Playground Advisory

7 ments and signed off as appropriate by the consultant, play structure supplier and surfacing supplier. Any errors in the layout or deviations from the plan must be brought to the attention of the owner prior installation of that particular supplier’s portion of the work. Change of Vertical Height Change in vertical height at any point on the accessible route will result in the failure of the surface to comply. The change could be at the entrance to the playspace, along ramps, with- in the surface system or at the entrance or exit of a play com- ponent. A failure could take place at the time of installation or at any time during the use of the playground. Each suppli- er of accessible route materials or systems, ramping for ele- vated routes and protective surfacing for ground level, must be able to assure the owner of continue compliance. Where the surface can be bonded to the surrounding hard surfaces a recess should be provided to ensure a smooth transition. Recommendation – The bid documents and contract must contained a section where the accessible route supplier agrees that their product meets and will continue to meet the relevant requirements for changes of vertical level at junc- tions with other surfaces and within the surface system. Running and Cross Slopes The maximum running slope for a ground level accessible route shall not exceed 1:16 (6.25%) and the cross slope shall not ex- ceed 1:48 (2.08%) for the ADA and 1:50 (2%) for CSA Z614-07, Annex H and for the resting and turning areas, the entire area shall not exceed the cross slope requirements. These are typi- cally in high traffic areas and most disruption will cause either and change in slope and/or change in vertical level. Recommendation – All plans and layouts shall set limits at 50% the allowed values for slope and the target for installation shall be 75% for the allowed slope with non-compliance requiring removal and replacement at the cost of the supplier. Firmness and Stability The accessible route must be firm and stable at all times to allow people with mobility devices to traverse the surface within a realistic limit of work. A measure of the work required was initially established with the work measure test published in ASTM F1951, and required in the ADA and CSA Z614-07, An- nex H. Every surface system supplier should have a copy of their test certificate and be able to assure the owner that the materials tested are the same as those being installed. The owner prior to payment for the materials would be able to have their installed surface tested in the field to ASTM F1951 at a considerable cost to the supplier or, with the consent, or within the contract, test the site using the Rotational Pene- trometer, which would be a lower cost. Beneficial Designs, Inc., the manufacturer of the Rotational Penetrometer, provide the device, a test method and measure for levels of firmness and stability. This device has demonstrated a high correlation with the results of the ASTM F1951. Recommendation – A certificate of compliance to ASTM F1951 will be a requirement of any bid/tender submission. To limit the potential for accessibility complaints, or the expense of