storm mitigation text for boards

Storm Mitigation

While designing our project, we elevated our playground 4.6 feet above the  9 ft elevation grade above sea level of the platform, and made our comfort  stations an additional 4 feet above the 4.6 ft. elevation. This in turn, will help prevent storm surge which occurs when high winds cause the ocean water to pile up higher than the regular sea level during a storm.  We have added two preventative measures to prevent storms from destroying our playground again, a seawall which is 4 feet 6 inches and groynes which would be placed in the waters near the shoreline of our beach. The groynes will be evenly placed along the length of our playground and what they do is slow down the waves so that when they hit our seawall, which is also placed along the length of the playground, it wont damage it as much. We have also added anaconda wave generators along with with our groynes to harvest the waves natural Eco friendly energy. The anaconda wave generator works by having a wave sent through its 200 meter long tubing along with the kinetic energy that comes along with it. This device will be floating just under the surface of the sea to get as much energy possible from each wave. With this technology a single anaconda wave generator can create up to 1Mega Watt of energy, which would be enough energy to power up to 1000 homes, or in our case our playground.

engineering text for boards

Engineering

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, we are faced with numerous engineering challenges in rebuilding this playground. We want to minimize the amount of damage from future storm surges. The challenges we face include

•minimizing the effect of beach erosion from long shore drift and storm surges;

•protecting boardwalk and playground structures from future storm damage and flooding;

•providing a barrier between the playground and beach while still making the beach accessible;

•providing foundations for our proposed sea wall on soil with low bearing capacity;

•providing structures which exceeds the recommended two foot freeboard (clearance) above the proposed Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) maps for New York along Rockaway Beach, and

•providing engineering solutions to meet all of the playgrounds’ redesigned aesthetic and functional requirements.

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After much thought and research the following engineering solutions where developed.  Consideration was given to the relative cost, ease of construction, effectiveness, reduced maintenance cost and environmental impacts. These engineering solutions were developed to adequately satisfy the above mentioned challenges.

•The construction of groynes to provide coastal protection and minimize the effect of beach erosion and long shore drift on the coastline

•The construction of a seawall along the length of Sand Piper playground provides added protection of on-shore structures and prevents them from being eroded ,flooded or destroyed by the forces of wave action

•Innovative design of the seawalls façade allows access to the beach, a seating area for views of the sunset, and a supporting structure for the boardwalk

•End bearing piles support new structures on soils of weak bearing capacity

•Increasing the height of our park to coincide with FEMA new flood level directives.

the use of solar powered lighting fixtures to provide  light for safety and after hours access to park facilities

the design of ramps to allow for access and use of our park to the physically challenged and disabled

The design of plumbing needs to satisfy park features, comfort stations etc..

The use of innovative wave energy converters such as the “ANACODA” for the harnessing of wave energy for power generation.

SEAWALLS

Seawalls are designed to protect the shore from being eroded or flooded. It also protects recreational activities like parks from being destroyed by the force of the waves. Seawalls reflect the energy of the wave back to the ocean. Three types of seawalls include a curve, mound, and vertical sea wall. They can be made up of concrete, steel or rubble. Overall, sea walls have disadvantages and disadvantages.

Vertical sea walls absorb wave energy which aids in helping the coast to not be destroyed. Unfortunately, vertical sea walls get destroyed at a faster rate than other types of sea walls, and will cost a lot of money to repair.

Curved sea walls are designed so that the waves would not reach the top of the wall. The curved design of the sea wall protects the base of the wall. The disadvantage of a curved sea wall is that the material beneath the wall becomes eroded when the energy of the sea wall is reflected back into the ocean.

Mound sea walls are often used when tidal waves are not so strong. They can be made up of sandbags, stones or porous rocks

Plumbing design for water feature:

To satisfy the requirements of sand pipers water feature potable water from the cities water supply will be used to ensure health and safety, system includes:

•Backflow preventer to prevent reverse flow to city supply

•Pumps to maintain required flow pressure

•Valve box and activators  to regulate flow and sequence of water feature

•Piping to individual flush mount and  above grade sprays and showers

•Drains and drain pipes to convey grey water to sediment traps before being                                 released into city waste water

Revit progress

Amada'sTEXT

Our playground allows for the full integration of all children participating in play activities, regardless of their impairment.  It allows for the handicapped children to operate the ship’s wheel at the lower level. There are three bays of swings, which have seats in the shape of flowers. One bay of swings is exclusively for handicapped accessibility, allowing for a handicapped child to roll their wheelchair directly on to a movable platform, which swings back and forth.  We also feature a spray shower, which is flush mounted to allow mobility impaired children to use this amenity. 

We have adequate seating throughout the playground. There are twenty wooden benches along the perimeter of the playground.  Additionally, we have a hammock area where we have eight hammocks that are arranged in the shape of a life preserver. This hammock area allows for parents, elderly and nursing mothers to be able to recline in a more comfortable position.  There is a trellis feature that is shaped like palm trees, and is covered with vines to provide shade from the sun in the summer.

Another interactive feature of the playground is an eight- tentacled octopus, which is mounted above the ship.  Two of the octopus’ tentacles provide accessibility to the ship via a stair and a handicapped accessible ramp.  The other two tentacles are designed as playground slides; a 3 foot high slide for pre- school children, and a 5 foot triple wave slide for older children.  The other four tentacles wrap around the ship to give the illusion of the ship being broken in half by the octopus.

The pirate ship feature will be the main attraction of the playground.  The two halves of the ship will be joined together by a rope ladder which is open to the children and allows for them to explore both sides of the ship.  The ship features two slides at the end of the ship, which slide down to the playground deck. There is a ship’s wheel, which is on the lower level and is handicapped accessible.  The ship also features telescopes for viewing, and there three teacup rides that allow for handicapped access as well.

There is five foot high perimeter fencing that has a seaweed design integrated into the fence itself.

Access to the playground is granted through five entrances, three of which are wheelchair accessible, and allow for access to the playground from the boardwalk.  

A “bounce pad” was incorporated into our team’s design, specifically for children ages 3 to years. This bounce pad is shaped like a birds’ best, and the walls’ of the bird’s nest serve as a protective feature to keep the children from harm. The bounce pad allows for the child’s motion to trigger a gentle bouncing motion as they jump up and down on a specialized elastic surface.

Finally, the playground site will be elevated 4’6” above the beach level.

Sandy final design

Edited 'codes and guidelines' paragraph & "design process paragraph

While designing this playground, Team 8 referenced and abided to the codes and guidelines of the High Performance Landscape Guidelines/21st Century Parks For New York City for playgrounds. For example, by spacing each element of playground far enough apart, we provide opportunities for free play such as allowing children to run around. We also included a weather station and informational plaques for the vegetation and the telescopes on the pirate ship in order to provide educational opportunities for children. Because our site is located on a natural waterfront setting, we also referenced the Community Investment Collaborative for Kids Resource Guide 4. This document provided us with information on appropriate surfacing material, fall zones, and safety structures. For example, according to guide, the maximum platform height for infants and toddlers should be 24 inches, and for preschoolers, 36 to 48 inches. The resource guide also says that all playgrounds should use surfacing material that is ADA approved, requires little maintenance, and provides good drainage for wet weather conditions. Therefore, our playground is surfaced with Pebble Flex and Aqua Flex, both of which are synthetic materials that are safe to play on, the Aqua Flex also absorbs water. Team 8 used the Public Playground Safety Handbook provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to reference proper playground equipment in addition to the International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM):

Public Playground Safety Handbook Guidelines:

Age Appropriate Equipment:

Toddler — Ages 6-23 months	Preschool — Ages 2-5 years
• Climbing equipment under 32” high • Ramps • Single file step ladders • Slides* • Spiral slides less than 30° • Spring rockers • Stairways • Swings with full bucket seats	• Certain climbers** • Horizontal ladders less than or equal to 0” high for ages and 5 • Merry-go-rounds • Ramps • Rung ladders • Single file step ladders • Slides* • Spiral slides up to 30° • Spring rockers • Stairways • Swings – belt, full bucket seats (2- years) & rotating tire

Code for Platforms: - Platforms should be generally flat (i.e., within ± 2° of horizontal). -Openings in platforms should be provided to allow for drainage. - Platforms should minimize the collection of debris.

    

Stepped Platform Codes (Height In-between steps): - Toddlers: 7 inches. - Preschool-age: 12 inches

Design Process/ What we Learned

Communication was a very beneficial method while designing this project. For example, because we were all teenagers, we were all able to exchange our ideas of what each other’s playground experiences were like and how we could then incorporate these ideas into our playground to make it appealing to young children. We then collaborated with our mentors to find ways to create a playground design and structures that would accentuate a nearby beach area, satisfy all New York State Parks Department guidelines as well as other playground codes, and lastly remain stable amid bad weather conditions. Next, we decided that the best way to initiate our design process would be to pick a theme, so we each designed numerous charettes and then selected our theme based on which ideas were most favored or repeated based on the charrates. We then divided our team into groups including a construction and cost estimate team, who researched all of the playground equipment and materials that we would use, an engineering team that specifically worked on storm mitigation structures, a model building team that worked on a three dimensional model, and a text and layout group who summarized the work of every group. During and inbetween meetings, we also posted information on the 2013 ACE Team 8 blog in order to update ourselves on any sketches, writings, helpful information, or inspirational architectural designs. Challenges that we faced while doing this project were deciding how to elevate our playground high enough to prevent destruction if another hurricane were to happen as well as trying to select a color scheme that would be attractive to little kids, without looking overly flamboyant.

Hurricane Victim Statistics for Far Rockaway

The Rockaway peninsula consists of  a 11- mile strip of two  family homes and public housing projects facing the Atlantic Ocean.   It was one of the New York  communities that was hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy.  About 80 homes  burned down in an electrical fire sparked by the hurricane in Far Rockaway's Breezy Point neighborhood   Approximately 10,000 residents were displaced by the storm due to housing and infrastructure damages.  The federal government has provided $9.2 billion in disaster relief funds for the Northeast region, which includes victims in the Far Rockaway area.
A playground is a necessity in this area. There are over 1500 school- aged children in the Far Rockaway area surrounded this playground. There are also three elementary schools in the area, none of which have an adequate or modern playground.