# Concrete take-offs at a dirt jump park



## JerkStick (Mar 9, 2004)

Hello, we operate a park with hundreds of younger riders but very few builders. Our non-profit volunteers are burning out on constantly maintaining the lips at our popular free public park.

We are considering using modular concrete skatepark ramps for take offs and keeping the landings and the rest of the park dirt. Does anyone have any experience with this? 

Yes, getting more people to dig is the right answer but after a few years of trying to build more interest and support that probably just won't happen. 


Some concerns we have heard are... 

Dirt or dust on a super smooth concrete skatepark ramp could get slippery. - possibly find ramps with a "rougher" surface. 

Dirt jumps should be made of dirt - purist approach, but concrete lips would allow the builders to focus on building new features rather than constantly maintaining existing lips. 

Concrete might cause more liability - I don't think there would be any increase in liability compare to dirt, but I could check with our insurance company. 

Would need to pour foundations, concrete would shift and sink into the ground - We have used 6" rock in the past for foundations, also we use jersey barriers at the park that are just sitting on the ground and they haven't shifted or sank. 


Please post up your thoughts, comments, or if you have any experience that could relate. 

Thanks!!


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## Loren_ (Dec 3, 2006)

I've built a couple lips using clay embedded with coarse limestone that have held up very well.

I've never done it, but I've thought about using soil additives. http://www.google.com/search?q=soil+stabilizer


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

Just a thought with no experience to back it having never used concrete for bike jumps.

Wood. It's easier to shape and easier to repair. You'll be able to see at a glance if any repairs need to be done.

It will probably increase your liability no matter how well it's built because it looks scarier than concrete. 

Slippery concrete shouldn't be an issue. You get to choose the surface roughness as you pour or spray.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

If you are buying an existing concrete product with too smooth of a surface, it should be easy to acid etch the surface to produce a sand finish similar to an old sidewalk.


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## JerkStick (Mar 9, 2004)

Thanks for the responses everyone. After talking to some modular skatepark companies (American Ramp Company) I am considering metal frame skatelite stuff mostly because it would be easier to move around and install. ARC pro series would be around $2500 a take off. I have ridden the pro series stuff at skateparks before and think it would ride ok and hold up well. ARC also mentioned that they are starting a new line of products for mountain bike skills parks and sent me photos of a picnic table setup that looks exactly like the picnic table setup at our park. Maybe we were the inspiration? 

Thanks for the tip on etching concrete surfaces, that's a good one to remember. 

We are trying to avoid building wood takeoffs. We have used them in the past at a different park that is now shut down due to liability issues (CPX outside of Chicago). We feel that building them ourselves brings too much liability and would need more maintenance. Our main goal is to reduce maintenance and we would rather pay more for a more permanent solution. 

We have been trying soil additives but we find them very expensive and do not seem to hold up very long. I am pretty sure that we could have improved our installation technique to get better results. But the ratio of hard work to maintenance intervals wasn't quite what we looking for. 

Thanks for the good discussion, keep it coming!


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## tyler243 (Oct 28, 2009)

maybe once you get the shape right then mix some dirt with concrete powder spread on top of the jump and water it down? just an idea...


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## faceplant72 (Oct 25, 2009)

I'm supprized some of the PNW builders didn't chime in with modular pavers. Try searching Colonnade or the Black rock step up


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

I know you said you didn't want to use wood . . . but it makes a lot more sense and is more cost efficient. If you build it well, I don't know why the liability would be any different than cement/concrete launches. . . . 
There are wood structures out both outdoor and indoor parks all over the world.

..... This dude talks about using a cement/dirt mix:








https://etnies.com/blog/2009/2/11/rammed-earth-trails/

_Concrete 180
by Ted Griesser_


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

Bump. How did it go?


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