Technical Specifications

Technical Specification for Surfacing Base Construction

Ground conditions can have a profound influence on the cost of a project and proper information is needed before meaningful cost estimates can be prepared as each project is different.

The first stage of any pitch is an individual survey to determine the suitability of the site. Varying topography, drainage, geological factors and planning constraints make each site unique, it is essential that an experienced civil engineering team carry out an evaluation.

The standard base construction may have to be adapted to meet site requirements. As with all building work it is essential to ensure a good quality foundation, which will provide stability and maintain porosity throughout the life of the pitch.

Nova Sport Ltd recommend the use of engineered bases utilising a permeable bitumen bound macadam, laid to strictly controlled tolerances, installed over a frost reistant, free draining crushed stone sub base. Many pitches require the inclusion of a drainage system to assist in moving water away from beneath the playing area. Often, existing surfaces are readily upgradable with the correct preparation.

Impact Absorbing Play Surfacing

Base construction is vital to any synthetic surface installation and our surfaces can be laid on a variety of base specifications to suit local site conditions. In all cases the base should be prepared to ensure all existing surfaces adjacent to the safety surface are at the same height to prevent trip points.

Our surfaces are porous, it is important that the base is free draining or laid to permit surface water to run off.

An adequate sub-surface draining system may be required in some cases which can be evaluated by an on-site inspection and the foundation materials should be placed on an approved formation or sub-grade.

No fines porous concrete base – ideal for areas requiring depths of surfacing below 40mm

Macadam Base – ideal for areas requiring depths of surfacing below 40mm

Stone Base – ideal for areas which are currently grass or soil minimum rubber thickness is 40mm

Ramped Edges – for existing tarmac or concrete surface

You can download base specification documents by following the links below:

Base Specification – Single Course Macadam

Base Specification – Two Course Macadam

Base Specification – Stone

Base Specification – Saw Cut Edge

Surfacing Free Fall Heights

The depth and area of a safety surface is determined by the height of the play equipment it surrounds. The higher the equipment, the deeper the depth and the greater the area needs to be.

To ensure the correct depth and area of a surface surrounding play equipment, the Free Fall Height must be calculated.

The height of the equipment is known as the “Free Fall Height” or FFH.