Reducing noise and vibration in gyms

Buers (AT), Zurich (CH): in order to avoid disturbing the neighbours with disturbing noise and to protect the structure of the building from damage to the floor, the Reebok CrossFit gym in Zurich installed a new type of vibration protection at the start of 2020. According to the owner, an elastic high-tech material from Getzner called g-fit Shock Absorb has a huge damping effect on vibrations caused by falling weights and dumbbells.

As well as training athletes' muscles, thrusters, deadlifts and other exercises often also put strain on the structure of the building and get on the neighbours' nerves.
Falling training weights can cause loud noise disruption and can also damage the floor. This can become problematic for gym or CrossFit Box managers. Reebok CrossFit Box in Zurich, one of the most well-known and popular gyms in Switzerland, has equipped its 220 m2 free weights area with the high-tech g-fit Shock Absorb elastomer from vibration protection specialist Getzner Werkstoffe. "The g-fit Shock Absorb bearings significantly reduce noise and vibrations caused by dropping weights and free weights. For us, this means we can use our gym in any way we like and for as long as we like without disturbing our neighbours. The retrospective installation was also very easy – everything was done within a few hours," explains the owner of Reebok CrossFit Zurich.

Peaceful coexistence in multipurpose buildings
Reebok CrossFit Box in Zurich is housed in a multifunctional building in the Industriequartier district. Even though the gym is in the basement of the building, vibrations caused primarily by weights being dropped are transmitted to the floors above, where they manifest as disturbing noise. The gym owners were on the lookout for a fast, efficient and highly effective solution to this problem in order to ensure they could continue to co-exist peacefully with their neighbours. The g-fit Shock Absorb from Getzner was the chosen solution: "The special mats are highly effective, durable and maintenance-free for decades. They reduce the transmission of structure-borne noise to adjoining living areas, thus providing efficient protection against noise and vibrations," emphasises Helmut Bertsch, project manager at Getzner.

Value retention of the building structure
Measurements prove that, in addition to improvements in acoustics and vibration isolation, the mats reduce the impact force on the supporting layer by up to 75 percent. This is particularly relevant for rental properties with existing floor coverings, as properties that were used as gyms almost always needed new flooring in the weights area after being used for this purpose. "The g-fit bearings help retain the value of the building, because there is less strain on the building structure," emphasises the owner of Reebok CrossFit Zurich.

Fast, uncomplicated, retrospective installation
The vibrations generated from the huge forces exerted during the impact of training weights on sports floors can be reduced in two ways: by decoupling the floor with a floating screed or with damping materials. In the case of Reebok CrossFit Zurich, retrospective installation of a floating screed was not possible. This solution would have required significant conversion work, would have incurred high costs and would have required the gym to close for a long period of time. Not least for this reason, g-fit Shock Absorb (Advanced) was chosen instead. The entire installation took just one day. "As no additional substructures are required for g-fit Shock Absorb, the retrofitting work is easy. The customer decides whether they wish to carry out the installation themselves or commission Getzner. The low installation heights mean that it can also be installed easily during renovation works. What's more, the elastic mats significantly reduce the risk of injury to athletes as a result of weights springing back," explains Sebastian Wiederin, product manager at Getzner.