Pea gravel has been a popular choice for surfacing playgrounds
for several decades; while not an inherently unsafe option like concrete or
grass, there are many other affordable alternatives that can offer better fall
protection and require less attention.
Overall, pea gravel can be very inconsistent in regards to
how safe it is as a surface. Pea gravel can shift and move causing level
displacement which can dramatically shift the minimum fall height requirements
for fall protection. Under one condition set, a child could fall six feet and be
relatively unhurt, whereas a fall from four feet under a different condition
set could lead to a serious injury.
The National Playground Safety Institute lists pea gravel as
an acceptable playground surface in its “The Dirty Dozen: 12 Playground Hazards” guide. Because of its relatively low cost, it is a viable option as a residential
playground surface or for a public playground with low-height equipment.
The safe depth of the gravel is contingent on the height of
the playground equipment. Loose-fill materials like pea gravel can compress
around 125 percent over time which decreased the safe falling range. Because of
this, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission recommends using fill height
33 perfect higher than recommended. For example, Pea gravel requires a fill height
of nine-inches to protect from a fall off equipment at five- feet. Therefore, a
playground that has a five-foot equipment fall height should use a least
12-inches of pea gravel fill to safely work.
Since the pea gravel fill needs to maintain a minimum height
and is prone to displacement and compression, it has a vital upkeep component
to using it as a safety surface. Pea gravel can shift around in high-use areas
which can alter a specific areas fill level underneath the safe range. Because of
this, pea gravel could be a safe option at the start of the day, but after a
few hours of play, it can develop hazard spots. Marking equipment to designated
the safe fill level can be helpful when monitoring pea gravel. If the material
falls below the safe fill range you can decompress it by shoveling or raking
into the surface. Replacing the gavel also works. It is common to add more
gravel every one or two years.
According to a study published by the medical journal BMJ,
pea gravel does not fare well against other playground surfacing materials
including sand, wood chips, artificial turf and rubber concerning the maximum safe
fall height. Pea gravel actually functions worse at moderate temperatures than
it does at extreme temperatures. For example, a 12-inch filled uncompressed pea
gravel playground surface has a critical fall height of 5-feet at 72 degrees
while that fall height improves to 8-feet when the temperature raised to 120
degrees and 9-feet when the temperature drops to 30 degrees. Pea Gravel also
performs inconsistently at different fill and compression levels, which makes
it an unpredictable surface.
Advantages:
- Comparably lower initial cost
- Safe for low-height equipment
- Easy install process
- Effective draining which prevents rainwater
build up - Sanitary: does not support microbial growth
- Smooth stones won’t poke at playground users
- Animals don’t like it and tend to leave it alone
Disadvantages
- Higher maintenance requirements
- Regular inspections are necessary
- Limits the mobility of individuals with
disabilities; pea gravel is not ADA compliant - Problematic for high-height playground equipment
- Not appropriate for young children, swallowing
of small stones could be a hazard
Noah’s Park & Playgrounds offer a variety of safety surfacing for all of your park or playground needs. Go to our Safety Surfacing Product Page to learn more about what we offer!
