way to test, compare, or document the shock absorption of sports flooring systems.

What does SIST EN 14808:2006 specify?

SIST EN 14808:2006 specifies one test method for the shock absorption characteristics of sports surfaces. It covers how to prepare the test piece, how to run the impact test, how to calculate the result, and what to include in the test report.

The document is organized into clauses 1 to 11:

• Scope
• Normative references
• Terms and definitions
• Principle
• Test piece
• Conditioning and test temperature
• Apparatus
• Measurement of reference force, F
• Procedure
• Expression of results
• Test report

In practice, this means the standard gives both the test setup and the reporting format needed to compare results consistently.

What are the key requirements of SIST EN 14808:2006?

Test piece preparation depends on the surface type

SIST EN 14808:2006 distinguishes between area-elastic, combination-elastic, point-elastic, and mixed-elastic sports surfaces. For area-elastic and combination-elastic surfaces, the test piece is a 3.5 m by 3.5 m sample of the complete surfacing system installed as specified by the manufacturer. For point-elastic and mixed-elastic surfaces, the test piece is at least 1.0 m by 1.0 m with the supporting layers used in service.

For synthetic turf or textile laboratory samples, the preparation follows EN 12229. This matters because the result depends strongly on how the surface is built up and attached.

Conditioning and test temperature must be controlled

Laboratory test pieces are conditioned for at least 40 h at (23 ± 2) °C. Site tests are carried out at the ambient temperature and humidity, which must be recorded and reported.

This makes the result traceable to the actual test conditions, which is important when comparing laboratory and field measurements.

The Artificial Athlete apparatus has defined performance requirements

The apparatus uses a 20 kg falling weight, a spiral spring, a force sensing device, and a rigid concrete floor for reference measurements. The signal chain must meet the specified instrumentation and filtering requirements, including ISO 6487 channel frequency class requirements and a 120 Hz low-pass filter.

These requirements matter because the apparatus must respond consistently to a short impact pulse, otherwise the measured force reduction will not be reliable.

Reference force F is checked on concrete

Clause 8 sets the reference measurement on a rigid concrete floor. The apparatus is adjusted so the impact height is 55 mm above the force-measuring assembly, then the impact is repeated enough times to determine the mean reference force F. The value must lie within the required range, and the reference check is repeated at intervals of no more than three months.

In practice, this is the control measurement that anchors all later results.

The test procedure uses repeated impacts away from edges

Clause 9 requires the impact point to be at least 20 cm from the edge for point-elastic and mixed-elastic surfaces, and at least 1 m from the edge for area-elastic and combination-elastic surfaces. The standard uses three impacts at one spot, with the second and third impacts used to calculate the result.

This reduces edge effects and gives a more stable value for the surface being assessed.

The result is expressed as force reduction

Clause 10 defines force reduction, R, as the percentage difference between the peak force on the test piece and the peak force on the concrete reference floor. The result for a test spot is reported as the mean of the second and third impacts and rounded to the nearest whole percent.

For users, this is the number used to compare surfaces or to check whether a surface meets a specified shock absorption level.

What terms does SIST EN 14808:2006 define?

• Area-elastic sports surface - a surface where a point load spreads deflection over a relatively large area.
• Point-elastic sports surface - a surface where a point load causes deflection mainly at or close to the point of application.
• Combination-elastic sports surface - an area-elastic surface with a point-elastic top layer, so both local and wider deflection occur.
• Mixed-elastic sports surface - a point-elastic surface with an area-stiffening component, giving behavior between point-elastic and area-elastic surfaces.
• Shock absorption - the ability of a sports surface to reduce the impact force of a falling body.

Who uses SIST EN 14808:2006?

SIST EN 14808:2006 is used by sports surface manufacturers, testing laboratories, installers, specifiers, quality managers, and buyers who need to assess flooring performance. It is also relevant to organizations that compare products, verify installed surfaces, or prepare test reports for technical documentation. The standard is aimed at sports facilities and the surfaces used in them.

What changed in SIST EN 14808:2006 from the previous edition?

SIST EN 14808:2006 is the Slovenian standard identical to EN 14808:2005.

Which standards are used with SIST EN 14808:2006?

• EN 12229 - provides the preparation procedure for synthetic turf and textile test pieces.
• ISO 6487 - provides the instrumentation measurement technique reference used for the impact test recording chain.

What does the SIST EN 14808:2006 document contain?

The document includes a principle drawing of the Artificial Athlete apparatus and detailed apparatus requirements in Clause 7. It also sets out the reference-force check in Clause 8 and the test procedure in Clause 9, including impact spacing and timing.

Clause 10 gives the calculation method for force reduction, and Clause 11 lists the items that must appear in the test report. In practice, the standard gives the full test setup, the measurement sequence, and the reporting details needed for laboratory and on-site evaluation of sports surfaces.