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Next Generation Artificial Turf

With growing number of athletes and other sportspersons, the available playground and stadium facilities are becoming increasingly inadequate to meet the current and future needs. Several facilities are in need of upgrading and some additional fields are also required. In either case, choosing synthetic turf over natural grass fields can be cost-effective and also beneficial. Synthetic turf is today favored in the design of professional athletic and sports fields and the products have also evolved dramatically during the last several years. The next-generation products are usually composed of a thermoplastic fiber that is tufted and filled inside with rubber or sand or a combination of both. Synthetic turf is also beginning to usurp natural grass in other applications, such as landscape planting islands, road medians and several golf courses.

There are several distinct advantages using synthetic turf as compared to natural grass. Artificial turfs are maintenance free in the sense they require no mowing, watering, fertilizing, or re-seeding. Periodic maintenance only entails brushing and occasional vacuuming - and that too using a hired equipment. The typical sand-based soccer/football field can use between 2.5 million and 3.5 million gallons of water per year. The reduced maintenance expenses and other concomitant costs for supplies such as fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides - several users have reported savings of as much as $30,000 to $60,000 per field, per year. There are also the environmental advantages arising out of reduced water use. The removal of significant amounts of fertilizer and pesticides means less chance of contaminating groundwater. So, we have safer field conditions for children, pets, and wildlife. It should also not be forgotten that synthetic turf is commonly made of recycled materials. Barring any restrictions imposed by local bodies, synthetic turf is available for use at all tomes and round the year. Artificial surfaces do not become muddy and unusable in wet weather. It is reported that the artificial turfs were safer because playing on them resulted in fewer injuries, especially knee injuries. This situation has further advanced in recent years with the introduction of further improved manufacturing and installation procedures. Some recent studies indicate that these latest artificial surfaces are showing still lower injury rates than even playing on the earlier types of artificial surfaces. With the maintenance savings, increased playability, all weather uses and their associated increased revenues, artificial turf will be the norm of the next generation and generations to come.

David Chaney headed the team of researchers who were responsible for creating the artificial turf. In 1965, artificial turf was installed in the newly built Astrodome in Houston, Texas. It was thereafter that the artificial turf gained prominence. By 1970s, they became widespread and were installed in both indoor and outdoor stadiums that were used for baseball and gridiron football in the United States and Canada. The 21st century brought with it new artificial surfaces that used sand and rubber infill. These next generation turf brought to the fore the concept of artificial grass which are almost indistinguishable from a distance.

However, it will be untrue to say that artificial turfs are without any disadvantages. The cuts, abrasions and burns caused on the artificial turf are of a greater degree when compared to natural grass. This is because of the friction caused between turf and the human skin. Research has shown players who play regularly on the artificial turf suffer from a medical condition known as 'Turf Toe. Some varieties of artificial turf require infill of silicon sand or granulated rubber that is made from recycled car tires. These materials usually carry heavy metals which can affect the water table. The artificial turf is known to become much hotter under the sun when compared to natural grass.