Hoover:#1

hoover #3

hoover #2

#1 - blue & red / blue rubber

play equipment & surfacing

playground

manufacturer: Landscape Structures
installation: 1998/ retrofit: 2005 & 2011
condition (1-5): 4 very good (retrofit components) 1 poor (original components)
ADA: non-compliant

- play elements: 14 elevated / 2 ground-level (2 types)
(required: 5 ground-level play elements / 3 types)

surfacing

poured-in-place rubber, blue, full color
installation: 2011
condition (1-5): 2 fair

maintenance dates

3/14/2017 - Sample Inspection Only

Map View

notes / recommendations

notes

the playground rubber is failing. this is most likely due to installation error
the 1998 play components are failing. (approx 25% of structure) the decks are peeling and there is visible rust and cracks in the metal

recommendations: now

do not patch cracked rubber
do clean and seal rubber

recommendations: within next 2 years

update 1998 play components and hardware (except posts, unless wanted for aesthetics)
full rubber recap (1/2 inch topcoat over existing)

(see log entry below for further explanation)

service log

3/14/17

maintenance

no maintenance was performed since the site evaluation was only conducted for sample database.

site evaluation

astm signage - current stickers missing/damaged - (pic 1) / (included in maintenance plan)
not ADA compliant - with 14 elevated elements, 5 ground-level elements (3 types) are required
rubber splitting - it appears that there were expansion and contraction issues that resulted from differences in the installation temperatures of the base layer and the top coat. as a result, the rubber is has significant splitting over the entire surface. while the cracks are visually obtrusive, the rubber is not hardening, delaminating, or fading significantly. thus, it is does not seem to indicate a systemic failure. with proper maintenance, it's unlikely the damage will progress significantly in the short term - (pic 2-4)
playground deterioration - the playground was installed in 1998. it was retrofitted in 2005 and also in 2011. the new parts are in great shape (from the retrofits). the original parts are in bad shape. nearly all of the original decks have exposed metal showing through the plastisol coating. at one end of the bridge, the exposed metal is rusted and has a visible crack. also the original clamps and pipe components (pipe walls, transfer station handles, etc.) are showing bear metal through the worn off paint. (pic 5-7)
cracking plastic - the blue coated chain for the chain ladder attached to the 2011 retrofit deck has minor cracking. (the red and brown plastic coated chain is still in good condition) (pic 8)

notes

this structure is a great candidate for one last retrofit. because of the excellent condition of the recent additions, a replacement of the deteriorating original parts (approx 25% of total play structure) would likely result in a playground with a 15-20 year life expectancy, with proper maintenance. this is why I believe that patching now will be a waste of funds and do not recommend rubber patching.
assuming that the 1998 play components will be updated in the short term, (within 2 years) by sealing the rubber now, it should have no problem holding up until then.
at that point, we will go over the entire area with a new topcoat layer. currently, there is significant aesthetic damage, but the rubber is actually in great shape. it is still soft, intact (not wearing thin) and does not have significant fading.
since we'll be re-coating all the rubber, this would be an ideal time to add the required ground level play events to meet ADA accessibility requirements. while the original Landscape Structures documents indicate 1 ground level activity, an argument could probably be made that the bench and the table are 2 distinct ground level play events. (we suggest getting the recommendations of Landscape Structures when making these corrections.)
alternate: if the district is more likely to opt for a full playground replacement in the next 5-7 years, as opposed to a then it would make sense to patch now so that the rubber can survived until then. this is not our recommended approach