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Technical
Publications |
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News
Releases |
- January 24, 2005
Preliminary Guidelines Available for Installing Wheelchair-Friendly
Playground Surface
(HTML, PDF, DOC)
- October 21, 2004
Forest Service Unveils Innovative Wheelchair-Friendly
Playground Materials that Use Cost-Effective Wood Chips. (HTML, PDF, DOC)
- December 2003
New "Wheelchair-Friendly Surface
Material Being Tested at State Parks.
(HTML, PDF, DOC)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Stabilized
Engineered Wood Fiber for Playground Surfaces
For more information,
contact the Forest Products Laboratory at (608) 231-9200
or by email at mailroom_forest_products_laboratory@fs.fed.us
1. Can the playground surface be repaired or changed if the need
arises?
Yes, the top surface can be repaired or supplemented. However, it should
not be made thicker when doing so, as that would affect the impact behavior
by making the surface harder. Freshly-laid material bonds very well to
existing surfaces making it easy to extend the surface to new areas or to
connect pathways.
2. What is the estimated length of time before the wood chips need
to be replaced entirely?
We currently have an installation that is nearly 3 years old and it has
subsided a bit over one inch. We predict it will have a life of 5-6 years
before the material under the surface deteriorates and subsides to make
the surface less than 9 inches thick. At that time we will need to add material
to the top of the surface and re-stabilize the new Engineered Wood Fiber
(EWF). The companies that install the materials typically come back every
3-4 years and add 2-3 inches of EWF to the top of the surface. Materials
will need to be added periodically, but not so often that the surface becomes
too stiff or hard.
3. How long does the layer of chips mixed with the poly binder need
to dry before children can play on it?
The binder is activated by moisture so setting time will depend on the
amount of water in the chips and in the air. Usually 2 days is adequate
drying time.
4. If I use the SEWF material for pathways so that children could
use it to access all equipment on the playground, does it require a border
on the edges of the pathways? If so, what kind of border is necessary?
If the pathways are in the fall zone for the play area then the edges
of the path can be sloped downward to "bury" them into the EWF
on the sides of the path. If the path is outside the fall zone, then the
SEWF can be just 2-3 inches in thickness and placed directly over a well-drained
soil or drainage rock. Edges can be sloped downward and native soil can
be used to cover the depressed edge. If you would prefer a hard edging material,
any material will work. The edging is not crucial to the performance of
the SEWF.
5. My playground is slightly sloped. Do I need to level the surface
before I can pour the wood chips mixed with the binder?
Yes, the surface must be fairly level, but not dead-level because there
must be adequate slope for drainage (1-2%). Installers of the SEWF playground
surface usually like less than 10% to prevent the material from "drifting" to
the bottom of the playground. For the safety surface to work effectively
there should be no significant slope on the playground.
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