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What is softfall? 

Softfall material is placed underneath playground equipment.  Softfall is designed to absorb the impact of falls, especially in playgrounds.  A thick layer of softfall playground surface is placed on the completed level surface in the playground or other area.  Softfall can be made from a number of different materials including synthetic grass, rubber in either foam or wetpour variety and woodchips formulated specifically for softfall application.  Softfall reduces the risk of injuries by absorbing the shock on the body parts, particularly legs, arms, backs and heads.  When a child hits the ground without Softfall, the impact can break bones causing weeks in a plaster cast.   Possible long-term injuries can occur when a child falls and hits their head on the hard ground or worse still concrete.  However, if they hit their head on a softfall surface, there is less risk of being harmed.  This is the reason many Councils require the use of softfall material in all playgrounds and other places where there is a risk of injury from falls.  

 

What are the uses of softfall? 

All kids just love playgrounds.  The swings, the slides, the climbing frames and the ziplines.  Unfortunately, those very pieces of equipment can cause falls leading to injuries.  No one likes to take their kids to the park and come home with a broken arm.  Not only is softfall good for public parks and playgrounds, but also for your home adventure playground.  Another use for softfall material is in childcare centres where any number of small children are playing and injuries can occur.  Softfall material will reduce the likelihood of injuries.  Softfall Brisbane can install in Aged care facilities which are another place where softfall surfaces are used.  Elderly people are at greater risk of falling and their injuries can be greater.  It is no secret that elderly suffer from broken hips and other bones which can be devastating to their quality of life.  Softfall is also used on athletics tracks where the low impact surface is better for athletes.  Groundworks can supply softfall in a wide variety of colours making it beautiful as well as functional.

 

How long does softfall surfaces last?

Softfall is hard wearing.  Softfall is designed to take the hard knocks and is designed to last a long time.  The length of time a material lasts is dependent on many factors.  These include the volume of traffic, weather damage, the volume of recurrent use patches, installation,  and the climate. Softfall needs to be checked for areas where the softfall might need maintenance, especially at the edges where rain can degrade the surrounding ground and undermine the solid softfall material.  In the case of loose Softfall, such as specially designed mulch, it should be regularly checked to ensure the coverage is even.  Sometimes the loose softfall mulch will compact at impact sites from use and move into mounds.  The mulch needs to be smoothed out.  Softfall mulch will not likely last as long as rubber materials.  When it comes to Softfall Playgrounds, Groundworks are available for all your softfall needs.  In childcare centres and aged care facilities, it is necessary to check that tree roots are not encroaching into the softfall.  One of the key factors in the longevity of softfall installation is the expertise of the installers.  It always pays to get experienced softfall installers.

Can topsoil be blown in? 

When a home or business owner thinks of putting new soil or mulch in their gardens or preparing the ground for turf, they usually envisage truckloads of soil, bobcats and wheelbarrows.  However, there is a better way, especially for tricky terrain, hard to reach places and large jobs, that is to use soil pumping.  Using Softfall & Rapid Soil™ technology, Groundworks can, quite literally, blow your soil into the exact spot you need it.  No wheelbarrows, no shovels and no sore back.  Simply show the experienced team where you want your soil and they do the rest.  One of the main advantages of blown in. soil is the preciseness of delivery, whether it’s a garden top up or a dig out and fill up, soil blowing works well.  And there’s no clean up afterwards.   

Once your gardens are planted, the Quality Rapid Mulch®™ uses special blower trucks for mulch blowing into your entire garden area.  Mulch can also be applied to existing gardens, especially on slopes and amongst plants you don’t want damaged.  One of the big advantages of using a blow in system is it can cover large commercial areas such as schools, public gardens, commercial environments and rooftop gardens very easily.

 

How much does a load of top soil cost? 

Not all soils are created equal.  When it comes to landscaping materials, it’s pretty much a case of you get what you pay for.  A low-cost soil will likely be lacking in nutrients and possibly hydrophobic (doesn’t absorb water).  A premium soil will be organic with plenty of nutrients without being too alkaline or acidic and will be friable (easily turns to a powder when rubbed between fingers).  

On average base grade garden soil from your local general landscaping yard will be around $55 m3.  Premium high-quality organic soil is around $75 m3.  Our soil is a grade higher, a super premium soil that your plants will thrive in. Our soil is nutrient dense. You can choose to do soil pumping and save your back and the cost of a bob-cat or workers to spread the soil.  

 

How do I calculate how much topsoil I need? 

To calculate the amount of soil you will need for soil pumping you can do it one of two ways; calculate it yourself or use one of the numerous cubic meter calculators available online.  If you want to calculate it yourself,  the calculation for cubic meterage (m3) is quite simple:

Length X Width X Depth.  If you have a garden that is 11 meters long by 1.5 metres wide and you want the soil 0.25 metres deep the calculation is 11 X 1.5 X .25 = 4.125m3.  You will require 4m3 of soil for soil blowing into your garden beds.

 

Does your garden need a re-fresh for the winter months?
Spring is usually known as the typical season for mulching your garden, however mulching leading into winter has massive benefits. A fresh layer of mulch during winter will prevent weed growth and erosion, make maintenance easy and reduce the need for herbicide application in summer.

Here are some benefits of mulching your garden for Winter:

  1. Mulching creates an insulating barrier between the soil and the air regulating ground temperature – this ensures the effects of the cold do not stress the plants too much. The insulating barrier contribute to soil health and plant growth.
  2. Moisture retention reduces the need for irrigation and over use of water.
  3. Consolidates moisture in the ground from the summer months where winter root growth encourages health in to the following summer months
  4. Prevents weeds and erosion within your garden
  5. Breakdown of mulch provides essential nitrogen introduction to the soil profile

For an obligation-free discussion on mulching for winter, please contact one of our specialists on 07 3715 6177.

5 Reasons to Mulch forSummer

Do you want a beautiful, fresh and fragrant garden ready for the Summer months? Now is the time to enhance your garden’s health and set some good foundations for the year to come. Transform your garden for the Festive Season!

Did you know?

1. Mulching adds value to property

In beautiful, sunny Queensland, property buyers seek well-maintained, beautiful gardens. A serene garden in your yard, down the side-path, or by your driveway can lay a beautiful backdrop for your property.  Mulch adds to the clean, vibrant, tropical vibe and has the power to influence the buyers’ decision. Mulch also has a forest, fresh fragrance – ideal for property viewings. Read more about increasing property value with mulch here.

2. Mulch protects soil under tough Queensland conditions

The weather conditions in Queensland can demolish previously fertile soils. Mulching provides a functional, protective layer. Some products promote excellent drainage in order to maintain garden health all year round. Mulch can also combat opposing conditions such as extremely high temperatures. The product traps moisture in the garden, serving as a protective, insulated layer for the root zone.

3. Mulch is a must for Optimum garden health

In addition to providing great drainage, mulch also assists weed prevention, moisture and temperature control. It offers a natural organic layer, present in rainforests, which supplies natural, slow-release fertiliser. Mulch is a sanctuary for plant-friendly insects and micro-organisms, promoting plant and garden health.

4. Mulch Assists Water Conservation

Mulch can reduce watering by over 50%. This is because it keeps soil temperature constant whilst preventing weed seed germination. This creates a garden structure with better water management.

5. Groundworks Rapid Mulch®™ is super Low-Maintenance

Rapid Mulch®™ is a groundcover range that requires minimal to no maintenance. The matrix of the mulch allows it to be flexible, yet sustain its blanket-like functionality. This means it is less likely to blow or wash away.

Groundworks has collaborated with advisors and suppliers to help create a range of rich, quality mulches that also look fantastic. Our blends are designed for optimum irrigation, soil health, ease of application, look and feel. Groundworks only works with Local Suppliers to provide our Rapid Mulch®™ range.

Why Rapid Mulch®™?

Groundworks Rapid Mulch®™ is INSTANT. Compared with traditional methods, Groundworks Blower Truck technology can help clients save thousands of dollars and reduce man hours by over 50%.

Don’t spend all weekend breaking a sweat in the midday sun… Mulch your garden, HANDS FREE

All of Groundworks products are delivered via our state-of-the-art blower trucks. This innovative technology allows us to accurately provide groundcover to thousands of metres in a single day, without the difficulties of marshalling dozens of workers. Hose lengths up to 200m allows access to hard-to-reach areas.Watch how we work.

ZERO EFFORT MULCHING

  • Rapid Mulch®™, Softfall, Rapid Soil™ &EcoBlanket
  • INSTANTLY applied @ one set price
  • ZERO effort mulching
  • Increase property value + BOOST garden health
  • Save thousands of dollars & man hours
  • Hassle-free installation – Ease of access
  • Fresh Forest Fragrance
  • Quality Product
  • Chemical free
  • Low maintenance
  • ZERO effort, ZERO damage & ZERO mess guaranteed

Spotlight Project – Beautifying Robelle Domain

 

At Groundworks, we love investing in relationships that help build fantastic environments for the people of Queensland. Over the last 3-4 years Ipswich City Council have engaged Groundworks on a continual basis to beautify various public spaces. A stand-out project has been the transformation and maintenance of Robelle Domain.

As a prominent parkland, Robelle Domain is a high priority for maintenance year-round. Throughout this time, Groundworks have undertaken ongoing mulching works to areas within the parklands. A major factor of Groundworks engagement is the ability to relieve the pain-points associated with delivering, moving and applying bulk groundcover.

Park management ensues a variety of obligations and responsibilities that take often precedence over mulching. Groundworks complete project management capabilities mean that we can coordinate mulching activities from initiation through to execution. This takes the pressure off park curators, allowing them to focus on more important aspects of the space.

Another concern with large parklands is locations that are hard-to-access from the road. For regular landscapers, delivering product would be a monotonous process to move from site of delivery to application site. This process can also cause damage to the parklands by using heavy machinery to shift the product. Staffing restraints prohibit the execution of this traditional application in a timely manner. This means that large projects can take multiple weeks, drastically increasing man hours.

Groundworks Blower Truck technology means that product can be blown up to 300m from the truck to the application site. In this case, our longest blow was 220m – makingmulching easy, flexible and hassle-free.

A prime example of Groundworks engagement was the September 5th Grand Opening of the parklands lagoon. Groundworks were able to work within a tight timeframe to complete beautification of the adjacent area.

We are able to provide:

  • Hassle-free INSTANT application of groundcover
  • One purchase order
  • A highly responsive, reliable & flexible service
  • Access to hard-to-reach areas
  • Consistency of supply
  • All-weather installation

VALUE ADDING

 

  • Reduction in herbicide application and weed germination
  • Maintaining beautiful appearancethroughout the park
  • Contribution to a safe and attractive space for the community to enjoy
  • Extremely low-maintenance products
  • Cost advantages

The ongoing Robelle Domain project is a showcase of a solid relationship between government body and contractor. This trusted relationship yields fantastic environmental outcomes for the Council and community and is continuously appreciated by the citizens of Ipswich. Groundworks are proud to help maintain this flagship facility for the people of Ipswich.

MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

 

Groundworks has the ability to develop and coordinate annual maintenance programs maintenance programs correlating to specific sites. The program achieves huge cost advantages when applied long-term. Please call Simon on 0410 592 524 for an obligation-free discussion about how Groundworks can assist your council.

Spotlight Project – City Centre Construction Site

At Groundworks, we pride ourselves on providing a flexible and reliable service that delivers optimum results in difficult scenarios. Construction sites can cause a headache for even the most organised of commercial businesses – resulting in an increase of man hours and loss of profit amidst the chaos. A recent project at a Turbot Street construction site was able to showcase the value Groundworks can provide to our commercial clients.

Groundworks were initially engaged in an effort to alleviate the delivery troubles associated with the problematic site. The task was to fill a large planter box within the confines of a permanent structure. Numerous site factors meant that heavy machine use or craning of bags was not possible. Our contractor, a popular Brisbane landscaper, was able to extend their capabilities through appointment of our services.

Groundworks were able to make light work of this difficult access job by employing our complete project management capabilities in conjunction with our innovative Blower Truck technology. We were able to park the truck on the side of the road, extending our flexible hose directly to the area of application. We were able to:

  • Apply 24m3 of Premium Organic Rapid Soil™ over 60m from the road side
  • Run the hose through the fore court of the building and down a flights of stairs
  • Ensure ZERO damage to any permanent fixtures of the building or construction site
  • Navigate through and around obstacles throughout the construction site
  • Interact seamlessly with other trades and contractors onsite
  • Liaise with site manager to oversee foot traffic to ensure a safe path for commuters
  • Be flexible within short time frames and construction deadlines

Our capacity to complete works unsupervised allowed a hassle-free application for everyone onsite. Groundworks are confident that our commercial client was able to eliminate unnecessary expenditure and increase onsite efficiency over what would have been an otherwise arduous process. In this instance, our Rapid Soil™ was able to deliver a suitable platform for an ongoing sustainable landscape.

Groundworks has the ability to lay the foundation for a collaborative natural space that compliments busy city business centres.We believe that site limitations should not be a curb to creating a healthy environment to work or relax. Our Blower Truck technology allows us to apply product over 15 floors above or below ground – tailoring the course as requested by the client.

Groundworks Rapid Soil™ and Rapid Mulch®™ are ideal services for these complicated jobs such as residential blocks, malls, arcades and roof-top gardens.

Please do not hesitate to contact Groundworks for an obligation-free discussion about how our capabilities can cater to your project needs (07) 3715 6177.

Spotlight Project – Yeppen EcoBlanket

Every new EcoBlanket welcomes new challenges and opportunity for improvement. The current works at Yeppen South for John Holland have proven Groundworks’ flexibility and expertise amidst large-scale civil projects.

From commencement, Groundworks collaborated with the specifier to direct the appropriate cutting of batters and preparation for application. The Bruce Highway upgrade specified Groundworks’ EcoBlanket Plus, Australia’s first organics blanket. The solution was identified as the best choice over other rehabilitation and revegetation techniques, such as hydromulching and other generic organics blankets. As a sophisticated organics blanket, EcoBlanket’s more than 99% erosion and sediment control guarantee resists the threat of flood damage in the typically flood-ravaged area. As a one-step process, the specified product quickly established to the batter. The EcoBlanket currently pioneers the deliberate slopes of the construction, defying the surrounding flood plains.

Since initiation of the project, Groundworks have gone on to lay down a further 33,000m2 EcoBlanket throughout 3 stages of the project. Groundworks commitment to flexibility allowed the adjustment of services to fit within time constraints of the large-scale development.

Groundworks are committed to a sustainable Australia. Building trusted relationships with Government and Civil bodies is a priority as we endeavour to rehabilitate and revegetate Queensland. The Yeppen project is testament to our complete project management capabilities, as well as our seamless integration with civil projects. Stay tuned for the results.

AWARD-WINNING ECOBLANKET

• Rapid, scientifically proven land rehabilitation
• Outstanding environmental audit results
• 100% recycled organics and native seed blends
• Carbon sequestration benefits
• More than 99% erosion and sediment control
• Low-to-no maintenance
• Tailored, all terrain services
• Guaranteed results and return on investment

EcoBlanket has been used for two decades in the United States and more than seven years in Australia. It is held as best practice by many local government bodies. With the introduction of EcoBlanket to the Australian market, through the exclusive licence holder Groundworks, it has been refined to suit the unique conditions in Australia.

Award-winning EcoBlanket delivers resources advantage

World-leading groundcover process, EcoBlanket, is creating major cost, time and environmental advantages for resources clients with its award-winning lifecycle design and rapid application process.

Exclusively managed in Australia by Queensland-based Groundworks Australia, EcoBlanket is delivering unmatched revegetation and rehabilitation results.

Strong success has prompted expansion into Western Australia through EcoBlanket’s first Australasian franchisee, WA Eco Plant.

Groundworks Managing Director Tony Rees, winner of the 2014 Queensland Minister’s Award for Leadership in Sustainability, said CSG and other resources projects were seeing significant gains from using EcoBlanket.

“Our team has stabilised steep site and dam batters, reversed highly dispersive, unstable soils and erosive drains, and protected environmentally sensitive river catchments,” Tony said.

“Even under extreme conditions common to remote projects, EcoBlanket creates an immediate moisture retention cell that can withstand climate fluctuations – and it holds fast even after significant rain events,” he said.

“It outperforms when it comes to immediate results and rapid growth rates…and the value from an operations and maintenance perspective is outstanding.

“Now with our WA franchisee, we’re ready to support the mega west coast resources sector while continuing our already proven track record on the east coast.”

For resources clients, EcoBlanket has delivered instant erosion control and sheet flow protection, quickly established cover crop and ensured sustainable revegetation, achieving results for some clients where other methods have failed.

Liquid and green waste, often sourced from CSG and mine sites by Groundworks partner NuGrow, is converted into nutrient-rich organics that well exceed Australian Standards and form the basis of the proprietary process.

Individual site testing and tailoring of the organics are EcoBlanket’s major points of difference and critical to the superior success rate.

Combined with tailored native seed blends, EcoBlanket is applied using a non-invasive, pneumatic (blown on) process that effectively ‘plants’ the seeds into the instant, high-quality organics.

Individual sites can feature several different seed mixes and state-of-the-art machinery treats thousands of square metres daily – meaning it is fast, economical and flexible to staged construction.

Made from 100% organic materials, it achieves 100% soil coverage and more than 99% sediment and erosion control. It guarantees a more than 90% germination rate within a few days when instructions are followed and sequesters 25 tonnes of CO2 equivalents per hectare on average over time.

EcoBlanket delivers the market’s least expensive whole-of-life solution for advanced erosion control and revegetation, with past projects including major infrastructure projects, resources and mine sites, and development projects.

Groundworks has won industry accolades for EcoBlanket including the 2013 WRIQ Innovation Award, with NuGrow, and 2013 IECA Australasia Environmental Excellence Award in Innovation, and was a finalist in the prestigious 2014 UNAA World Environment Day Awards.

EcoBlanket tackles Toowoomba Range’s steep slopes

The Toowoomba Range’s major road upgrade is being transformed into a greenscape thanks to world-leading groundcover process and organics blanket, EcoBlanket.

Delivered by Groundworks Australia, EcoBlanket has been applied across 10 hectares of the site since October 2013 and is already delivering outstanding results.

The team was set the challenge of achieving immediate batter stabilisation while delivering a revegetation design that supported the community’s long-term aspirations.

Groundworks Managing Director Tony Rees, winner of the 2014 Queensland Minister’s Award for Leadership in Sustainability, said the project was ideally suited to EcoBlanket’s unique application process.

“The majority of our work was delivered on very steep slopes, with varied rock types and soil structures,” Tony said.

“This is where EcoBlanket comes into its own. We tailor the organics to each site using soil and other environmental tests, and then incorporate seeds as the organic material is blown on to the surface,” he said.

“This effectively plants them instantly using state-of-the-art machinery that can treat thousands of square metres daily.”

Made from 100% organic materials, EcoBlanket achieves 100% soil coverage and more than 99% sediment and erosion control.

Guaranteeing a 90% or higher germination rate within a few days, where instructions are followed, it is estimated that more than 200,000 healthy plants are now flourishing across the project’s site.

The Groundworks team collaborated with the project’s landscape architects and local environmental group to develop the species list, which features four different seed mixes to suit varying heights from the roadside to the Range.

Groundworks has won industry accolades for EcoBlanket including the 2013 WRIQ Innovation Award, with partner NuGrow, and 2013 IECA Australasia Environmental Excellence Award in Innovation, and was a finalist in the prestigious 2014 UNAA World Environment Day Awards.

EcoBlanket delivers the market’s least expensive whole-of-life solution for advanced erosion control and unmatched revegetation and rehabilitation.

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