How do I install rubber playground tiles on sand, gravel, or crushed stone?
Rubber playground tiles made of rubber granulate must never be installed directly on sand, gravel, or crushed stone; however, composite paving made of rubber granulate can be laid on sand.
Sand, gravel, or crushed stone cannot be stably embedded or compacted because the material always remains mobile – as anyone who has walked on a sandy beach or gravel path knows.
When rubber playground tiles are placed on these substrates, their heavily textured undersides gradually press into the loose material. Moreover, the material shifts from the centre to the edges, forming depressions beneath the middle of the tiles.
This causes the tiles to sink into the depressions, a phenomenon known as depression formation. To avoid this, the installation should be carried out on turf grids (also known as ground grids or gravel grids), which hold the infilled material in place with their honeycomb structure and provide a permanently stable base.