False floor for a Gait and Balance Lab

[Amartya Ganguly]

Hello Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has any ideas as to how to go about installing a false floor for a typical Gait and Balance Lab ? For us the lab is in the first floor (not ideal but nothing can be done about it), the force plates cannot be put in a pit, so the other idea is to have a false floor installed which aligns with the height of the force plates so as to prevent tripping of the participants (children wearing exoskeletons and elderly). So for a false floor, how much space should be left to make room for cables to run ?

I'd be grateful for any suggestions that you might have.

Best wishes,
Amartya Ganguly,PhD

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amartya-ganguly-1ab85828/

Innovation Associate
Marsi Bionics

http://www.marsibionics.com/?lang=en

[Manvendra Singh]

Re: False floor for a Gait and Balance Lab

"....how much space should be left to make room for cables to run?"
~ Minimum: Just enough so that cables and connectors at it's ends can pass through.

[Edmund Cramp]

Re: False floor for a Gait and Balance Lab

I'd suggest putting a pipe in to guide the cables from the force plate area to the equipment - at least 2 inches in diameter, preferably 3 inches if there are going to be any bends or turns in the pipe. Look at the force plate connectors to decide how much space you need and remember that getting a connector around a bend needs a little more space than just the size of the connector. You can use PVC water pipe, it doesn't have to be metal pipe.

There are a couple of pictures here and here of a raised walkway although they don't show details of the force plate cables. Another option is to used raised computer room flooring throughout the whole lab.

[Jose Heredia-Jimenez]

Re: False floor for a Gait and Balance Lab

Dear Amartya:

I had the same problem with my new lab. The lab is in a first floor.
I was watching a lot of options. I think that the best options are:
1- Modular floor of The Rose Krieger aluminium profile company with a Fraunhofer IPA Ergonomics lab of Stuttgart. They made a modular floor with aluminium profile for biomechanics lab, this floor allows to move and placing the force plate in different parts of the lab:

https://www.rk-rose-krieger.com/english/news/new-products/archive/modular-flooring/

2- There are a company of technical floor that make a solid and rigid elevated floor that provide similar characteristics that a reinforced concrete floor (without shock absortos and vibrations like a wood elevated floor) I am evaluating different technical floor systems and I think for a biomechanics lab (with sports movements as jumping, running, etc.) a common wooden plates technical floor isn't a good options. The company provide a special technical floor of steel with a hearth of cement.

http://www.accessfloorpolygroup.com/gamaflor-full-steel.html

In my opinion, the first option is very expensive, and I decided the second option.
I am in building process of the new lab, and I can't provide you any more information yet about the results after floor installation and use, because we will instal the floor in a few months.
If you have doubts or questions, contact with me.

Best;

Jose M Heredia-Jimenez.
Human Behavior & Motion Analysis LAB (HUBEMA LAB)
University of Granada
Spain

[Amartya Ganguly]

Re: False floor for a Gait and Balance Lab

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for your suggestions, I will take them on board.

Best wishes,
Amartya