Artificial Grass Playground Installation -Case Study

Artificial grass is becoming a popular choice for school playground surfacing. Artificial grass can provide both play and sports area's surfacing which ensures a safe, soft and almost weather proof system. As school playgrounds and sports area's become increasingly the only outdoor place for children are permitted to play, then access to them is required whatever the weather. Artificial grass has many advantages for these play and sports playgrounds and is replacing area's of natural turf in many school playgrounds.

Blean Primary School is a rural primary school, just outside Canterbury, Kent with 442 pupils. The pupils enjoy the space of being in a rural setting but the natural turf playing field area in inaccessible for much of the year. This is in part due to poor weather, trees providing shade, detritus and roots and the high level of foot traffic causing the natural turf to become patchy and muddy.

Around the play equipment rubber grass stabilising mats had been installed by a previous contractor. These had provided some stability immediately around the play equipment but access to these patches of mats hadn't been developed. Robber mats can seem a very economical solution to providing safety surfacing but as can be seen by the photos, they can be a false economy. Natural turf inevitable turns to mud under large numbers of children's feet and often mats are only placed in a small area next to the equipment and no thought is made to access.

SSP's knowledge and expertise ensured an economical and practical solution to increasing access to the playground equipment and so extending the useable play area. SSP's project manager was able to offer advice on the area requiring surfacing and the additional area's required to allow free access. He was also able to provide a wide variety of artificial grass suitable for school playgrounds to choose from. SSP's artificial grass range includes a recycled artificial grass, sports and play artificial grasses. The summer holidays were seen as an ideal time for this area to be upgraded to SSP 620 Mirage artificial grass with an a compacted aggregate base. SSP 500 Blue Mega was also selected to provide a 'water' like area around a pirate ship playground equipment. PRODUCTS

SSP 620 Mirage SSP 620 Mirage Artificial Grass is a 26mm long multi-toned natural grass fibres, as well as a deep rooted, ultra realistic thatch effect. Mirage represents unrivalled quality at an unbeatable price. Mirage is popular in schools and nurseries as a hardwearing but natural looking artificial grass. It can be combined with either a proplay foam impact matting or an epdm rubber underlay to provide a soft safety surface with a critical fall height.

Roll Width: 4m

Composition Polyethylene & polypropylene

SSP 500 Blue Mega SSP 500 Blue Mega Artificial Grass is a 22mm single toned turf. SSP 500 artificial grass is also available in red, white, black, grey and yellow synthetic turf. SSP 500 mega turf artificial grass is an excellent choice for school playgrounds and can combine sports and educational features. It is widely used in schools for mega sports areas, combing sports such as football, tennis and hockey into the playground with graphics such as number trails, hopscotch and four square.

In Blean primary school, Canterbury, it adds a patch of colour to simulate the sea around a pirate ship. This can encourage imaginative play and engagement with the playground equipment.

Using coloured artificial grass in this way help children differentiate different play areas and different play behaviours required. Running games can be easily excluded from this area and the visual difference reinforces the rule. Difference in the playground surface colour can also add partially sighted pupils as the can add navigation in what can seem a vast expanse of playground to a child and provide clues to any dangers. SSP 620 and SSP500 are covered by a manufacturers 10 guarantee. All our products are manufactured to the highest standards, benefiting from heavy duty latex backing, our unique Tuftlock system and grass fibres (yarns) of only the highest quality.

Weed Barrier

Shock Pad

Mot Type

Limestone 5mm to Dust

For more information or samples please call 01227463606 or email : [email protected]