Soft-fall Play Area Surfacing

Play Area Surfacing

Play Area Surfacing for Children’s Playgrounds

Play Area Safety Surfacing Design

Play Area Surfacing Design is easy with our Playsafe Systems that are designed for installation in areas beneath different types of play equipment. To add to the ‘play value’ of the playgrounds, colourful graphics and innovative designs and features or designated areas can all be incorporated into the Playsafe surfacing – all according to your individual requirements.

The Playsafe system can be laid in differing thicknesses if necessary, in order to provide the necessary impact absorbency for the Free Fall Height (FFH – please refer to the guideline table below) of the equipment to be installed in the area, as required around each different piece of play equipment.

Alternatively in many instances it can actually be more cost effective and time saving to use the thickness required for the maximum Free Fall Height (FFH) required for any single piece of equipment in the play area overall, especially if this is easier to define. This approach also allows play equipment to be easily repositioned, changed or added within the area in future with less risk of the whole play area requiring to be resurfaced.

Play Area Safety Surfacing Materials

The Play Area Safety Surface Materials in our Playsafe system is an advanced high-tech surfacing system that is produced using a blend of special flexible polyurethane resins that are mixed on site with graded recycled rubber for the grey base coat / shock pad layer; and then mixed with coloured EPDM rubber granules for the topping layer that functions as the decorative wearing and impact resistant surface.

The Playsafe system is suitable to be installed over several different free-draining and well compacted substrates, including dry-lean concrete (semi-dry mix), or consolidated sub-base (MOT Type 1), as well as directly onto bituminous blacktop surfaces.

The graded EPDM granules that are used to produce the top layer and contact surface is available in a range of standard colours including black, red, green, blue, beige, purple, eggshell, brown and yellow. A flecked pattern can also be achieved by mixing the black granules with any of the other colours.

Most importantly the finished surface is also slip-resistant and non-abrasive to young limbs.

Play Area Safety Surface System Installation

The Play Area Safety Surfaces using the Playsafe system is mixed in specialist forced action mixing equipment, and then the material is ‘wet applied’ by pouring it onto the prepared substrate, spreading, levelling and trowel finishing to ensure the production of a dense, consistent layer of the Playsafe material in the finished thickness and levels required.

Priming may be required on some substrates including any hard-surrounding edges, which should also always be primed, such as the brick edges or paving units used for surrounding and defining the area, or around any other details and penetrations.

Installation of the Playsafe material is then straightforward and should proceed by first applying the base ‘shock pad’ layer to the prepared surface. This is mixed by adding the Playsafe system binder into a forced action mixer with graded recycled rubber granules and the Playsafe binder. Pour the homogeneous mix into the area and spread, then screed-off to line and level and compact, ensuring a rough hatched profile is left for mechanically interlocking the following top layer.

Then apply the minimum 20mm thick top layer produced by mixing the Playsafe binder with graded EPDM granules (granulometry 1 to 4mm), in a forced action mixer. Once again pour the homogeneous mix into the area, spread and then screed-off to line and level, then compact the layer using a lubricated roller in order to achieve the desired closed and smooth surface finish.

Refurbishment of Play Area Safety Surfaces

For the refurbishment of Play Area Surfaces our Playsafe surfacing is applied by simply pouring, levelling and trowel finishing. Therefore it can also be laid easily to upgrade the safety surfacing around complex existing installations and layouts of playground equipment, other surfacing and levels.

Once installed and hardened the Playsafe system is virtually maintenance free for its entire service life, requiring simply to be kept clean and clear of any dirt or debris that could affect and reduce its functionality.

For FREE expert advice with your specific children’s play area surfacing project, please call our helpful team on: 01257 266 696

Thickness of Playsafe Surfacing According to the Free Fall Height (FFH)

Critical Fall Height (m) H.I.C.	System Thickness (mm)
0.5	20
0.6	25
0.8	30
1.0	35
1.3	40
1.4	45
1.6	50
1.7	55
1.8	60
2.0	65
2.1	70
2.2	75
2.3	80
2.4	85
2.5	90
2.6	95
2.7	100

Critical Fall Height (m) H.I.C.	System Thickness (mm)
0.5	20
0.6	25
0.8	30
1.0	35
1.3	40
1.4	45
1.6	50
1.7	55
1.8	60
2.0	65
2.1	70
2.2	75
2.3	80
2.4	85
2.5	90
2.6	95
2.7	100

Critical Fall Height (m) H.I.C.	System Thickness (mm)
0.5	20
0.6	25
0.8	30
1.0	35
1.3	40
1.4	45
1.6	50
1.7	55
1.8	60
2.0	65
2.1	70
2.2	75
2.3	80
2.4	85
2.5	90
2.6	95
2.7	100

Critical Fall Height (m) H.I.C.	System Thickness (mm)
0.5	20
0.6	25
0.8	30
1.0	35
1.3	40
1.4	45
1.6	50
1.7	55
1.8	60
2.0	65
2.1	70
2.2	75
2.3	80
2.4	85
2.5	90
2.6	95
2.7	100