Spider Arches rope climbing structure for public play areas

Spider Arches is a rope climbing structure formed by three hot dip galvanised steel arches of 168.3 mm diameter, joined at the apex and filled with a tensioned spatial net. The climbing volume is the net itself, so a large number of children can use the structure at once without the queuing that a single ladder or slide creates.

At the centre of the volume a diamond shaped rope block runs from the ground to the apex, reached through three triangular entry nets at the base. A horizontal net divides the diamond at 1.9 m and acts as an intermediate rope deck as well as a barrier against falls from the upper part of the structure. A reinforced rubber mat of 9 mm thickness is fitted at 2.7 m. Three rope seats made from a dense net with a mesh of no more than 120 x 120 mm sit in the upper part, and three rope climbs, a rope ladder and an inclined rope wall lead to the intermediate deck.

Technical specification

Where this structure earns its place

A net structure suits sites where the brief asks for high capacity on a compact plan: school grounds, residential developments, campsites and municipal parks. Climbing on a tensioned net is self limiting, because a child only climbs as high as their own grip allows, and the intermediate net at 1.9 m breaks the fall line through the middle of the volume.

Playground equipment is installed and inspected under EN 1176 and the surfacing under EN 1177. The free height of fall on the finished structure sets the critical fall height the surfacing must be tested to, so the surfacing is specified once the equipment and its orientation are fixed. The adjustable turnbuckles allow the net tension to be reset during annual inspection, which is the main maintenance operation on a rope structure.

Frequently asked questions

What safety area should be allowed?

The impact area is issued with the implantation drawing for your site. It follows the final position of the three arches and the measured free height of fall, so we confirm it against your plan rather than publishing a generic figure.

Do the ropes need retensioning?

Yes. The spatial net is tensioned with hot dip galvanised turnbuckles designed to be adjusted, and tension is checked at the periodic inspection required by EN 1176.

Is the structure suitable for unsupervised public use?

It is designed for permanent installation in public play areas. Access control is not required, but the operator remains responsible for the routine, operational and annual inspections set out in EN 1176.