SYNTHETICS OFFER REAL SOLUTIONS

Synthetic grass surfaces have come of age. Modern manufacturers have focused on achieving products that replicate natural sports turf of the highest standard, and the results are now so realistic that they are accepted by governing bodies throughout the world.

As well as offering top quality performance standards, today's artificial turf can withstand a far greater level of wear than even the best maintained natural pitches could tolerate. This resilience and durability enables local authorities, schools and other organisations to develop revenue-earning facilities that are available 24 hours a day. They can also accommodate non-sporting events like rock concerts and exhibitions.

Other than being green in colour, the earliest synthetic installations bear little resemblance to their modern counterparts. Many simply consisted of the basic artificial turf laid directly on a sub-base, whose composition was tweaked in a somewhat haphazard effort to alter its playing characteristics.

Since then, the concept of incorporating a sand or rubber crumb infill at the bottom of the synthetic carpet pile has been adopted. This provides a surface that is more forgiving of sliding tackles, and which can give predictable, realistic ball bounce.

But what has also taken place is a shift in market requirements. With many stadiums now having to be all-seater affairs, designers are building upwards with higher stands to accommodate the maximum number of seats. The downside is a reduction in the amount of sunlight falling on the pitch, and this can prohibit growth and encourage disease of natural grass.

Again, in many situations, synthetic turf offers an alternative solution - and the only viable one in some circumstances.

Synthetic turf manufacturers have developed ‘third generation' systems that meet recognised performance standards, based on the characteristics of the best natural turf playing surfaces. These stipulate parameters for ball roll, bounce, pace and friction force.

Third generation (3G) systems resemble previous sand-filled surfaces, but have a significantly increased pile height. This is typically up to 65mm, with infill material, usually a rubber crumb, incorporated to approximately two-thirds of this height. This gives greater shock absorption, and the higher pile means that a full-sized blade style boot stud can be accepted by the surface, just like natural grass.

George Mullan, (left) Chief Executive Officer of SIS (Support in Sport) Ltd, says that the increasing popularity of synthetic surfaces is shown by the growth in demand for the yarn used to make the artificial carpet.

"The latest research shows that the European synthetic turf market alone has increased from 16.9 million square metres in 2003, to 25.6 million square metres in 2005. Similarly, the number of yarn manufacturers has risen dramatically," he says.

SIS are unique in the sports turf construction world because they offer both natural and synthetic installations. These can be adapted to match the standard of competition that will be played on the surface. By offering both types, the optimum solution can be recommended for individual clients. By understanding the merits of both types of surface, SIS are well placed to appreciate their relative places.

George Mullan believes that, where maximum usage is required of a pitch, the resilience of 3G synthetic turf comes into its own. "Natural grass can accommodate a maximum of 300 hours of play per year. Reinforced turf systems, incorporating plastic fibres with real grass, can achieve around 800 hours. However, artificial turf can provide over 2,500 hours of play annually, making them the obvious choice for local authorities and sports clubs seeking the most resilient multi-use surfaces."

George adds, "This in no way denigrates the superb and familiar surface of natural sports turf. We grow and install pitches throughout the UK, Germany and Portugal, and as our installation of natural pitches at Real Madrid shows, it remains the surface choice of professional footballers."

To ensure quality and consistency of the artificial surfaces they install, SIS has recently acquired a manufacturing facility in Cumbria. This enables the company to control all aspects, from production to installation.

"The yarn is purchased from selected suppliers, and is then tufted by one of six specialist machines at our factory," says George Mullan. "The resultant carpet is then sent through our backing plant where latex is added for stability and the end product is then ready for installation."

Manufacturing Director Brian Docherty at the factory explains how synthetic turf can now impersonate the real thing so well, "Polymer technology for the yarn used has come a long way - it's not just the natural looking colour of course - the yarn, typically made of polypropylene or polyethylene, is tufted just like a deep carpet you may have in your home, but the ‘blades' can be monofilaments, just single strands, or they can be split, or fibrillated, to give a denser looking product with different performance characteristics."

The yarn itself can also be texturised, twisted or straight and be of different weights - thicker, thinner or heavier, and then it can be tufted at a variety of densities too and at different pile heights, usually dependent on its end usage requirements.

Advances in the technology have not just stopped at the raw material replicating the grass sward, equally important is the backing material. This needs to provide safe cushioning for the players, and be equally strong in all directions. "Without assurances on player safety provided by the latex backing, its ability to absorb shock and prevent the carpet ‘creeping', synthetic turf surfaces would simply not be acceptable to players or any sporting body." adds Brian

The intensive use of synthetic pitches puts extreme mechanical demands on the backing material which needs to perform consistently and without distortion especially at the seams. For wide spread approval, the surface needs to be smooth throughout, with equal stability, durability and uniform traction.

"We are the only company in the UK that combines the manufacture of synthetic turf for a complete range of pile heights and constructs and installs the synthetic pitches themselves, while employing our own specialist staff throughout. This ensures that we achieve the highest standards that 3G systems can provide for facility managers and players." says George Mullan.

The SIS Manufacturing facility currently produces synthetic grass turf widely used on football, rugby, hockey, cricket, tennis and multi-games areas. With increased investment in innovative production and quality control procedures, the factory is gearing up to meet the demands of the expanding market, especially for high quality training surfaces and indoor facilities at all levels of sport from professional clubs to local authority community uses. Like their natural turf product which can be customised to meet specific customer requirements, SIS Manufacturing will also be able to offer that same attention to detail with their synthetic turf product, bearing in mind what the customer wants every step of the way.

"Today's systems are this good because manufacturers have consulted the players, the groundsmen and governing bodies of sport. We know what they require, and we can create carpets that give consistent ball-player interaction, and which look and feel realistic," says George Mullan.

3G pitches have been accepted on the world stage. Artificial turf was first used in international competition at the FIFA U-17 World Championships in Finland in 2003 and from the 2004/05 season onwards, any UEFA competition matches could be played on synthetic surfaces meeting approved standards.

Top-flight hockey has been played exclusively on artificial turf for many years, and the International Rugby Board has introduced performance tests that will enable the development of synthetic systems that meet appropriate quality standards.

"The latest 3G synthetic turf products are an answer to modern pressures exerted by the demands of sport," says George Mullan. "Playing seasons are getting longer and longer, so that matches are played virtually all year round. Natural turf simply cannot stand that intensity."
Perhaps the strongest argument for synthetic turf is its consistency of performance. As FIFA points out, many regions of the world suffer from extreme climatic conditions, and as a result are often without adequate natural grass pitches. Synthetic pitches can offer a solution.