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BEFORE YOU BUILD
Congratulations for getting through the Design section!
Now you have created your concept, selected your
materials, and developed your cost estimate. It is time to
consider the management side of your design. Flip back
and forth between the Design and Manage sections as
they go hand-in-hand. As you consider the questions in the
Manage section, you may need to revise your Design.
Next
up:
MANAGE
When you're designing and constructing your natural play
area, don't forget to account for the fall height zones. As a
general rule of thumb, fall height surfacing should be provided
below any "designated play surface" (i.e., elevated surface
for standing, walking, sitting, or climbing) and should extend a
minimum of six feet in all directions of stationary equipment.
Refer to the American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC) for fall height requirements specific to equipment and
different age groups.
Fall
Heights
Safety surfacing is just as important to remember as fall heights.
Safety surfacing is applied to create "use zones," which are defined
areas around play elements. They are required when a feature has a
fall height (e.g., swings, balance areas) and to ensure accessibility for
all. There are generally three types of protective surfacing that may be
used in your play area.
Don't forget to check the guidelines provided by ASTM and CPSC to
ensure you're providing the right depth of fill material based on the
radius and fall heights associated with your equipment.
• Loose fill system – consists of small, independent, movable
particles (i.e., wood chips, sand, pea stone, and engineered fibers).
• Unitary system – consists of one or more components bonded
together (i.e., mats and tile poured in place).
• Composite system – a combination of loose fill and unitary
components (i.e., stone drainage base, loose rubber, or
bags of recycled rubber).
Surfacing
Don't
forget
that
good
drainage
in
the
fill
area
is
essential!
INSPIRATION PLAN DESIGN MANAGE EXAMPLES
