Squash Court Design general points

Contents:
Contents: ...............................................................................................................................................1 1. Squash Court Dimensions ............................................................................................................2 2. CourtTech Walls ............................................................................................................................3 3. Dimensional requirements for courts with CourtTech System Walls ........................................3 4. CourtTech glass back walls ..........................................................................................................4 5. Flooring .........................................................................................................................................5 6. Lighting and ventilation.................................................................................................................5 7. Environmental conditions .............................................................................................................5 8. Ceiling ............................................................................................................................................5

Several important points need to be considered during the squash court design phase. These are all based on the Squash Court Specification of the world governing body of squash the World Squash Federation (WSF).

1. Squash Court Dimensions

The WSF stipulates the following finished sizes for squash courts: length: 9750mm +/- 10mm width: 6400mm +/-10mm diagonals: 11665mm +/-25mm minimum height: 5640mm from floor level to underside of lights The recommended height from concrete floor level to the underside of the ceiling is 6000mm, which allows for a standard squash floor with depth between 70 and 80mm, and for a lighting and heating/ventilation system. The standard CourtTech systems are designed for a height of 6000 mm, but other heights above this are possible. Doubles Squash: WSF Squash Court Specification gives the dimensions of a doubles squash court as 7620mm. For WSF recognized world and regional events and Commonwealth Games, the width of the court between playing surfaces may be increased to 8420mm. As it is impossible to play singles squash on a doubles court we strongly advise against building doubles squash courts with fixed side walls. The most economical solution is to build singles squash courts with a movable side wall to permit doubles and singles to be played on the same court.

2. CourtTech Walls
CourtTech offers two different wall solutions: The CT System Wall This type of court has free-standing walls: supporting masonry walls are not necessary. In principle a CourtTech court can be placed in the middle of a large hall without any connections to the building whatsoever. It is important to note that a nominal gap of 25mm should be allowed between CourtTech side or front walls and any adjacent structural walls. The CT System Side wall is available in a movable version which allows two or more adjacent courts to be converted into doubles courts, or be used for alternative sporting activities. The CT Half-system Wall: This type of court is made of the same material as the CT System Wall, however, it is only 40mm thick and is fixed to existing masonry or concrete walls. Internal dimensions between structural walls need to be carefully considered with this type of court. A combination of both of these types of CourtTech wall is possible in the same court. The CT Half System wall is also particularly suitable for renovating failed plastered walls and problem courts.

3. Dimensional requirements for courts with CourtTech System Walls

To comply with WSF requirements for court dimensions the construction thickness of the squash court walls, the glass wall, the floor, and lighting & heating/ventilation units must be taken into consideration. The following list summarises required construction sizes prior to squash court installation for the most usual configurations: No. of Courts 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Type CourtTech System Court CourtTech System Courts CourtTech System Courts CourtTech System Courts CourtTech System Courts CourtTech Half System Court CourtTech Half System Courts CourtTech Half System Courts CourtTech Half System Courts CourtTech Half System Courts Length min 10100 mm min 10100 mm min 10100 mm min 10100 mm min 10100 mm min 10000 mm min 10000 mm min 10000 mm min 10000 mm min 10000 mm Width min 6640 mm min 13140 mm min 19630 mm min 26130 mm min 32600 mm exact 6480 mm exact 12980 mm exact 19470 mm exact 25960 mm exact 32460 mm

AutoCAD drawings can be downloaded under www.courttech.biz.

4. CourtTech glass back walls

For player-safety the glass back wall is the most important component of a squash court. The clear width of the entrance door for both types of CourtTech glass back wall is 914mm to fulfil international requirements for handicapped access. CourtTech offers two types of glass wall. CT Frame glass back wall The CT Frame glass back wall is the most used type of glass back wall and recommended for projects where there are no galleries, seats behind the court. Apart from the narrower installation zone needed, the big advantage of this type of glass wall is the potential option of enclosing the squash court off from the out of court area. The CT Frame glass back wall also gives greater spectator visibility, having only two panels and no intermediate fixings or posts. With less fittings and components it is also maintenance free.

CT Fin glass back wall The CT fin glass back wall can be considered as the traditional type of glass back wall. The disadvantage of this system is that the 300mm glass fins require a bigger installation zone than the frame glass wall, and the fins poses an increased risk of glass breakage. One advantage of the fin glass back wall is that elevated seating areas enjoy a less obstructed view.

5. Flooring
For player comfort and safety squash court floors should comply with the latest European performance standards for area elastic floors EN14904:2006, to provide accurate ball-bounce, provide resilience and grip, and prevent player fatigue. To comply with WSF requirements floors should be constructed of a light coloured timber to enable the fast-moving ball to be seen in play and have a dense structure such as beech, ash or maple, finished with textured surface for grip. Relative humidity level at the time of installation is an extremely important factor. Squash court floors are unsealed to provide the characteristics noted above. Unsealed timber is prone to absorption of moisture - it expands in conditions of high relative humidity and shrinks in conditions of low relative humidity. It is important therefore that stable temperature and relative humidity conditions are in operation when the floors are laid similar to those expected in use. In these circumstances the CT Squash Floor can accommodate changes in +/-20% in relative humidity.

6. Lighting and ventilation

The minimum lighting level for a standard squash court according to the World Squash Federation Squash Court Specification is 500 lux measured at 1 metre above finished floor level.

7. Environmental conditions
The WSF recommend that a Squash court and any adjacent spectator areas (including the space for the marker and referee) should be provided with a heating and/or air conditioning system which is capable of maintaining a temperature of between 10 and 25 degrees Celsius with an ideal range of 15 to 20 degrees. The court and any adjacent spectator areas (including the space for the marker and referee) should be provided with a ventilation system which should provide not less than four complete air changes per hour when the court is in use. The court walls and floor shall be constructed, insulated, heated and/or ventilated in such a way as to ensure that they remain free of condensation when the court and any adjacent spectator area is in use.

8. Ceiling
Squash courts do not require special ceilings. Ceilings, the undersides of roofs and out-of-play areas of squash courts should be of a light colour so that player can sight the small fast-moving black ball against a light background.