Artificial Turf Options

Compiled by Kevin Burrows, Assistant Editor

 

Over 250 Desso GrassMaster fields, which are a blend of natural and synthetic fibers, have been installed worldwide, most notably in the U.S. at INVESCO Field at Mile High, home of the Denver Broncos, and Lincoln Financial Field Stadium, home of the Philadelphia Eagles

As more and more athletic facilities are moving away from natural grass in favor of artificial turf, the number of companies vying for your sports field dollar has also increased. However, trying to decide which manufacturer to choose can be a challenge.

Twenty years ago, artificial turf was notorious for being unforgiving and unpopular with athletes because of its unnatural feel and the injuries it caused. Today, after decades of research and development, there are a number of player-friendly, state-of-the-art synthetic turf options available. While each are manufactured from synthetic materials and made to look like natural grass, they all have certain advantages and disadvantages. Some even incorporate natural grass into their design.

Because of this trend, LSMP is looking at the most popular types of synthetic turf, used on the battlefields of the NFL and major college football.

In 2007 FieldTurf replaced the natural grass that Ohio State had been playing on since 1990. Prior to that, OSU played on an artificial turf surface from 1970-89. The Buckeyes became the fourth Big Ten university to have FieldTurf in their football stadium, joining Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Desso Sports Systems

For over 25 years European-based Desso Sports Systems has been developing artificial surfaces. Their distributor in the United States, Canada and Mexico is Surface Solutions North America. Offering a number of sports surfacing products for outdoor (synthetic turf, artificial grass, reinforced natural grass, and DD GrassMaster) sports facilities. Notable locations of Desso?EUR??,,????'???s Challenge Pro artificial surface include Colorado Rapids, Prairie Gateway Complex, the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Colorado, Columbia University in New York, and the University of Wyoming.

Desso DD GrassMaster is a sports field comprised of natural grass reinforced with synthetic grass fibers. The unique element of this reinforced natural grass system is the 20 million artificial grass fibers injected 20 cm deep into the turf. During the growing process, the roots of the natural grass entwine with the synthetic grass fibers and anchor the turf into a stable and even field. In this way the natural grass fibers are well protected against tackles and sliding.

Sportexe

Sportexe??????oe has been making surfacing products for the sports industry since their incorporation in 1989. They put their turf through a battery of 21 tests and independent studies as well as a training and certification program, called Sportexe University. They continue to try to improve the technology that enhances performance, shock absorption, longevity and fiber characteristics.

Sportexe can be found on their fields of teams such as the New Orleans Saints, the Baltimore Ravens, University of California, Berkeley, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Alabama, and St. Mary?EUR??,,????'???s University to name a few.

Notable Realgrass locations include Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys (shown here), West Virginia Tech University, Di Tan Sports Center in China, University of Montreal soccer field, Pachuca Football Club in Mexico City, Mexico, Panathankis Football Club in Athens, Greece, as well as a number of high school football fields throughout Texas.

Astroturf

AstroTurf has been producing a wide array of synthetic turf products for more than 40 years. Their flagship product for sports fields is AstroPlay??????oe, which features a unique combination of rubber and nylon fiber in a polyethylene fiber matrix. This produces a grass-like foot movement, feel appearance and ball response.

Designed for high performance, heavy use and ?EUR??,,????'??+ most important ?EUR??,,????'??+ impact AstroPlay??????oe is available with different types of fiber and pads to suit varying needs. Most notably, Astroplay can be found at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, as well as a number of FIFA affiliated soccer stadiums around the country.

Realgrass

RealGrassTM Matrix incorporates life like individual blades of grass, tufted into a strong and dimensionally stable backing system available with a polyurethane pre-coat. It is filled with a pea gravel and cuboidal rubber infill. The monofilament fibers curl down to cover and trap the rubber granules preventing the system from expelling the infill upon impact. RealGrassTM Matrix is a fully UV stabilized system made for outdoor use.

Fieldturf

The most widely used surface in the U.S., FieldTurf?EUR??,,????'???s fiber surface is soft, which allows players to slide, tackle and tumble on the treated Polyethylene fibers without fear of abrasions. In addition, unlike traditional turf, it does not rely on an underlying shock pad for safety, and resilience. Rather, its grass fibers are surrounded and stabilized by a mixture of smooth, rounded silica sand and rubber granules.

For more information visit: Astroturf.com/astroplay, realgrass.com, sportexe.com, fieldturf.com and surfacesolutionsna.com