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Background
The client had an existing play area that flooded year-round in Barnstaple, Devon. The playground surface was play bark, and the subsoil was clay. The client had instructed a civil engineer to carry out a drainage investigation taking borehole samples and to design a drainage system that offloaded all surface water back into a soakaway in the woodland adjacent to the play area. This system was costed and did not meet within the clients budget. The current play provision was of timber construction and, due to the excessive flooding, the timbers were showing signs of swelling.
The mission
- To survey the current play provision and salvage pieces of equipment that had a reasonable length of life left on them and relocate said equipment into the nearby woodland.
- The design and installation of a drainage scheme that offloaded the water in to the woodland soakaway at half the cost of that of the civil engineers plan.
- The creation of a fully all-weather safe rubber surface and sub base that drained into our in house drainage system providing for all year use.
- To design a playground using play equipment that had a long term length of life with highly engineered pieces that were built to last and withstand the elements for many years to come.
Our Approach
Post site survey, the site was measured, and a plan and budget was agreed. The client’s aim was to provide residents with a play area that drained well and was available for the children to use year-round. The requirements for a large multi play climbing frame with tube slide, rotating four seat dynamic spinning swing and large spinning bowl all accessed over a continuous pour of tiger mulch rubber safety surfacing with a fully porous sub base was achievable due to the reduced costs found through our in house drainage system.
Do you have a current playground or sports field that floods and can’t be used all year round?
The Morti touch
Clear communication was given to the clients throughout the works with updates to the schedule as and when required. The quotation was clearly itemised so that both parties understood what was to be included and carried out during the course of the project. Project delivery was swift, organised and executed in a timely fashion and importantly on budget. The end result was a play area that drained extremely well and had a great surface and play equipment to match.
