Insights

Anti-trauma floors

The right choice of anti-trauma flooring for playgrounds.

Trauma-resistant playground flooring is mandatory as required by European safety standards EN-1176:2018 and EN-1177:2018 and EC Directive 95/2001 on general product safety.

Playground floors must absorb the fall from a height indicated on the sheets of the various products following the table provided by the playground safety standards UNI EN-1176:2018. The calculation of thicknesses and tests on the anti-trauma playground floors are carried out according to the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) following the UNI EN-1177:2018 standards. This criterion takes into account only the kinetic energy of the head at the moment of impact with the playground surface. This calculation model corresponds to the current state of the art in predicting injuries due to falls from playground equipment and is unified at the European level.

GPP

Legnolandia always suggests the use of natural subfloors that respect the environment and reduce economic burdens such as fine sand or gravel with a grain size of 2-8 mm. In the case of inclusive playgrounds, where there is a need to have surfaces that can be easily walked on by wheelchairs, it recommends the use of flooring made of recycled and recyclable materials in compliance with CAM (Criteria Ambientali MInimi) and GPP (Green Public Procurement).

Type of anti-trauma flooring

Learn here about all types of anti-trauma flooring for playgrounds, play areas, schools, made according to the new UNI EN-1176:2018 safety standards and tested according to UNI EN-1177:2018 test methods. The safety of a playground does not stop on the equipment but also involves the underlying flooring. This overview of safety underlays for playgrounds allows you to choose the best solution considering all aspects, from inclusiveness, to environment, to construction costs.

Anti-trauma gravel paving

CHARACTERISTICS:

Environmentally friendly, safe, highly protective, durable playground safety flooring. Made of natural gravel, it is laid on the impact surface of park playgrounds and maintains a shock-absorbing function against falls. The material complies with the grain size required by the safety standards UNI EN 1176:2018 (grain size 2-8 mm) and offers outstanding qualities in terms of functionality, durability, aesthetics and eco-friendliness. The gravel layer always remains dry thanks to its guaranteed high permeability even immediately after rain.

INSTALLATION

Installation involves laying directly on the lawn (or on overburden) without any concrete sub-bases, a layer of TNT fabric is sufficient. This flooring is a valid natural complement to all design solutions involving subfloors or walkable outdoor paving and offers the important advantage of inhibiting the growth of weeds and pests, guaranteeing durability over time. Installation requires minimal effort and allows the area to be immediately usable. Installation does not necessarily require perimeter edging, however, integrating well into lawn playgrounds and natural green areas.

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

Due to the weak cohesion of this inert material, the certified fall height for gravel and sand is a good 3 METRES, a good guarantee for children’s falls from heights.

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance is low as the material is extremely resistant and inhibits the growth of weeds, the only actions required are checking the initial level and possibly laying more material. Gravel paving is also very good for maintenance and safety work on existing equipment that does not have anti-trauma underlayment, where it can be brought up to current standards with a minimal outlay.

COSTS:

The cost of safety gravel paving is LOW because the material is readily available and inexpensive; the main costs consist of excavation and disposal of the soil.

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ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

This natural paving offers HIGH environmental friendliness, reducing emissions and charges for disposal at the end of use.

Anti-trauma sand paving

CHARACTERISTICS:

Similar to gravel, this anti-trauma subfloor for playgrounds also uses natural material and retains its fall-preventing function over a long period of time, offering extraordinary qualities in terms of functionality, drainage, durability, aesthetic appearance, eco-friendliness and ease of installation. Particular installations, such as those on beaches, can take advantage of the existing natural sub-base, thus solving the problem of safety and saving the expense of artificial paving.

INSTALLATION

Installation involves laying directly on the lawn (or on embankment) without any concrete sub-base, a layer of TNT fabric is sufficient. This flooring is a valuable natural complement to all design solutions involving drainage subfloors that are easy and quick to lay.

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

Due to the weak cohesion of this inert material, the certified fall height for gravel and sand is as high as 3 METRES, an excellent guarantee for children’s falls from heights.

MAINTENANCE

Low maintenance as the material is extremely durable and easily levelled, the only actions required are checking the initial level and possibly spreading more material.

COSTS:

The cost of sand safety paving is LOW as the material is readily available and inexpensive, the main costs consist of excavation and disposal of the soil.

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ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

This natural paving offers HIGH environmental friendliness, reducing emissions and charges for disposal at the end of use.

Anti-trauma bark flooring

CHARACTERISTICS:

The use of natural bark as an anti-trauma safety floor for playgrounds is ideal for protected areas, landscaped areas, parks, reserves and in all areas where respect for the environment is a priority. Bark also has the natural ability to inhibit the growth of weeds in the play area.

INSTALLATION

The installation of bark bark paving involves laying it directly on the lawn (or on overburden) without cement underlayment. The bark is supplied in bags, dry and already shredded as per safety standards.

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

The natural bark, which is 20-80 mm in size as required by the above-mentioned standard, makes up a very flexible and elastic layer that absorbs falls well up to a height of 3 METRES.

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance is not very costly as the bark only requires levelling and the occasional laying of more bark to restore the original safety level.

COSTS:

the cost of safety paving in bark is LOW as the material is easily available and inexpensive, the main costs consist of excavation and disposal of the soil, the laying of the material is also very quick given its lightness.

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ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

The environmental benefit is HIGH even at the end of the life cycle of the playground: the bark can be left in place, where it will be transformed into compost – humus without incurring landfill charges.

100% recycled and recyclable material according to CAM – GPP criteria

Anti-trauma woodchip flooring

CHARACTERISTICS:

Wood chips (wood shavings) is the environmentally friendly, safe, highly protective, durable playground safety flooring. It is made of ‘tapered wood chips’ derived from the environmentally friendly recycling of wood, the loose material is laid on the impact surface of park playgrounds and maintains a shock-absorbing function against falls. The material complies with the grain size required by the EN 1176:2018 safety standards and offers outstanding qualities in terms of functionality, durability, aesthetic appearance, and eco-friendliness. The shock-absorbing, walkable woodchip layer always remains quite dry on the surface thanks to its guaranteed high permeability even immediately after rain. This flooring is a valuable natural and organic complement to all design solutions involving subfloors or walkable paving for outdoors. It is also suitable for cycling and offers the important advantage of inhibiting the growth of weeds and wood pests, guaranteeing durability.

The wood chips are available in natural wood or in various colours that allow the creation of graphic motifs and the customisation of playground areas.

INSTALLATION

The installation of chip paving requires a minimum of effort and allows for the immediate use of the area, moreover it does not necessarily require perimeter edging, integrating well with the lawn of natural green areas. Installation involves laying directly on the lawn (or on overburden) without any concrete sub-bases; a layer of TNT fabric is sufficient, while in very wet ground the use of a layer of gravel with a draining function is recommended.

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

The natural wood chips, which have a particle size of 5-30 mm as required by the above-mentioned standard, make up a very flexible and elastic layer that absorbs falls well up to a height of 3 METRES.

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance is not very costly as the wood chips only require levelling and occasional spreading of other material to restore the original safety level.

COSTS:

The cost of safety paving with wood chips is LOW as the material is easily available and inexpensive, the main costs consist of excavation and disposal of the soil, the laying of the material is also very quick due to its light weight.

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ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

The environmental benefit is HIGH even at the end of the playground’s life cycle: the wood shavings can in fact be left on site, where they will be transformed into soil – humus without incurring landfill charges.

100% recycled and recyclable material according to CAM – GPP criteria.

Trauma-resistant honeycomb flooring

CHARACTERISTICS:

Honeycomb playground flooring is made from recycled and recyclable material, suggested for all applications requiring functionality, low maintenance and low environmental impact. The main characteristic is that it has a honeycomb shape that allows the lawn to grow, while maintaining the anti-fall certification. After the topsoil has been spread and the grass sown, the play area quickly becomes an ‘elastic lawn’, the paving is thus integrated into the grass and the area becomes natural again. The functionality is also high as it can be successfully used in inclusive playgrounds, is non-toxic, wheelchair-accessible and facilitates movement for users with reduced abilities.

INSTALLATION

The installation of honeycomb paving for playgrounds requires a minimum of effort and allows for the immediate use of the area, moreover it does not necessarily require perimeter edging, integrating well with the lawn of green areas. It is supplied in rolls available in various sizes, is laid directly on the ground and fixed with retractable stakes, and can be easily cut to adapt to the morphology of the terrain.

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

Honeycomb flooring for picnic areas is only 23 mm thick, but thanks to its great elasticity it can absorb falls up to a height of 3 METRES. It is durable, draining, UV-resistant, fireproof and retains its qualities from -30° to +60°.

MAINTENANCE

This playground flooring is long-lasting and virtually maintenance-free.

COSTS:

The cost of honeycomb safety flooring is lower than other synthetic floor coverings, as it can simply be placed on the ground in the playground areas.

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ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

Being made of recycled PVC (waste recovery) and 100% recyclable, this flooring has a HIGH environmental benefit. It offers a good alternative to classic rubber flooring, encourages the regrowth of grass and protects the ground in high-wear areas such as under swings, seesaws, slides and merry-go-rounds. A few mediums after laying, it is agglomerated into the grass practically disappearing from view for better landscaping.

100% recycled and recyclable material according to CAM – GPP criteria

INCLUSIVE PAVING:

Suitable for use by pushchairs, wheelchairs and users with special needs.

Anti-trauma flooring made of elastic plates

CHARACTERISTICS:

They are used in fall spaces on solid and hazardous surfaces (asphalt, concrete, paving, hard ground with stones, etc.). They are perfectly weatherproof and have a permeable anti-slip surface.

INSTALLATION

The various elements are attached to each other by staggering the joints and using special press studs and adhesive to form a soft, uniform mat. Many accessories are available for edging (rubber or wood) in case they are laid in relief on solid surfaces. They can be laid on concrete slab (for better aesthetic results) or even directly on grass or beaten earth.

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

They are available in various colours and thicknesses depending on the required fall height. Higher thicknesses can guarantee the impact absorption required by the standards up to a height of 2.2 metres.

MAINTENANCE

This playground flooring is water permeable, long-lasting and virtually maintenance-free. The bottom surface is corrugated and grooved to ensure water drains from the play area.

COSTS:

The cost of rubber tile flooring is very high compared to flooring with natural materials (sand – gravel, etc.).

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ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

The materials used in this flooring are (SBR, EPDM from recycled materials, dye and polyurethane adhesive) are not hazardous to humans, are 100% recyclable and recyclable, and therefore have zero impact on the environment.

Elastic fall break pads for playgrounds are produced from three types of material:

SBR: from Styrene Butadiene Rubber, is an elastomer that contains styrene and butadiene. It has good abrasion resistance and ageing stability. It is mainly used to produce tyres, hoses, shoe soles, gaskets, athletics tracks. This rubber has good mechanical properties of resistance to permanent deformation, elastic recovery, fatigue, tearing and wear. The SBR material used in elastic playground pads is derived from recycled car tyres. For use in playgrounds, it is suitably washed and must be supplied with certification – of non-toxicity. The material comes in granules 2 to 4 mm thick and is black in colour.
COLOURED SBR: material as above, coloured to ‘resemble’ EPDM and to ‘encapsulate’ any residual rubber powder in the paint. Available colours are only green and brick red (used in prefabricated elastic plates).
EPDM: from the English Ethylene-Propylene Diene Monomer, is an elastomer obtained from the copolymerisation of ethylene, propylene and a third monomer represented by a diene. The main properties of EPDM are its high resistance to heat, ozone and weathering. The raw material comes in granules with a particle size of 2 to 7 mm available in various colours. This material is much more expensive than the black SBR granule.
BONDING: SBR and EPDM rubber granules are mixed with the addition of stabilised UV-resistant polyurethane resin in the quantities specified by the supplier. The mixing of rubber and resin is a very delicate phase that requires specialised personnel capable of adapting the mixture to the temperature and humidity of the laying environment.

100% recycled and recyclable material according to CAM – GPP criteria.

INCLUSIVE FLOORING:

Suitable to be easily walked on by pushchairs, wheelchairs and users with special needs.

Anti-trauma flooring in cast rubber plates

CHARACTERISTICS:

It is produced directly on site by mixing synthetic and natural rubber with the addition of stabilised UV-resistant polyurethane resin, resulting in a highly elastic, draining surface that can be coloured as desired. The surface, which is always accessible even with wheelchairs, has a permeable, draining and non-slip surface. This flooring is resistant to heat, frost and allows a wide range of colours and customisation, thus creating an area that stimulates children’s imagination and is more aesthetically appealing.

Normally the paving is poured on a concrete slab, but on soil with good cohesion it can also be created without the use of concrete. The perimeter of the pavement has no shape or size constraints, and can be enclosed with rubber, wood edging. Poured rubber flooring edging is not mandatory. The subfloor should have a minimum slope, at least 1%, so that water can drain away.

Cast-in-situ rubber flooring offers the ideal properties for all playgrounds that require inclusiveness, imagination and cleanliness.

INSTALLATION

Cast-in-place flooring is a continuous, porous material consisting of rubber granules and polyurethane-based adhesives. It is mixed and laid directly on site in a continuous process using special mixing machines. The base layer consists of raw recycled rubber granules (called SBR), the top layer consists of coloured elastomer granules (called EPDM). The colour of the final layer can be chosen by the customer, and it is also possible to create combinations and geometric compositions with different patterns and shades.

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

Cast rubber is available in various colours and thicknesses depending on the required fall height. Higher thicknesses can guarantee the impact absorption required by the standards up to a height of 3 metres.

MAINTENANCE

This playground flooring is water permeable, long-lasting and virtually maintenance-free. For any vandal damage, ‘repair kits’ are available to restore the damaged portion.

COSTS:

The cost of rubber slab paving is very high compared to paving with natural materials (sand – gravel etc.).

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ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

The materials used in this flooring are (SBR, EPDM derived from recycled materials and polyurethane adhesive) are not dangerous to humans, are 100% recycled and recyclable and therefore have zero impact on the environment.

100% recycled and recyclable material according to CAM – GPP criteria

INCLUSIVE FLOORING:

Suitable for easy travel by pushchairs, wheelchairs and users with special needs. Its design and installation can include designs and shapes that, in addition to decorating the area, improve walkability for users with low vision.

The installation of anti-trauma flooring in playgrounds:

The installation of anti-trauma flooring must be carried out by specialised personnel, particularly rubber flooring. The personnel require training and technical training from the company and the supervisory and certification bodies.

Legnolandia invites you to contact our sales managers for all information or to request a quotation for a new installation or to secure a playground.

ASK FOR PLAYGROUND ANTI-TRAUMA FLOORING PRICES

Anti-trauma floors

The right choice of anti-trauma flooring for playgrounds.

GPP

Legnolandia’s offerings include a full range of materials and technologies designed to create surfaces that effectively absorb any falls children might take while playing.

Type of anti-trauma flooring

Anti-trauma gravel paving

CHARACTERISTICS:

INSTALLATION

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

MAINTENANCE

COSTS:

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

Anti-trauma sand paving

CHARACTERISTICS:

INSTALLATION

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

MAINTENANCE

COSTS:

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

Anti-trauma bark flooring

CHARACTERISTICS:

INSTALLATION

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

MAINTENANCE

COSTS:

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

Anti-trauma woodchip flooring

CHARACTERISTICS:

INSTALLATION

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

MAINTENANCE

COSTS:

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

Trauma-resistant honeycomb flooring

CHARACTERISTICS:

INSTALLATION

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

MAINTENANCE

COSTS:

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

INCLUSIVE PAVING:

Anti-trauma flooring made of elastic plates

CHARACTERISTICS:

INSTALLATION

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

MAINTENANCE

COSTS:

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

INCLUSIVE FLOORING:

Anti-trauma flooring in cast rubber plates

CHARACTERISTICS:

INSTALLATION

FALL HEIGHT, HIC – Standard EN-1176, EN-1177

MAINTENANCE

COSTS:

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE:

INCLUSIVE FLOORING:

The installation of anti-trauma flooring in playgrounds: