ASTM F2075-20

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it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
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Designation: F2075 − 15 F2075 − 20 An American National Standard
Standard Specification for
Engineered Wood Fiber for Use as a Playground Safety
Surface Under and Around Playground Equipment
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F2075; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
The need for a systematic means of evaluating engineered wood fiber for use as a playground safety
surface from the standpoint of particle size, consistency, purity, and ability to drain, has become a
growing concern of the designers, operators, and manufacturers of engineered wood fiber systems.
There has been no qualitative method to assess these parameters of engineered wood fiber (that is,
particle size, consistency, purity, and ability to drain) to ensure its quality. Therefore, the goal of this
specification is to establish a uniform means to measure the characteristics of engineered wood fiber
in order to provide the potential buyer with performance specifications to select an engineered wood
fiber suitable to meet the needs of playground designers, operators and manufacturers.
1. Scope
1.1 This specification establishes minimum characteristics for those factors that determine particle size, consistency, purity, and
ability to drain.
1.2 Engineered wood fiber that meets the requirements of this specification must comply with Specification F1292, if the surface
is in the use zone as defined in Specification F1487.
1.3 A sample of wood fiber that meets the requirements of this specification may be designated engineered wood fiber and be
suitable for playground safety surfacing.
1.4 This specification does not imply that an injury cannot be incurred if the engineered wood fiber complies with this
specification.
1.5 To meet the requirements of this specification, the material shall perform as follows:
1.5.1 The material shall meet particle size requirements.
1.5.2 The material shall meet the requirement for metal particles.
1.5.3 The material shall meet the allowable heavy metal concentrations considered hazardous to children.
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F08 on Sports Equipment, Playing Surfaces, and Facilities and is the direct responsibility of
Subcommittee F08.63 on Playground Surfacing Systems.
Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2015Dec. 1, 2020. Published January 2015January 2021. Originally approved in 2001. Last previous edition approved in 20102015 as
F2075 – 10a.F2075 – 15. DOI: 10.1520/F2075-15.10.1520/F2075-20.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
F2075 − 20
1.5.4 The material shall meet the requirements of Specification F1292.
1.6 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values in parentheses are mathematical conversions.
SI units, which are provided for information, are not considered the standard, except in 8.4.
1.7 Warning—Mercury has been designated by EPA and many state agencies as a hazardous material that can cause central
nervous system, kidney, and liver damage. Mercury, or its vapor, may be hazardous to health and corrosive to materials. Caution
should be taken when handling mercury and mercury-containing products. See the applicable product Material Safety Data Sheet
(MSDS) for details and EPA’s website (http://www.epa.gov/mercury/faq.htm) for additional information. Users should be aware
that selling mercury or mercury-containing products, or both, in your state may be prohibited by state law.
1.8 The following precautionary statement pertains to the test method portions only, in 7.4, 8.4, and 9.4 of this specification:
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the
user of this standard to establish appropriate safety safety, health, and healthenvironmental practices and determine the
applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.9 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
C136 Test Method for Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates
D1193 Specification for Reagent Water
D2217 Practice for Wet Preparation of Soil Samples for Particle-Size Analysis and Determination of Soil Constants
E11 Specification for Woven Wire Test Sieve Cloth and Test Sieves
F963 Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety
F1292 Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surfacing Materials Within the Use Zone of Playground Equipment
F1487 Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use
2.2 Other Standards and Methods:
Method 6010B Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (for the determination of heavy metal concentra-
tions) as found in the Solid Waste Manual—SW846
Method 7470A Mercury in Liquid Waste (manual cold-vapor technique) as found in the Solid Waste Manual—SW 8464
Handbook for Public Playground Safety U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Publication No. 325
ISO 3696 Water for Analytical Laboratory Use—Specification and Test Methods
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.1.1 around playground equipment, n—the area under and surrounding playground equipment established as protection from falls
from equipment.
3.1.2 engineered wood fiber, n—processed wood that is ground to a fibrous consistency, randomly sized, approximately ten times
longer than wide with a recommended maximum length of 2 in. (50.8 mm), free of hazardous substances, and meets the criteria
of this specification.
3.1.3 hand manipulation, n—aligning the engineered wood fiber particles by hand so that the smallest dimensions confront the face
of the sieve screen and placing them through the screen without the use of force.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Available from The American Public Health Association, 1015 Fifteenth St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20005.
SW 846 is found in the manual of “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste Water,” 18th Edition 1992, prepared and published by The American Public
Health Association, 1015 Fifteenth St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20005.
Available from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4408.
Available from International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 1, ch. de la Voie-Creuse, Case postale 56, CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland, http://www.iso.ch.
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3.1.4 loose fill system, n—a surface system consisting of small independent, movable components; that is, engineered wood fiber,
sand, gravel, wood chips, etc.
3.1.5 normal use, n—play modes that conform to the instruction accompanying the playground surface that have been established
by tradition, custom, or that are evident from an examination of the playground.
3.2 Definitions:Definitions of Terms Specific to Playground Equipment:
3.2.1 head injury criteria (HIC), n—a measure of impact severity that considers the duration over which the most critical section
of the deceleration pulse persists as well as the peak level of that deceleration.
3.2.2 impact attenuation, n—the ability of a surface system to reduce and dissipate the energy of an impacting body.
4. General Requirements
4.1 Playground surfaces represented as complying with this specification shall meet all applicable requirements specified herein.
Anyone representing compliance with this specification shall keep such records as are necessary to document any claim that the
requirements within this specification have been met.
4.2 For the surface within the fall zone of the surrounding playground equipment, the surface must meet U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission guidelines minimum requirements at its critical height when tested in accordance with Specification F1292.
4.3 Certification compliance to this specification shall be conducted by an independent accredited testing laboratory.
4.4 Performance Requirements for Sieve Analysis:
4.4.1 When engineered wood fiber is tested in accordance with 7.4 of this specification, it shall meet the following criteria to be
considered acceptable engineered wood fiber.
4.4.2 The minimum and maximum percent (%) by weight passing through the three sieves shall be as follows:
Sieve Size Minimum % Maximum %
⁄4 in. (19.0 mm) 99 % 100 %
⁄8 in. (9.5 mm) 75 % 100 %
⁄8 in. (9.5 mm) 78 % 100 %
No. 16 (0.0469 in. (1.1 0 % 15 %
mm))
4.5 Performance Requirements for Hazardous Metals:
4.5.1 The maximum heavy metal concentration of soluble migrated elements after being corrected for statistical error is shown
in 4.5.2.
4.5.2 The criteria in Table 1 must be met to be considered acceptable engineered wood fiber:
4.6 Performance Requirement for Tramp Metal:
4.6.1 When wood fiber is tested in accordance with 9.4 and 9.5, the total number of metal particles with a dimension of ⁄2 in. (1.27
3 3
cm) or greater shall not exceed 0 per 50 yd (38.23 m ) pile sampled to be considered acceptable engineered wood fiber.
TABLE 1 Maximum Soluble Migrated Element in ppm (mg/L)
A
Engineered Wood Fiber
Antimony Arsenic Barium CadmiumChromium Lead Mercury Selenium
(Sb) (As) (Ba) (Cd) (Cr) (Pb) (Hg) (Se)
60 25 1000 75 60 90 60 500
A
Information in this table taken from Specification F963.
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5. Summary of Methods
5.1 Samples of representative wood fiber are tested in accordance with: Test Method C136 and Specification F963, modified for
this specification.
5.1.1 Test Method C136 provides a test method for determination of particle size distribution by passing a sample of dry
engineered wood fiber of known mass through a series of sieves of progressively smaller openings.
5.1.2 Specification F963, hazardous soluble elements are extracted from engineered wood fiber under conditions that simulate the
situation in which the engineered wood fiber stays 4 h in the alimentary tract after swallowing. The content of the soluble elements
in the extract is determined for antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg),
and selenium (Se).
5.1.2.1 Method 7470A Mercury in Liquid Waste (manual cold vapor technique) as found in the Solid Waste Manual SW846 is
used to determine the levels of mercury in the engineered wood fiber.
5.1.2.2 Method 6010B Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (for the determination of heavy metal
concentrations) as found in the Solid Waste Manual SW846 will determine the levels of hazardous heavy metals.
5.1.3 Two methods are used to determine the presence of tramp metal in engineered wood fiber playground surfacing; one is using
a powerful rare earth magnet on the end of a probe specifically written for this specification; the other is a visual inspection.
6. Sampling
6.1 The following procedure will be used to collect the gross wood fiber sample. The sieve test sample and the hazardous
substance (heavy metal) sample will be taken from the gross engineered wood fiber sample. The entire gross wood fiber sample
will be tested for tramp metal.
3 3
6.1.1 The gross sample of engineered wood fiber shall represent a stockpile of 50 yd (38 m ) or greater.
6.1.2 Eight 1-gal (3.8-L) samples shall be taken. They shall be taken from four different quadrants of the stockpile 2 to 4 ft above
the base and four different quadrants 4 to 6 ft above the base. Dig 1 to 2 ft into pile at each sample point. Combine and thoroughly
mix the 8-gal (15.1-L) sample to achieve a homogeneous blend.
6.1.3 The thoroughly mixed 8-gal (15.1-L) sample will be known as the gross 8-gal (15.1-L) sample.
7. Sieve Test Analysis Method
7.1 Significance and Use:
7.1.1 Sieve Analysis—This test method is used to determine grading of engineered wood fiber-type material for proposed use as
an engineered wood fiber playground safety surface. The results are used to determine compliance of the particle size distribution
with applicable specification requirements and to provide necessary data that will indicate sufficient porosity for drainage, and
larger particle size to limit compaction and maintain resilience and limit oversize pieces that could cause injury.
7.2 Test Apparatus:
7.2.1 Balances—Balances or scales used in testing fine and coarse aggregate shall be readable and accurate to 0.5 g or 0.1 % of
the test load, whichever is greater, at any point within the range of use.
7.2.2 Sieves—The sieve cloth shall be mounted on substantial frames constructed in a manner that will prevent loss of material
during sieving. The sieve cloth and standard sieve frames shall conform to the requirements of Specification E11. Nonstandard
sieve frames shall conform to the requirements of Specification E11 as applicable.
3 3
7.2.2.1 Sieve sizes required: ⁄4 in. (19.05 mm), ⁄8 in. (9.53 mm) and No. 16, 0.0469 in. (1.19 mm), mounted on standard frame
8 in. (203.20 mm) diameter 2 in. (50.8 mm) height.
7.2.3 Sieve Shaker—A mechanical sieving device, if used, shall create motion of the sieves to cause the particles to bounce,
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tumble, or otherwise turn so as to present different orientations to the sieving surface. The sieving action shall be such that the
criterion for adequacy of sieving described in this test procedure is met in a reasonable time period.
7.2.4 Oven—An oven of appropriate size capable of maintaining a uniform temperature 60 6 5°C (140 6 9°F).
7.3 Sample Test Preparation:
7.3.1 From the gross 8-gal (15.1-L) sample of engineered wood fiber, measure a 1-gal (3.8-L) sample for drying.
7.3.2 Dry the sieve test sample of wood fiber in accordance with the following method. (A constant moisture level is necessary
to prevent weight changes due to changing moisture levels in the sample).
7.3.3 The wood fiber sample was reduced in overall size to facilitate testing using a standard 2-in.-deep 8-in.-diameter sieve.
Because of the light weight of wood fiber, the oven dried sample weight of individual samples to be tested shall not generally
exceed 0.40 lbs (181 g). Sieve screens, sieve frames, and wire cloth shall conform to the requirements of Specification E11.
Samples shall be oven dried to a constant weight in general accordance with Practice D2217 for oven drying of samples following
reduction of the mass (oven temperature of 140°F and accuracy to 69°F (60 6 5°C)).
7.4 Test Preparation for Sieve Analysis:
7.4.1 Because of the irregular shapes of the wood particles, hand manipulation of the sample through the sieve screens may be
necessary.
3 3
7.4.2 Nest the three sieves ( ⁄4 in. (19.05 mm), ⁄8 in. (9.53 mm), and No. 16, 0.0469 in. (1.19 mm)) in order of decreasing size
of opening from top to bottom and place the sample on the top sieve.
7.4.3 Agitate the sieves by hand or by mechanical apparatus for a sufficient period, established by trial or checked by measurement
on the actual test sample, to meet the criterion for adequacy of sieving described in 7.4.5.3.
7.4.4 Limit the quantity of material on a given sieve so that all particles have the opportunity to reach sieve openings a number
of times during the sieving operation.
7.4.5 Prevent an overload of material on an individual sieve by one of
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