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Pea gravel can be used as an alternative playground surface to traditional surfaces such as grass, sand and wood chips. Gravel can be played with similarly to sand and offers sensory benefits to children when played with. Additionally, play equipment can be tailored to gravel surfacing, such as building sites that allow children to filter gravel through the site, encouraging interactive play with the element.
Another aspect that makes gravel a good surfacing choice for playground designs is its cost efficiency. Compared to other surfacing’s, such as wet pour and tarmac, the installation will be a lot cheaper and easier to install due to being a loose fill material. However, as it is a loose fill material, it will need to be regularly inspected to ensure it complies with safety standards, as it is easily moved around, especially when played with.
Gravel has superior drainage when compared with other loose fills such as bark chips and sand. This means that after it has rained, the playground will be playable quicker with gravel when compared with other loose-fill surfaces. Gravel has more traction when compared with other loose fill surfaces making it easier to run and jump on. Gravel is also regarded as a more clean surfacing when compared with sand, due to animals like foxes and cats interacting with sandpits die to their texture, leading to them needing sterilising often. Gravel provides a less hospitable environment for pests and rodents and is therefore considered the ‘cleaner’ of the two surfaces.
One potential issue that has been noted with pea gravel as a surface solution is that the impact attenuation it offers is worse than other loose fill surfaces, meaning careful consideration is required when using it as a surface solution for more advanced equipment such as climbing structures. Additionally, gravel as a surfacing is not very accessible for disabled children as it limits their mobility. When making an accessible playground using gravel surfacing, it is important to consider concrete paths so that the play area remains accessible for all.