Can anyone tell me how the depth of compressed wood mulch is measured? I have checked in the ASTM and I know how thick it should be. Do we just dig a bunch of holes and use a ruler?
Tim
Hi Tim.
The best way to measure your Engineered Wood Fiber depth is to take a piece of grid paper and map out the playarea shape on paper. Use a long handled screw driver marked with a piece of tape at the 12" mark. Take depth readings every 10'-12' or so. Mark these on your grid paper and you'll be able to see what depths you have where in the playspace. If you are low in some areas and high in depth in other areas, you can redistribute the material with a metal rake or pitch fork (the light plastic pitch forks are great for this). Use a wheelbarrow or tarp for moving the wood fiber around. Let me know how you did!Joy
Hi Tim,
Joy is definitely right about taking measurement every few feet to get an accurate count of how much EWF is under your equipment. Another good general indication that the EWF needs to be refilled are the stickers on the equipment. Many playground manufacturers will actually put stickers on the posts (when they know that the playground footings are being burried and EWF is being used) to indicate the height of the wood fibar. These stickers normally have a dotted line showing how high the EWF should be on the posts. Of course, this does not help under slides or swings where wood fiber is often pushed away, but it's a good way to see how high the mulch should be around the entire site. For the most accurate reading, try out what Joy recommended!
Please let us know how it went!
-CJ
Thank you all for the input. My concern was finding the test method that would yield the greatest result and be in line with the ASTM guide lines. The idea of probing sounded good but there are two very important variables; size/shape of the probe and more important pounds/sq/in. I had also sent out requests to other agencies and the preferred method turns out to be holes where both the thickness of the material and the substrate can be seen and measured. (as per national program for playground safty and the book S.A.F.E Play Areas.