City parks remain a favorite place for recreation and walks for residents of megacities. An integral attribute of such recreation areas is a park bench. As a decorative element, benches were known in the Middle Ages. True, they looked like protrusions from the turf along the wall or the fence of the gardens. Modern models are diverse, functional and very familiar in landscape design.
Bench
Actually, a bench is a piece of furniture designed for sitting or lying down. In any Russian hut, they were necessarily, usually attached to the wall. Freestanding benches were structurally very simple: well-crafted boards were laid between the two supports. The length and width were selected in accordance with the size of the room. In the East, they did not know the benches, they were replaced by carpets spread directly on the ground. Europeans used chests as seats.
Park bench is a small architectural form and plays an important role in the design of the landscape. It serves not only as a cozy place to relax, but also sets the tone for the entire park complex. Incorrectly selected benches can bring disharmony into the general ensemble of the garden. To maintain the style in one key, other necessary small architectural forms, urns, lanterns, etc. are also carried out.
GOST requirements
GOST 19917-93 was adopted in October 1993 as an interstate (it was signed by eight countries, formerly Union republics) standard regarding furniture for sitting and lying. GOST bench park or garden is aimed primarily at the safety of products for humans. The document takes into account all the nuances of products for public places of use:
- sizes
- strength, including shock;
- durability;
- sustainability;
- methods of fastening supports;
- back angle;
- colorants used;
- the amount of harmful volatile chemicals emitted during the operation of the product is strictly limited.
The quality of materials used for the manufacture of shops is regulated by the relevant GOSTs.
Material
The frame of the most common benches is made of a profile metal pipe, aluminum or steel. The seat and backrest are made of coniferous trees, using a bar of standard sizes 80mmX50mm, 60mmX30mm and 100mmX50mm. Such products are classified as budget, they are inexpensive and functional. Wood is necessarily treated with special impregnations that protect against mechanical wear, environmental influences, insects and fire.
A concrete park bench, as a rule, monolithic, will last for more than a dozen years. They do not rot, are not subject to corrosion. The advantage can be attributed to the large weight of the product, to carry it off is quite problematic. Modern processing tools allow you to perform concrete benches of original shapes and colors.
Cast-iron benches in the park area, on boulevards or malls of squares can become a real decoration of the landscape. Fanciful forms of supports, backs and armrests allow you to create or maintain any style, from classical to modern. They use art forging and casting. A correctly stained product will last more than one year without requiring special care.
Wooden benches are very popular. They are environmentally friendly, have a fairly presentable appearance, create an atmosphere of comfort, fit perfectly into any landscape. Light weight makes them mobile. The disadvantages include poor wood resistance to adverse environmental conditions and mechanical stress (vandalism), the need for constant care of the product (tinting, minor repairs).
The combination of materials, as well as the shape of the benches themselves, is different:
- Aluminum support. The seat is made of textile, plastic, wood. Such benches are suitable for a suburban area or a small garden.
- Concrete support. A good option for public places, the seat can be "insulated" with wood. Modern pigments allow you to experiment with the color scheme, adding to the benches attractiveness and liveliness.
- Cast iron support. Forged elaborate forms will become an adornment of any park.
- Wooden support. Affordable, cheap, but short-lived material. Special treatment significantly increases the service life of such supports, but does not completely exclude the defeat of the fungus, rot or swelling of the wood. Most often, pine and larch wood are used, as the most resistant to environmental influences.
Modern technologies make it possible to use not only natural materials. Designers give vent to their imagination by decorating parks and squares with benches of unusual shapes and bright colors made of polymers.
Kinds
There are several types of park benches, the size and shape of which depends on their location:
- ceremonial - decorate the central or front entrances, the feature is an elegant and unusual form;
- seasonal - folding mobile structures, lightweight and very durable;
- water - located near open water bodies, waterfalls and other similar objects, have increased resistance to moisture.
Regardless of location, benches always support the overall style of the park, emphasizing its individuality.
Appointment
In addition to the location, park benches are also classified according to purpose:
- Mobile Made from lightweight materials. The design makes it easy to move products to anywhere in the park. They are used to organize various outdoor activities. They are perfect for equipping temporary recreation areas.
- Stationary The most familiar option is a fixed, as a rule, fixed element of the landscape. It does not provide for transportation within the park area. It is made of stone, metal, wood or artificial materials.
Installation options
The installation of benches depends on the type of supports and the surface on which the product will be installed. For example, a cast-iron bench support in a park area can be attached to the surface using anchor nails. Especially often this technique is used when the park area itself is already fully framed, and it is impossible to carry out any excavation for concreting. In this case, holes for fasteners are provided in the supports. It happens that the rounded or artistically executed form of the supports does not allow the use of fasteners, then the bench is installed on a flat platform.
In private areas, the wooden supports of the shop are simply buried in the ground. Massive concrete benches are installed using embedded parts of the foundation. For reliable fixation of the benches, the supports are lengthened (by welding or bolts) and concreted in pits up to 50 cm deep. This fixation eliminates the possibility of product movement
