A prefabricated sports surface comprises a flexible sheet of resin bonded particles of chopped natural or polyurethane rubber incorporating a layer of mesh of strong, inextensible filaments as reinforced adjacent to the underside of the sheet. Typically the sheet is 3-15 mm thick and the reinforcement mesh is of glass coated with PVC or of synthetic filament of similar strength and stiffness. The mesh pores are 3-10 mm across, pref. are slightly larger than the chopped rubber particles. Thick sheets may be laid up in two more layers, opt. of contrasting colours, e.g. using relatively cheap black rubber for a reinforced substrate and red or green particles for a superficial layer: opt. additional reinforcement may be included at the layer interface. Suitable for laying tennis courts or other surfaces using strips typically 100 m long and 2.4 or 3 m wide. Stronger than unreinforced sheets, requires less delicate handling during lay-up. Prefabrication avoids interference with build-up or curing conditions by external variations in temp., dampness etc.
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