I’ve had two conversations with an individual from Tucson, AZ that has done extensive research on different synthetic turf products. He has visited turf company headquarters and their respective manufacturing facilities to check on the pros and cons of the different products, how they are installed, what infield material they use, the impact ratings and the latest products just coming on the market. If you would like to speak with him please send me an email and I'll forward his contact information.
After all his analysis he is recommending the latest A-Turf product called A-Turf Titan. I’ve seen this product at a product show and it closely resembles a traditional grass field with a shorter “thatch” layer of fibers and a longer layer of fibers. He also is recommending using the specialized sand only infield material (no crumb rubber) with this product. The company is going to warrant this product for 12 years. One reason he gave as to why they can provide a 12 year warranty is the sewn fibers are much denser than some other products on the market.
He said given this situation the company doesn’t necessary need to use crumb rubber as part of the infield which typically provides an impact absorption capability. He has found in the Tucson area that the crumb rubber fields require much more field grooming to keep the crumb rubber evenly distributed across the field, otherwise the fibers begin to lay down and wear quicker as well as reduce the impact absorption properties.
He also has to support multiple sports played on one field and has found the preferred “long” fiber length should be between 2" and 2.5". This length provides a trade-off between the properties desired for soccer and those of football. He mentioned the other reason he prefers not to use a crumb rubber infield system is they seem to produce more heat in the summer and typically cool down for a shorter period of time after they have been irrigated and then generate a similar level of heat and increased humidity as before water was applied.
The company also provides a pad that is installed below the synthetic turf. In addition he said that base of the field needs to be at least 8 inches thick of specialized aggregate. (This has been emphasized at every trade show and education conference I’ve been too. Do not short change the base otherwise you will almost be guaranteed to have problems). He mentioned that most of the installed fields have a 1% grade and a drainage system around the edge of field with at least 8” drainage pipes.
http://www.aturf.com/
http://www.aturf.com/index.php/news_story/b-a-turf-introduces-titan/
The primary reason he contacted me was for field painting solutions on the synthetic turf given the number of different sports he supports. He found that the more seams in the field the quicker you’ll experience failures in the turf. So he is considering temporary paint/chalk solutions to help improve the longevity while minimizing the initial cost of incorporating sewn-in lines.
Given my travels around the country the past 8 years to sports facilities and SportsTurf Managers Association (STMA) trade shows and education conferences there is a theme. Hire the best engineer as possible that has extensive knowledge of synthetic turf field installation, ensure an experienced contractor is hired to build the base and drainage system and will use only the best aggregates, the “best” synthetic turf product on the market at the time of installation the satisfies your field playing requirements, an experienced turf installation team that is backed by the manufacturer of the turf product, a maintenance contract to ensure facility stays within warranty requirements (come out at least yearly to inspect and repair), and purchasing and trained on field maintenance equipment that is endorsed by the manufacturer. STMA representatives shared that the budget must be in place to support the removal, disposal, and install of a replacement system (can be well over $250K). First time installations are running close to $750K to include the base installation.
http://www.stma.org/_files/_items/stma-mr-tab1-2172/docs/2nd%20edition.pdfLabels: Product_Review, Testimonials, Trends, Turf _Tips