Prescott Consulting LLC
Serving the Aquatic and Cruise Line Industries
May 28, 2010
To whom it may concern.
Re: Poured-in-Place Safety Surfaces.
The undersigned recently retired from Walt Disney Imagineering in Florida during which time he held the position of Manager – Show Design & Production and one of his many responsibilities at WDI was to oversee the design and installation of playground and wet play areas throughout the theme parks in Orlando and Anaheim, CA., as well as on the company’s cruise ships.
The use of poured-in-place surfaces in play areas, especially those installed in an aquatic environment, must be designed so as to provide the most enjoyable experiences for the guest, young or old, and also to create the safest environment possible.
To this end, extensive tests have been undertaken and it is recommended that all playgrounds and wet play areas should have this type of surface installed, even if the feature does not contain climbing structures. This recommendation is offered as a result of analysis performed by several Risk Management groups as well as various legal entities, where it was found that the claims for small injuries from the material in comparison to granite or concrete surfaces were minimized. ASTM (American Society for Testing & Materials) regulates the type of surface that needs to be installed with regard to fall attenuation, if there are climbing structures involved. (ref. ASTM-1292)
From 1992 through 2005, in the state of Florida, poured-in-place installations were installed in many locations in the Leisure and recreational industries, all with somewhat less than satisfactory results which ranged from premature failure of the surface resulting in delamination of the upper EPDM layer from the SBR base mat to color fading and shrinkage.
After much testing, it was found that the EPDM/SBR material used together with the aromatic or aliphatic binder could not stand up to the constant use as far as playgrounds are concerned and continuous exposure to chlorine levels that is required for wet play areas.
In 2007, an investigation was then undertaken on a new material that was developed and offered by Pebble-Flex LLC. This material was subjected to the regulatory tests to confirm that no chemical by-products ‘leeched’ from the completed installation system so as not to contaminate the body of water in the case of wet play areas and also exposure tests with regard to color fading and wearability.
Using the Pebble-Flex polymer-based material, together with their proprietary binder ‘CL’, it was found that not only did the surface remain intact for extended use, but, in the case of wet play areas, the use of the ‘CL’ binder eliminated the delamination experienced when using EPDM and the aromatic or aliphatic binder. In addition to this, color fading, as shown with EPDM, was virtually eliminated.
140 Wolfden Branch Road, Warm Springs, GA 31830
Telephone: 706-655-3907, Mobile: 407-212-9276, e-mail: Marshes5@aol.com
In conclusion, it was found that the Pebble-Flex products, Aqua-Flex and Pebble-Flex, were superior poured-in-place materials with increased longevity.
It should be remembered that any material that requires mixing and application by hand, is subject to the dedication of the installing team, and it is strongly recommended a strict compliance to the Pebble-Flex training program together with the correct mixing ratios, application and curing procedures developed by Pebble-Flex is observed.
Please let me know if there are any other concerns
Terry Marsh
Principal
Prescott Consulting LLC