Engineered Wood Fibre Vs. Pea Gravel

Saltair Centennial Play Structure Surface Upgrades

I want to thank everybody for their interest regarding the scheduled surface upgrade for the Saltair Centennial Park play structure. One of the things that I appreciate most about living in Saltair is that we have a tremendously engaged community that cares deeply about each other and our assets. The chosen surface material, engineered wood fibre, was selected after carefully considering its safety, accessibility, maintenance, and cost benefits. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to get better informed about playground best practices.

Quick Story: When I was 10, we had a new playground at St Joseph’s Elementary. One of the features was the hanging rings, as you see in the Olympics. We used them for long jump competitions. As we continually tried to outdo each other, I went for it by getting my friends to push me. As I started swinging higher and higher, my little body couldn’t hang on. I flew through the air and came down face-first with my arms extended. I broke my left arm in three places and my right arm in two locations. Even though I couldn’t properly use the washroom for an entire summer, I strangely look back on that experience with a weird fondness. For me, it was a part of my childhood and growing up. But that was in the 80s, and obviously, times have changed. As a community, we are responsible for keeping each other safe, especially children.

Engineered Wood Fibre is a play fall surface material widely considered a preferred option for use public and community spaces over other materials such a pea gravel. The CVRD has shared the following information about the comparisons between Engineered Wood Fibre (EWF) and pea gravel use with playgrounds:

Engineered wood Fibre (EWF) is often considered a superior playground surfacing material compared to pea gravel due to several key factors:

1. Impact Absorption and Safety

• Engineered Wood Fibre (EWF): EWF is designed to provide excellent impact attenuation, meaning it can better cushion falls and reduce the risk of injury, especially head injuries. It meets or exceeds safety standards set by organizations like ASTM and CPSC for playgrounds, It meets Canadian Standards Association (CSA)  Z614:20 Standards for Playgrounds as it relates to play surfaces.
• Pea Gravel: While pea gravel offers some cushioning, its ability to absorb impact is generally inferior to EWF. It is less effective in preventing injuries from falls, especially from higher equipment and compacts underneath swings, requiring regular lifting/tilling of material.

2. Accessibility

• Engineered Wood Fibre: EWF creates a firm and stable surface when properly compacted and maintained, making it wheelchair-accessible and compliant with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards.
• Pea Gravel: Pea gravel is not accessible for wheelchairs, strollers, or mobility devices, making it non-compliant with ADA accessibility standards

3. Traction and Stability

• Engineered Wood Fibre: EWF provides better traction for running, jumping, and walking. It reduces the likelihood of slipping.
• Pea Gravel: Pea gravel is loose and unstable, making it more challenging for children to run or walk on, and it can lead to more slips and falls.

4. Cost-Effectiveness

• Engineered Wood Fibre: While the initial installation cost of EWF may be slightly higher, it requires less frequent replenishment than pea gravel, making it more cost-effective over time.
• Pea Gravel: It may require frequent raking to maintain even coverage and can scatter easily, leading to higher maintenance costs.

Summary

Engineered Wood Fibre outperforms pea gravel in key areas like safety, accessibility, maintenance, and play value, making it a superior choice for playgrounds that meets a range of safety standards (ADA, ASTM, CPSC, IPEMA and CSA) and is engineered, tested and certified to be non-flammable and saw-dust free (main fire hazard in wood mulch). The CVRD manages over 30 playgrounds and has been actively converting from pea gravel to engineered wood fibre (majority now engineered wood fibre).

I’ve listed the platform I ran on below for those unfamiliar with it. The play structure surface upgrades are in line with the platform on which I was elected. However, I encourage you to share your thoughts and concerns about the upgrade. Your feedback is important to me and will help me make an informed decision that benefits our community.

1. Taxes – do more with less
2. Simplify the CVRD permit approval processes
3. Support residents to sustainably develop their properties to meet their family’s needs
4. Improve communication between you, your representative and the CVRD
5. Improve basic infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing population
6. Maintain community-owned assets 
7. Continued stewardship of the natural areas that surround us