Replace cubes as part of an existing pit system
If your venue needs replacement foam-pit cubes, start with the pit’s documented design and current condition. The goal is to replace the correct material in a suitable, maintained system. A fresh top layer does not establish that the base, suspension, walls, entry or underlying cubes are safe.
There is no single cube specification, pit depth or fill percentage that this article can prescribe for every gymnastics facility, trampoline court, obstacle attraction or family entertainment center. Identify the activity and equipment first. Different pit systems use different combinations of loose foam, supporting beds, base elements and edging. American Athletic’s own loose-foam pit information describes several interacting components, illustrating why cubes should not be evaluated alone. AAI loose-foam training pit overview.
An airbag conversion is a separate design project. It changes the landing system and can introduce different installation, operating, power, inspection and rescue requirements. If the present task is replacement cubes, keep the purchasing process focused on documented compatible cubes.
1. Assess condition before ordering a top-up
Have the responsible equipment specialist assess whether the problem is ordinary replacement of a known material or a broader pit problem. Record crumbling, tearing, unusual dust, persistent compression, moisture, contamination, missing material, damaged edging and any reported change in landing behavior. Identify the locations affected and compare them with previous inspections.
Remove the attraction from use when its condition or protective performance is in doubt, including suspected contact with the underlying structure, damaged supports or widespread degraded material. Do not continue operation while using guests to judge whether another bag of cubes improves it. If there is an injury or serious incident, follow the venue’s emergency and reporting procedures and preserve the relevant evidence.
AAI’s equipment assessment guidance specifically asks about cube condition, whether sufficient cubes are present and whether the pit is appropriate for its intended use. That supports a whole-system assessment rather than treating replenishment as purely cosmetic. AAI equipment assessment guidance.
2. Give every supplier the same compatibility packet
Recover the original drawings, manual, inspection records and previous cube invoices. Include the pit manufacturer, intended activities, approved user restrictions and the currently specified cube product. If those records are missing, have a qualified designer establish a defensible replacement specification before seeking interchangeable quotes.
- Cube dimensions and permitted tolerances.
- Foam type, density and firmness or deflection specification, with the test method identified.
- Any cover, coating or material treatment required by the existing design.
- Applicable fire-performance documentation for the supplied material and relevant edition or test method.
- Manufacturer confirmation of compatibility with the pit and intended activity.
- Installation, recovery after shipping, inspection, cleaning and replacement instructions.
Ask for actual technical documents rather than relying on “commercial grade,” “premium” or “fire retardant” in a listing. Density, firmness and fire behavior answer different questions; none alone demonstrates the installed landing system’s suitability.
For a commercial trampoline-court application, the ASTM F2970 series is a relevant starting point for the responsible designer’s standards review. Its public scope addresses trampoline courts and includes exclusions. Do not apply requirements from one attraction category indiscriminately to another, and verify the locally applicable edition and approval conditions. ASTM F2970 public listing and scope.
3. Request documented quotes from identifiable suppliers
Three primary supplier pages provide starting points for a quotation. They establish that the businesses offer foam-pit cubes, not that their products are approved for your particular installation. Confirm availability, current specifications and freight for the actual order.
| Supplier | What its page provides | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| American Athletic, Inc. | Training-pit cubes with published material and size information; quotation contact. | Match to your pit, current technical data, quantity and delivery. |
| Carolina Gym Supply | Cube sizes, material information and order minimums that vary with options. | The selected size/color minimum, relevant test documents and freight. |
| Foam Factory | Cube pack options, material information and links to product tolerances. | Application suitability, dimensional tolerances and handling after shipment. |
Do not compare a six-inch cube’s unit price directly with an eight-inch cube’s unit price. Also distinguish a price per cube from a pack price, a starting price and a delivered quotation. Obtain the size, count, color, freight and applicable tax in one written total.
When a seller references a fire test such as a California technical bulletin, ask which version, material and report the statement covers. Have the project’s fire or building authority and responsible designer determine whether that evidence meets their requirements. A supplier’s material test claim is not approval of the complete pit or permission to store unlimited spare foam anywhere in the building.
4. Estimate quantities without turning arithmetic into safety design
Use the approved design, installation instructions and the specialist’s assessment to determine the installed quantity and replacement scope. Do not calculate a safe fill solely from the empty pit’s length, width and depth. Loose placement, air spaces, compression, underlying components and the intended activity must be accounted for in the design.
Simple geometry can still help compare orders. A six-inch cube has a nominal uncompressed material volume of 0.125 cubic feet. An eight-inch cube has approximately 0.296 cubic feet. Thus, 1,000 cubes of those two sizes represent very different amounts of foam. Those numbers describe ideal cube geometry; they do not describe how much usable landing space the shipment creates.
Hypothetical purchasing example: suppose the equipment specialist specifies replacing 2,400 cubes of an approved size and the selected quote packages them in lots of 300. Eight packs meet that specified count. If extra material is purchased as spare stock, record it separately from the installed quantity. Do not add spare cubes to the pit merely because they arrived in the same shipment.
Ask whether an approved partial replacement is appropriate or whether old and new material should be replaced together. A blanket “top up by ten percent” rule can hide deterioration and is not a substitute for an assessment.
5. Plan the closure, delivery and replacement work
Confirm unloading access, delivery appointment, storage space and any material recovery time after compressed shipping. Arrange disposal and staff or contractor availability before the shipment arrives. Keep delivery piles out of circulation and exit routes, and coordinate storage arrangements with the relevant building requirements.
Use the equipment-specific procedure to remove material and access the pit. An empty pit exposes hazards that may be concealed during operation. Control access, use an appropriate work method and do not send untrained staff into unfamiliar suspension or support assemblies.
During the scheduled work, have the responsible person inspect the underlying system, edging and entry/exit areas. Address defects before replacing the cubes; otherwise new foam may conceal them again. Record the installed product and quantity, batch or order information, removed-material condition, repairs and inspection outcome.
Spieth America’s cleaning guidance, hosted by USA Gymnastics, notes that pits differ in construction and that cleaning the entire foam volume presents limitations. It also emphasizes identifying problems, allowing the area to dry and completing the cleaning log. Follow current instructions for your equipment and cleaning products rather than assuming soaking or spraying cubes produces a fully disinfected pit. Spieth America pit-cleaning guidance, page 11 of the PDF.
6. Reopen against a documented checklist
Confirm that the specified material is installed as directed, the underlying inspection is complete, necessary repairs are closed, access and protective padding are restored and the applicable operating requirements are met. Any required performance or acceptance testing needs a competent person and an appropriate procedure. Do not substitute an improvised jump test.
Review supervision, permitted activities, entry spacing, exit arrangements and rescue procedures with staff. USA Gymnastics’ best-practices toolkit calls for specific foam-pit use and maintenance procedures, including specialized extraction training. It presents these as club best practices, not a universal regulation or a complete rescue manual. USA Gymnastics Member Club Best Practices, Environmental Safety.
Keep the approved replacement specification available for the next order. Track deterioration and replenishment over time, and set aside money for inspection, labor, disposal and freight as well as cubes. The useful purchasing outcome is a documented, maintainable pit system with a known replacement process—not simply a brighter-looking surface.