PowerBase PLAY80

PowerBase PLAY80 is the first single-layer shock pad engineered to pass impact testing at 10–12 foot critical fall heights, designed for the tallest playground equipment, without the complexity of layering multiple pads.

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What is PowerBase PLAY80?

Playgrounds give children the freedom to climb higher, explore, and build confidence. With that freedom comes a responsibility to consider the landing beneath them.

As equipment grows taller, the surface below must provide impact protection appropriate to its fall height. Brock engineered PowerBase PLAY80 to address that need in a single layer. At 80 mm thick, PLAY80 builds on the PLAY50 design with enhanced drainage and impact absorption. When paired with compatible artificial turf systems, it has passed impact testing at 10–12-foot critical fall heights, helping designers meet demanding fall-height requirements without stacking multiple pads.

Because every adventure above the ground deserves thoughtful protection below it.

Why PLAY80?

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Built for the tallest equipment. Most playground shock pad solutions require stacking multiple pads to achieve protection at 10–12 foot fall heights, adding complexity, cost, and installation time. PowerBase PLAY80 was engineered specifically to eliminate that problem: one pad, one installation, maximum protection. It’s the right choice for any facility with climbing structures, tall slides, or equipment.

The same trusted engineering, scaled up. PLAY80 is built on the same proven design principles as PLAY50, 100% molded EPP, sawtooth edge interlocking, high-volume drainage, and Cradle to Cradle Certification, just scaled to handle the greater fall heights that today’s playground equipment demands. No intentionally added PFAS, no microplastics, no compromise on environmental standards.

Simpler than the alternative. Before PLAY80, meeting 12-foot critical fall heights on artificial turf meant layering pads, managing complex transitions, and adding installation time. PLAY80 makes it a single-step installation, compatible with Brock Transition Wedges for smooth ADA-compliant transitions to PLAY50 or PowerBase YSR on the same site.

Key Features

Top view features:

PowerBase PLAY 50 shock pad connection.

Overlapping design ensures a uniform surface under the turf

PowerBase PLAY 50 top view of drainage holes.

Uniform surface eliminates inconsistencies underfoot

PowerBase PLAY 50 edge connection.

Mechanical indexing molded into each panel for fast, accurate installation

PowerBase PLAY 50 top view close up of porous drainage holes.

Millions of drain holes for rapid water evacuation

Bottom view features:

PowerBase PLAY 50 side view hexagons.

Millions of cushioning hexagons absorb impact energy

PowerBase PLAY 50 bottom view hexagon close up.

Deep drain channels for fast water evacuation

PowerBase PLAY 50 shock pad bottom view connection.

Panel indexing makes installation straightforward

PowerBase PLAY 50 bottom view graded hexagons.

Graded hexagons keep the surface stiff for play while improving Critical Fall Height

The Playground System Shock Pads

For up to 12-foot critical fall heights with lateral drainage, the 80mm PowerBase PLAY80 delivers exceptional impact absorption for taller playground equipment. Its single-layer design eliminates the need to stack multiple pads while providing high-volume drainage and easy installation. Made from molded expanded polypropylene, PLAY80 offers durable, consistent performance for playgrounds requiring maximum fall protection.

Brock PowerBase Play50 shock pad for playgrounds

For up to 9-foot critical fall heights with lateral drainage, the 50mm PowerBase PLAY50 is engineered for superior impact absorption and long-term playground safety. PLAY50 delivers consistent performance, easy installation, and seamless integration with various turf systems. Like all Brock pads, it’s made from food-grade polypropylene with no intentionally added PFAS, providing a durable, high-performance solution for safer playgrounds.

For up to 5-foot critical fall heights and applications requiring lateral drainage, PowerBase YSR shock pads enhance playground safety and artificial turf performance. Their 25mm design provides superior impact absorption, excellent drainage, and turf stability—helping reduce fall-related injury risk while keeping surfaces consistent and playable. Durable, resilient construction ensures long-lasting performance for safer, more reliable playgrounds.

For up to 4-foot critical fall heights over a vertically draining base, the 20mm SP Series shock pad delivers an optimal balance of safety and impact performance while closely replicating the feel of quality natural turf. SERIES 20 provides efficient vertical drainage to help keep playground surfaces dry and safe. As a cost-effective alternative to PowerBase SP Series delivers lasting durability and reliable performance for safer, enjoyable playground environments.

Head Impact Test

Head Injury Criterion (HIC)

The HIC test correlates with the likelihood and severity of a head injury. It has been used for decades in the auto industry and for playground surfaces, and was adopted by ASTM for athletic fields in 2018. The HIC impact test drops a 10.1 lb. hemisphere projectile (curved like a human head) multiple times from increasing heights and determines the surface’s Critical Fall Height. The higher the Critical Fall Height, the safer the surface. A good natural turf field will produce a minimum critical fall height of about 6 feet or higher.

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Frequently Asked Questions

PowerBase PLAY80 is an 80mm (3.15″) pad molded from 100% expanded polypropylene in individually molded panels of 24 square feet. It is rated for critical fall heights up to 12 feet, with high-volume drainage exceeding 1,500 inches per hour. It shares PLAY50’s overlapping sawtooth edge detail, panel indexing, and expansion crush ribs.

It is the first single-layer shock pad to pass impact testing at 10–12 foot critical fall heights with common artificial turf systems. Before PLAY80, reaching those heights meant stacking multiple pads — adding installation time, cost, and potential inconsistency at the seams between layers. PLAY80 achieves the same protection in one installation.

PLAY80 passes impact testing at 10–12 foot critical fall heights, measured against the ASTM Head Injury Criterion standard that governs playground surfacing. The pad is Cradle to Cradle Certified and patented, with the certification independently verifying material health including PFAS and restricted substance compliance.

PLAY80 is produced from 100% pure high-grade expanded polypropylene — non-toxic, resistant to bacteria, fungi, and chemicals, and 100% recyclable. It contains no intentionally added PFAS and no microplastics. Installed beneath the turf, it is never exposed to UV and does not degrade the way surface-level materials do.

PLAY80 carries a 10-year warranty along with an HIC and Gmax guarantee, so the fall height protection specified at installation is committed to over time — not just verified once at handover.

Transition Wedge

Playground and landscape installations often combine surfaces at different base heights and pad thicknesses, and the Brock Transition Wedge handles that change cleanly without complex onsite modification. Each triangular wedge is 48 inches wide with a 1:13.7 slope — gentler than the 1:12 maximum ADA requires for ramps — and moves between any of Brock’s playground pads, most often stepping a PLAY80 installation down to PLAY50 in adjacent areas where equipment heights are lower, or down to PowerBase YSR at the perimeter. Because the wedges eliminate cutting and shimming on site, crews save time during installation, and a pallet bundles directly with your pad order so there’s no separate freight charge.

Planning a playground project?

Talk to a specialist about critical fall height requirements and system selection.

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