Floor design in milking parlours
2009
Steiner, B., Forschungsanstalt Agroscope Reckenholz-Taenikon ART, Ettenhausen (Switzerland)
The design of floors affects the working comfort of milkers and the well-being of animals. High stan-dards in slip resistance, ease of cleaning and hygienic properties are required in addition to mechani-cal strength and chemical resistance. Milking parlour floors must be highly slip-resistant and facilitate efficient cleaning. Texture and gradient should ensure quick drying after cleaning. The whole milking parlour is generally built with a gradient of 1½ % to meet this requirement. For animal standing areas an outward cross fall of 2 % is recommended in addition, with a gutter to collect liquids. When design-ing floors, a distinction should be made between the milker’s work area and the animals’ exercise and standing areas. Suitable coatings for the milker’s work area are liquid mortar or epoxy resin with fine-grained sands. One of the drawbacks of laying floor slabs is that it is difficult to make acid-resistant joints. As regards foot heat, the floor surface should produce as little heat dissipation as possible. Coatings from epoxy resin and sand as well as mortar coverings are the materials of choice for animal exercise and standing areas. Sands with grains in the 0.8-1.2 mm range are needed to ensure high slip resistance. Good sealing prevents stubborn dirt and lime gaining a hold. Elastic rubber flooring, particularly in the waiting area, increases animal comfort; its use in the milking parlour is still contro-versial for reasons of hygiene. This solution often suggests itself, however, because rubber flooring can be installed in the running farm. The need for a high level of brightness in the milking parlour should be borne in mind when choosing colour. Light colours tend to be more suitable; some texture and reddish tones have a positive effect.
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