PLAYGROUNDS, SOFT FALL AND SPORT
Artificial Grass for Playgrounds and Sports Areas
Hard-wearing playground turf and artificial sports turf for play spaces, courts and recreation areas across Brisbane and South East Queensland. Installed by Ecovia's own team over shock pads rated to your equipment's fall height, using PFAS free ONE-DNA™ turf with a 15-year warranty.
Playground Turf That Plays, Drains and Protects
The best artificial grass for playgrounds is a short, dense, hard-wearing pile laid over a shock pad wherever children can fall from equipment. For most play spaces, that means EcoPlay 24mm under and around equipment, and the softer EcoAbode 30mm on open play lawns.
The turf is only one layer. What keeps a synthetic grass playground safe and level for years is what goes underneath it: a compacted, free-draining base, working drainage and, under equipment, a shock pad rated to the fall height. That is where Ecovia starts every job, as on all our commercial artificial grass projects.
Rated to Your Fall Height
Shock pad and turf systems selected to the critical fall height of the equipment.
Built for Heavy Use
Engineered, free-draining bases that stay level under constant play and training.
Six Colours for Play and Sport
EcoPlay 24mm in green, red, yellow, white, black and blue for zones and markings.
15-Year Warranty
On every ONE-DNA™ product, with no latex or polyurethane backing.
Artificial Turf Playground and Sports Applications
Play Equipment Areas
Turf over a shock pad in every fall zone, with no mulch to rake back or rubber to patch.
Council Parks and Public Playgrounds
Recyclable, PFAS free turf for sustainable public spaces and community facilities.
Hospitality and Retail Play Areas
An artificial grass playground for families at hotels, clubs, cafes and shopping centres, like the Tingalpa Hotel.
Multi-Use Courts and Games Areas
Synthetic sports turf for handball, four square, basketball surrounds and informal games.
Training and Fitness Areas
Functional training zones, sled tracks and exercise spaces built for daily use.
Recreation Precincts
Large community and recreation areas, with products matched to each zone's traffic.
Compare Soft Fall for Playgrounds
A general guide to the four common types of playground surfacing. Ecovia will tell you if another surface suits your site better.
| Wet pour rubber soft fall | Rubber tiles | Softfall mulch |
|---|---|---|
| Seamless coloured rubber, firm | Modular, visible joins | Natural, loose |
| Tested by thickness | Tested by Product | Depends on depth being kept up |
| Cleaning, pathcing wear | Cleaning, checking joins | Raking and regular topping up |
| Gets hot | Gets hot | Stays cooler |
| Limited | Limited | No |
Playground Soft Fall, Done Properly
Artificial grass becomes a soft fall surface once a shock pad is installed under it. The pad and turf are selected together so the finished surface meets the critical fall height of the equipment above it: the maximum free height of fall for which the surface provides an acceptable level of impact attenuation.
Impact-absorbing surfacing is required under equipment with a free height of fall above 600 mm, or where there is forced movement such as a swing. Above that height, the surfacing must meet AS 4422, the Australian Standard for playground surfacing and how it is tested.
We confirm each piece of equipment's free height of fall, or the height in your specification
We select a shock pad and turf system whose critical fall height suits that equipment
We build a compacted, free-draining base, lay the pad, then the turf, with secured edges
We supply the relevant test information with the handover
Artificial Sports Turf for Courts, Training and Recreation
Artificial turf for sports gives a consistent, all-weather surface without mud, bare patches or mowing.
Courts and games
EcoPlay 24mm colours set play zones and lines into the turf rather than painting them on
Training areas
250 m2 of high-performance 30mm turf at the Queensland Police Service training facility, on 150+ tonnes of laser-levelled road base
Recreation precincts
1,500 m2 of ageing turf replaced at the Sunshine Coast recreation precinct
Supply for Playground Companies and Contractors
Ecovia supplies playground synthetic turf, shock pads and installation consumables to playground companies and landscape contractors Australia wide.
Playground Turf and Sports Turf Range
ONE-DNA™ EcoPlay 24 mm
Short, dense and hard-wearing, in six colours (minimum order quantities apply).
Best for: play equipment areas over a shock pad, courts, games zones, high-traffic paths.
ONE-DNA™ EcoAbode 30 mm
Soft, natural look and feel.
Best for: open play lawns, family play spaces, recreation precincts.
ONE-DNA™ EcoLife 35 mm
A fuller, lush landscape finish.
Best for: gardens and landscaped areas around playgrounds.
How We Deliver Your Playground or Sports Area
Site Visit
We look at the equipment, fall heights, users, sun and shade, and existing drainage.
System and Pricing
The shock pad, turf and base to suit, with samples, documentation and a clear scope. We follow the approach set out in specifying artificial turf for public projects.
Installation
Our own team removes the old surface and builds the base, drainage, shock pad and turf, then secures the edges.
Handover
You receive care information, documentation and warranty material, plus guidance on artificial turf maintenance.
Playground and Sports Projects
Sunshine Coast Recreation Precinct
EcoPlay 24mm on high-traffic paths and about 1,200 m2 of EcoAbode 30mm across the Sunshine Coast recreation precinct, plus 100 lm of new retaining wall.
Tingalpa Hotel, Tingalpa
150 m2 of 30mm turf over soft fall padding at the Tingalpa Hotel play area, meeting critical fall height requirements.
Artificial Grass Installation Alexandra Hills
Four areas redesigned at St Anthony’s School: 350 m2 of EcoLife 35mm, a sandstone yarning circle and a senior chess board.
Playground and Sports Turf FAQs
Is soft fall required under artificial grass in a playground?
Yes, under any play equipment with a free height of fall above 600 mm, or where there is forced movement such as a swing. Ecovia Turf installs artificial grass over a shock pad in every fall zone, selected so the system's critical fall height is at least the equipment's free height of fall. Open play lawns with no equipment only need a properly built base.
What goes under artificial turf in a playground?
From the ground up, Ecovia Turf builds a compacted, free-draining base, adds drainage where the site needs it, lays the shock pad in fall zones, then installs the turf with sand infill where the system specifies it. Edges are secured to a fixed border so nothing lifts. Laying turf straight onto dirt is never done for a playground, because it settles unevenly and holds water.
How thick does the shock pad need to be?
It depends on the fall height the surface needs to cover. Ecovia Turf confirms each piece of equipment's free height of fall, then selects a pad and turf combination suited to that height and the specification. Higher equipment needs a thicker or higher-rated pad.
Is artificial grass better than rubber soft fall?
It depends on how the space is used. Ecovia Turf recommends artificial grass over a shock pad where a play area is also used for running, games and sitting, because one free-draining surface does all of it. Rubber can be simpler where the only need is impact protection under a single piece of equipment.
Does playground turf get too hot in summer?
It gets hotter than natural grass in direct sun, and Ecovia Turf plans for it on every playground. Shade sails, verandas and trees over the main equipment make the biggest difference, and turf performs best in areas shaded for much of the day.
How much does artificial grass for playgrounds cost?
Ecovia Turf prices each project individually, because the site and fall height drive the cost more than the turf. The main factors are the fall height and shock pad, area and shape, removal of any existing surface, ground and drainage condition, access, and coloured zones or markings.
How long does artificial sports turf and playground turf last?
Ecovia Turf's ONE-DNA™ products carry a 15-year warranty. On high-traffic playgrounds and sports areas, the expected life is 10 to 15 years, depending on use and maintenance. A properly built base and drainage are what let a surface reach the top of that range.
Can Ecovia Turf add colours and line markings?
Yes. Ecovia Turf's EcoPlay 24mm comes in green, red, yellow, white, black and blue, so courts, zones and games can be set into the turf rather than painted on. Minimum order quantities apply to the coloured options.
Talk to Us About Your Playground or Sports Area
Send us photos, the rough area, the equipment and its height, or your plans if the project is further along. The Ecovia Turf team will come back to you about a site visit, samples and pricing for your artificial grass for playgrounds or sports area.