Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
Home
  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
  • With Community Helpers the Play Lady Receives the Fred Rodgers Helpers Award
  • Keeping the Fun in Fundraising
  • See Accessibility Through the Eyes of a Child
  • Outdoor Play for Children with Intellectual Disabilities on Playgrounds

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Playground
  3. Construction
  4. Construction is Key

Construction is Key

Construction
July 01, 2001
Profile picture for user Curtis Stoddard
By Curtis Stoddard on
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print
695
Construction is Key

STEP Ill OF GETTING A NEW PLAYGROUND

Construction and installation of modern playgrounds require a certain level of responsibility. Today's guidelines, standards, and laws that govern safe play environments require contractor expertise and liability accountability. Playground owners should include construction and installation issues into committee talks as part of the playground plan, design, and ultimately your job specifications.

Playground manufacturers have spent and continue to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote, provide, and prove that playground equipment complies with the appropriate standard(s). There are now six playground ASTM Standards related to playgrounds (See Table 1 ). Such efforts may be invalidated if the installation of equipment is performed by persons unfamiliar with these documents. Additionally, the detailed drawings and installation manuals that accompany every piece of play equipment require expertise not common to untrained individuals. Most manufacturers offer installation certification for the construction of their equipment to ensure a successful project completion.

Existing ASTM Playground Standards:

  • ASTM F1487-98 Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use
  • ASTM F1292-99 Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surface Systems under and around Playground Equipment
  • ASTM F1918-98 Standard Safety Performance Specification for Soft Contained Play Equipment
  • ASTM F1951-99 Specification for Determination of Accessibility of Surface Systems under and around Playground Equipment
  • ASTM F1148-98c Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Home Playground Equipment
  • ASTM F2049-00 Standard Guide for Fences/Barrier for Public, Commercial & Multi-Family Residential Use Outdoor Play Areas

Be sure to check the credentials of your playground installer to ensure they are qualified to do this project. The installer is the final link between the manufacturer and you and your children utilizing the playground (See Table 2).

Contractor Specifications List May Look Something Like This:

  1. Licensed with your stat or local building requirments
  2. Insured with playground construction insurance
  3. Certified with NPSI as a CPSI
  4. Manufacturer certified
  5. Experience and references

Once your play equipment has been ordered, plan for where your equipment will be unloaded. This may require the use of heavy equipment or lots of manpower. Where are you going to secure and store the equipment? How is it going to get to the job site? In addition, the job site must be properly prepared for the arrival of construction crews. Such things as safety areas, surfacing materials, and drainage for the surfacing all need to be addressed prior to the playground equipment being purchased. Be aware of issues that may affect your construction.

Can heavy equipment access the construction site without ruining sidewalks, turf or sprinkler systems? Where will the footing dirt be exposed? Are there any phone, electrical, or other utilities in the play area? Focus on these types of issues and be sure to communicate and coordinate with your construction crews.

A part of playground safety that sometimes gets neglected is the partially installed play structure during construction . Once the equipment is exposed to the view of children, you run the risk of children coming into the construction area to satisfy their curiosity towards "their" new playground. All construction areas need to be fenced with a minimum four-foot safety fence that encloses the entire area, also utilize signs that identify the site as a "CONSTRUCTION AREA." Plastic police tape or ribbon is not an acceptable barrier to stop children from accessing a playground construction site. Child safety must be priority one at any playground construction site, be it new construction or even when repairs and maintenance are taking place.

Kids can hardly wait to get at new playground equipment.

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Profile picture for user Curtis Stoddard
Curtis Stoddard
Published 22 years ago
Last updated 9 months ago
695
2
min read
A- A+
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

More About

Curtis Stoddard
Mar 20, 2015
Construction

An Interview with Curtis Stoddard

Curtis Stoddard
Planning a Play Space? Evaluate!
May 01, 2007
Construction

Planning a Play Space? Evaluate!

Curtis Stoddard
Sep 01, 2005
Construction

Can You Predict the Future of Playground Design?

Playground Magazine
How to Determine the Feasibility of a Playground Area
Jul 29, 2013
Construction

How to Determine the Feasibility of a Playground Area

Butch-Defillippo
Rockford Sheriff's Department volunteer to help build playground
Jun 20, 2017
Construction

Healing Communities Through Play in Rockford, IL

Michele Breakfield
Assembly Line
Feb 01, 2004
Construction

Assembly Line

Playground Magazine
May 01, 2005
Construction

Building a Playground… Building a Community

Playground Magazine
Play Spaces Transform Communities
Sep 24, 2019
Construction

Play Spaces Transform Communities

Victoria Babb
Play 4 All
Apr 10, 2017
Construction

Rebuilding Community Trust One Playground at a Time

Michele Breakfield
Company Remains Leader After Nearly 75 Years
Jan 01, 2002
Construction

Miracle Workers

Playground Magazine
Finding a Way in Bay Minette
May 01, 2001
Construction

Finding a Way in Bay Minette

Playground Magazine
Playground Construction School
Mar 01, 2005
Construction

Playground Construction School

Playground Magazine

Construction Professionals

David Taylor Design
David Taylor Design
Services
More
ExoFit
ExoFit
Services
More
Playgrounds Unlimited
Playgrounds Unlimited
Services
More
Happy Playgrounds
Happy Playgrounds
Services
More
A & A Playground Services, Inc.
A & A Playground Services, Inc.
Services
More
Hansen & Prezzano Builders, LLC
Hansen & Prezzano Builders, LLC
Services
More
Land Rec
Land Rec
Services
More
Playworld Preferred
Playworld Preferred
Services
More
Lee Recreation, LLC
Lee Recreation, LLC
Services
More
TL Contracting Inc.
TL Contracting Inc.
Services
More
Rex Playground Equipment, Inc.
Rex Playground Equipment, Inc.
Services
More
FlexGround, LLC
FlexGround, LLC
Services
More
Home

Follow Us

Play and playground news and information since 2001

  • instagram
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • linkedin

Company

  • Playground Magazine
  • Contributors
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Copyright © 2001 - 2023 Playground Professionals, LLC

Footer menu

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions