What's Your Surface Condition Index (SCI)?

Proper maintenance of sports and playground surfaces is critical to managing and stretching budgets. Once you know where your playgrounds are rated, you can maximize your budgets.

Rubberized playground and sport surfaces last longer when a simple maintenance program is applied. Just like your house or a parking lot, a fresh coat of paint or sealer can do wonders to preserve and protect them from the elements. A good maintenance program doubles the life of the surfacing, but these programs must start early on in the surface life cycle to realize the full benefits and significant savings from them. And with the cost of replacing reaching upwards of $15-$20 per sq ft you need to be smart with your dollars.

The following is a simple way to measure and address the "SCI" (Surface Condition Index)

"A" Excellent Shape:

? Poured in Place (PIP) & Running Track Surfaces: This surface has been recently installed and is in excellent condition. Colors will be bright. There will be no granulation of the wear coat. Surface will be uniformly firm*...No mushy spots

? Playground Tiles: Newly installed surface still under warranty and in excellent condition, all corners and seams are even and uniformly firm; no hard or soft spots in the fall zones

"B" Good Shape: Your best time to start a maintenance program.

? PIP & Running Track Surfaces: This surface still looks good; colors are beginning to fade from the sun's rays. Light surface granulation is beginning to appear, with no noticeable wear areas. Surface will still be uniformly firm*.

? Playground Tiles: Still looks good, seam and joints are solid and slight fading is beginning to appear. Still uniformly firm with no hard spots.

"C" Fair Shape: It is not too late to get into "Maintenance Mode"

? Poured in Place (PIP) & Running Track Surfaces: Effects from sun damage are very noticeable, the colors are faded at this point. Granulation is heavier now. In the later stages of the C rating the granulation will accelerate causing a rapid thinning of the wear coat. Small bare spots will appear in high traffic areas, entrances, slide exits, underneath swings, etc. Cracks may begin to appear. The surface may have shrinkage which will cause the surfacing to pull away from the borders and sidewalks. Surface should still be uniformly firm* when walked upon by an adult.

? Playground Tiles: Tiles are faded and colors are not uniform. Seams and joints are starting to lift and separate, wear areas are very noticeable in the transfer zones. Some tiles appear to be firmer than others.

"D" Poor Shape: You may have waited too long. IF the base is still good then you might be able to recap the surface at a cost of $7-$10 per sq ft.

? Poured in Place (PIP) & Running Track Surfaces: Surface has faded colors, very heavy granulation, large wear spots, many cracks, and has shrunk even further. The wear coat is very thin at this point and is probably beyond maintenance procedures ability to repair. At this point a replacement of the wear coat would probably be the most cost-effective plan of action provided that the surface is still uniformly firm* when walked upon by an adult.

? Playground Tiles: No color left, heavy separation of joints and seams and corners are lifting. Transfer points and high wear areas are pronounced

"F" or Failed Surfaces: Save your money and tear it out, costs can exceed $25.00 per sq ft

? Poured in Place (PIP) & Running Track Surfaces: Surface has little color left, large bare spots in the wear coat, holes in the base layer, large gaps, and heavy cracking. Wear layer is only 1-2 granules thick, very brittle and separating from the base. This surface has far outlived its' useful life and needs to be torn out and replaced.

? Playground Tiles: Tiles have very little if any color left and are hard and are black from the sun. Tear out and replace all bad tiles

* Uniformly firm: When an adult walks on a rubber surface with a heel to toe motion the entire surface should be uniformly firm with some cushion. There should be no soft spots as you walk the surface area. Soft and mushy sections are an indicator of a more serious problem such as the base material washing out or you had a poor the install. In any case this is not acceptable and a surfacing expert is strongly recommended..

A couple of quick rules and warnings that should to be followed:

1) Get rid of the "Worst First Mentality": DO NOT throw precious budget dollars away trying to repair a bad or "F" surface. Close down the site and allocate those funds to preserve other sites. This strategy will pay off handsomely in the coming few years.

2) Establish an ongoing maintenance program designed to keep the "B" surfaces from becoming a "C" and the "C's" from becoming a "D".

3) Maintenance programs that involve annual solvent based roll coating are more expensive than you think and not good for the environment.

4) Your ultimate goal is to have the useful life of your surfacing and equipment end at the same time.

Surface Condition Index (SCI) is a 2011 trademark of Stone River Polymers

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6295567

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