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Sports
pitches and tracks
STADIAWORLD
Quality has tradition and that for generations!
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With our equipment you always have a reason to cheer!
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BALLSPORT 1 BALLSPORT 2 LEICHTATHLETIK SPIELFELDER
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CONTENTS
NATURAL TURF, ARTIFCIAL TURF,
CARE & MAINTENANCE 4 CARE & MAINTENANCE 18
INTERVIEW: RUNNING TRACKS &
TIM VANLOO (STMA) 26 CLEANING 28
Natural turf: All you need to know at a glance 6 The highest altitude ProPlay® field completed in Bolivia 22
Sports grounds care and maintenance 10 Artificial turf: Cleaning and maintenance 24
World class turf thanks to top overseeders 13 Tim VanLoo: “Controlling water is the most important part” 26
Providing safer playing surfaces 14 Running track and playing field surfaces 28
Dr. Brad Fresenburg: “Excellent statistical analysis” 15 IAAF certificates: Utmost precision for the elite 32
Hybrid turf: Synthetic support for the natural product 16 StadiaPitch powered by Bosch Rexroth 34
Artificial turf: Complex systems for the football pitch 18 Sports Venues Construction 2018/19 36
IMPRINT
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Copyright © Stadionwelt 2018
All content (Texts, photos etc.) of SPORTS
Layout:
PITCHES AND TRACKS is protected by cop-
Ayman Almzayek
yright. Reprint or use, even in parts is only
Nicolas Quensell
permitted after written consent. Stadionwelt
Ramona Sprenger
excludes all liability and indemnity for the
Editors: accurateness, completeness and current-
Benedikt Hellmann ness of the content. It is not possible to
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The special SPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS is published
Christopher Pauer information. Stadionwelt does not assume
Ganesh Pundt any legal responsibility as well as liability along with SPORTS VENUES 2018/19 – the international
for any wrong information and subsequently yearbook by STADIAWORLD.
Translation: resulting consequences. The issuers of the
Pete Fisher ads are solely responsible for its content.
SPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
TIMELINE
Milestones in the development of playing fields
1968
1958 Artificial track
The first ‘tartan track’ at a major
Under-soil heating event in a stadium was the track
First under-soil heating in a used during the 1968 Olympic
football stadium in Goodison Park Games in Mexico. Tartan was
for Everton FC. The system proved a brand of 3M; Berleburger
to be effective as just two years Schaumstoffwerk/BSW (Germa-
later the pitch had to be re-laid – ny) acquired the rights for the
this time with high-performance brand name Regupol tartan®
drainage. in 2009.
1958
1966
Artificial turf
The Astrodome in Houston contin-
ues as a pioneer of multipurpose,
roofed stadiums with the first
artificial pitch using the product
‘ChemGrass’ from the manufac-
turer Monsanto. From this project
the brand ‘Astroturf’ develops.
4 www.stadiaworld.com
SPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
1996
Hybrid turf
In the formerly McAlpine
Stadium in Huddersfield the
first installation of the pioneer
product ‘Desso GrassMaster’ of
the Dutch manufacturer Desso
was completed. A year later Aston
Villa and Chelsea FC followed. The
pitch in Huddersfield was also the
first that was completely renewed
in 2011.
2018
1981 1998 2018
Artificial turf Moveable pitch Piled up pitches
The first artificial pitch in pro- The first ‘grass drawer’ opened After numerous stadiums have
fessional football, Omniturf, was in 1998 in the GelreDome in meanwhile been bult with
installed by Queens Park Rangers Arnhem, Netherlands which also retractable roofs and sliding/
in the Loftus Road Stadium, has a sliding roof. The Arena auf configurable pitches, Tottenham
London. In 1988 it was replaced Schalke (today VELTINS-arena) in Hotspur present their new stadi-
with grass. Germany followed this model in um which features two piled up
2001 while the Sapporo Dome playing fields: Above the artifcial
in Osaka, Japan also opened in turf (an NFL appproved field) the
2001 and has natural turf that natural turf field will be rolled out
can be driven outside the building on trays.
and laid over an artificial pitch.
www.stadiaworld.com 5
SPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW AT A GLANCE
TYPES OF TURF install, and can be played on after a few days. Under favour-
In gardening and landscaping, there are four different types able conditions (the period from around November to March
of turf. One of these is heavy wear turf, and sports turf also should not be planned in), seeding takes several weeks. In
falls into this category. Other types, for example decorative comparison, rolled turf is more expensive. Over-seeding is
lawn turf, are not suitable for sport. Which type of turf or also carried out to revitalise rolled turf.
seed mixture is used specifically will depend on the type of
sport, the intensity of use and the climatic conditions. As a THE SUBSTRUCTURE
rough guide, different seed mixtures are assigned to a wide The turf comprises – with the exception of the extremely simple
variety of applications. native soil playing field – only the top layer of a layer struc-
ture. According to standardised types of construction, there
ROLLED TURF OR SEED are model solutions for different requirements. The retention of
Only a short time after it has been laid, rolled turf looks nutrients and moisture is always an important factor. However,
no different to a sown playing field. It is simply quicker to above all, the system must be able to drain off excess water.
Picture: STADIAWORLD
6 www.stadiaworld.com
PRICE
COMPARISON
FOR ROLLED
TURF AND SEED
The classic method of sowing grass
is considerably cheaper than laying
rolled turf, especially when thick sod
is used. This means there is a price
range which starts at less than €
7,000 for seed with starter fertilisa-
tion and follow-up maintenance, and
goes up to over € 120,000 for laying
thick sod which can be played on al-
most immediately.
In all cases this requires that the
ground has to be prepared flawlessly
This is mechanically assisted in some types costs, undersoil heat-
of construction by drainage pipes. ing systems are almost AVERAGE VALUES PER TURFED SPORTS GROUND
exclusively built into (8,163 m² = 105 m x 68 m plus run-off areas)
MAINTENANCE professional stadiums Seeding € 10,000
Without correct maintenance and pro- or training grounds for Thick sod rolled turf € 100,000
fessional staff, sports turf has no chance professional sport.
of surviving for its theoretically unlimited
lifetime. A series of regular maintenance PROFESSIONAL STAFF & by professionals. In the case of seed-
procedures has to be carried out contin- MACHINES ing, these are sports grounds built to
uously. In addition, more intensive tasks A greenkeeper – head greenkeepers industry standards. In professional
have to be carried out on a seasonal ba- occupy key functions at golf clubs and stadiums special solutions are em-
sis, e.g. the summer renovation process. upmarket stadiums – has to carry out ployed, and the rolled turf includes
As well as mechanical maintenance, from basic maintenance continuously, and part of the turf-bearing layer. For ex-
mowing to aeration, special attention has must have access to the equipment ample, it might be necessary to strip
off the old grass turf before rolling out
to be paid to watering and fertilisation. needed for the task. Various institutions
the new turf, which can affect the cost.
Adhering to the maintenance plans is the offer further training seminars. Special-
most important basis for healthy turf. ist companies take care of the planning Transport costs for rolled turf should
and construction, and often also the not be underestimated. If products
FACILITIES more intensive maintenance and regen- are purchased which are 2 cm thick,
A drainage system is an essential part of eration procedures, using the appropri- and thus relatively easy to transport,
a high quality sports field, as is a sprinkler ate machines. Regular consultation from communal sports grounds located
system. In sports field construction, the experts is worthwhile conveniently near to a rolled turf
borders have to be considered, together in order to keep the
with ball fences, access, “parking spac- playing field in the AVERAGE VALUES PER M²
es” for the training store and if necessary, best possible con- Seeding € 1.25/m² approx. € 10,000
other facilities including a machinery dition – for example
Thin sod rolled turf € 6/m² approx. € 50,000
store. If the playing field is used inten- in frost-free winters
Thick sod rolled turf € 12.50/m² € 100,000
sively by several teams or clubs, which when the growing sea-
means also in the evenings, a floodlight sons and fertilisation
system is also required. Because of the schedule change. producer can be turfed at a price of
around € 5/m², which amounts to
about € 40,000 per sports ground.
The costs for care and maintenance
can vary. The average annual cost
per playing field works out at a min-
imum of € 3/m², up to a maximum
www.stadiaworld.com of € 6/m². 7
SPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
EXAMPLES OF SUBSTRUCTURES
FOR TURFED SPORTS GROUNDS
T
he following examples demonstrate various typ- all bordering areas and facilities, amount to around €
ical substructures. The turf-bearing layer is the 34/m². It is quite common for this to vary between €
same in each example. Depending on the type 25/m² and € 45/m², depending on the characteristics
of construction, it can be 8 to 12 cm thick, and thus ex- of the site.
tends a little way below the root depth of a well-devel- The costs for the upgrade version illustrated in Exam-
oped area of turf. This layer has to be water-permeable, ple 1 within the prescribed standard represent approx.
easily penetrable for roots and durable. According to 60 %, those for Example 2 approx. 90 % and those for
specifications set out in the respective current stand- Example 3 approx. 80 % of the upgrade version illus-
ards, it consists of a mixture of mineral-based structur- trated here with a subsurface drainage layer, which will
al building materials, i.e. sand and aggregates with var- generate costs of 100 %.
ying organic content. Defining the exact combination to The respective existing ground conditions are of par-
achieve the best possible results for each construction ticular significance for the construction of turfed sports
site is definitely best left up to the experienced experts fields (this applies to all kinds of sports ground sur-
in the sports ground construction industry. faces). Experience shows that a pretty realistic figure
for the extra costs of preparing the site ground alone
CONSTRUCTION COSTS: could range between € 20,000 and € 50,000. Specific
BASIC PARAMETERS FOR THE CALCULATION enquiries from the client as to the expected construc-
tion costs for the site can only be answered individually
The average costs for constructing a turfed sports field, and depending on knowledge of the local situation. In
i.e. a turf pitch which can be used all the year round ac- the light of this, bargain price offers should be treated
cording to the current rules of the technology including with caution.
The turf-bearing layer lies directly on the existing subsoil or topsoil. A con-
nection is created by a process of merging and interlocking, which for ex-
ample can be achieved with a Verti-Drain machine during installation. This
improves drainage, and should not be confused with, among other things,
aeration procedures which are part of maintenance routines carried out
SHALLOW later. These only affect the turf-bearing layer and go no deeper. The prerequi-
SUBSTRUCTURE METHOD site for employing this construction method is that the subsoil is sufficiently
EXAMPLE 1
water-permeable. Construction costs: approx. € 20.50/m².
This type of construction applies to soils which are not sufficiently water-per-
meable, but are nevertheless easily workable. Lateral drainage pipes have to
be installed depending on the nature of the subsoil and spaced at regular
intervals of 4 – 6 metres and connected to the main collection drain. An extra
layer of sand is created between the turf-bearing layer and the subsoil, while
the thickness of the sand has to be aligned with the water-permeability of the
SHALLOW subsoil near the surface. The types of soil which comprise the subsoil should
SUBSTRUCTURE METHOD
EXAMPLE 2 be mixed with the sand in crumb or clump-like form (under no circumstances
by rotary tillage), so that water can seep through from the turf-bearing layer to
the lateral drainage pipes. Construction costs: approx. € 30.50/m².
8 www.stadiaworld.com
SPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
A version of the shallow substructure method, which comes very close
to the subsurface drainage layer method, and is employed when the
subsoil is not sufficiently water-permeable. The turf-bearing layer also
has to be sufficiently water-permeable in shallow substructure meth-
ods. When renovating turfed playing fields it is also possible to incorpo-
SHALLOW rate a combined pipe and slit drainage system, i.e. inserting drainage
SUBSTRUCTURE METHOD slits up to the playing field surface. For new construction projects, insert-
EXAMPLE 3
ing drainage slits up to the playing field surface is not recommended.
Construction costs: approx. € 27.50/m²
This method achieves the best water drainage and storage of nutrients,
even in locations where the ground is not water-permeable enough, with
soils which are not easily workable, in areas of heavy rainfall and high
water tables, or in river valley locations where there is danger of flood-
ing and backflow. A sports ground of this kind meets the most stringent
requirements, is the most robust, reacts best to all kinds of weather and
SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE
LAYER METHOD is standard at the upper amateur and professional level. The drainage
layers in this type of construction should not be made of mixtures of
gravel and sand, but rather of medium-coarse types of sand. This avoids
a capillary break between the turf-bearing layer and the drainage layer.
Construction costs: approx. € 34.00/m².
NEW ROOF?
NEW SEATS?
NEW TURF?
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www.stadiaworld.com 9
SPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
G R O UN D C A R E
SPORTS NC E
AND MA IN TE N A
RDING TO PL AN
EVERY THING ACCO between experts
constant exchange
nance courses. There is a wledge and the
as the care and mainte and fundamental kno
A
lawn is only as good to eve ryone at specialist forums, into tra inin g programmes
re or less clear latest findings are inc
orporated
it is given. And it’s mo er to recommended
has to be don e in ord workshops, which are
from the start what ged ly. Be- and further training o loo ks after a sports
alle gardener wh
deep green colour – for every landscape
achieve that satisfying gar den at hom e cannot l of them.
cause experience gat
hered in the ground, or even severa ed by attend-
ve requirements, sman can be achiev
rts turf, with its intensi Specialising as a gro und
be like ned to spo
and its specific e greenkeeper,
a
grasses, its dra ina ge you want to becom
its specific mix of ing seminars, but if lea st a year, and gather
training for at
substructure. you have to undergo . A head green-
in sports ground during job placement
that maintaining turf practical experience
Even though it’s clear sn’t mean that g position, and und ergoes an even
ic for experts, that doe keeper holds a leadin
construction is a top s, or eve n conjure up
secret recipe more focused trainin
g.
the professionals use ry. This sub- sly seem to be in
moon. Quite the con
tra playing fields obviou
magic formulas at full accordingly When turfed sports extreme external
in scientific res ear ch, and can either be due to
ject area is steeped nowadays. poor condition, this nan ce. Stadiums with
iss ues ssional ma inte
answers to the many influences or unprofe
there are also clear erie nce is req uire d in or- n design also introdu
ce conditions
Admittedly, a large am
ount of exp
gue of meas- a modern constructio ir livi ng bre athing cen-
alo difficult for the
the methods in the cat which can make life
der to implement all son suc ces sfu l ind ustry
k of light and ventila
tion . For exam-
this ver y rea trepiece, due to lac
ures successfully – for the ir exp eri- fron ted wit h thr ee playing
experts pass on ple, the greenkeeper
can be con
t is most-
ence in training one par
fessional stadium:
fields in one at his pro in par tial sha de and the
ne, anothe r is
ly exposed to sunshi In this case
always in the shade.
third part is almost d zon es has to be
yin g fiel
each of these pla ntly.
ed diff ere
maintained and fertiliz
era lly spe aki ng, a standard
However, gen normal
use d for a
procedure can be
foo tba ll pitc h. A grass pitch
communal
sionally prepared
constructed on profes
ground bas ica lly has an unlimited
continually
lifespan, when it is
ova ted by ove r-seeding.
ren
In gen era l, on com-
pletion of a
Picture: STADIAWORLD
The preservation of water
permeability
10
is essential to www.stadiaworld.com
the function of the systemSPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
new construction project, the construction com-
Maintenance plan for natural turf
Example for a standard pitch, high intensity of use, pany gives the owner, or respectively the user or
e.g. 3rd division upwards groundsman written instructions regarding the re-
quired maintenance procedures. It remains open
Period Measure Specific measure
as to whether a specialist from the local authority,
Pre-Season Pitch analysis Including soil sample an employee of the club or a committed voluntary
End of March Spring fertilisation Maintenance fertilisation worker takes on the task of pitch maintenance.
Regular maintenance procedures can certainly be
Maintenance Harrowing
organised “in-house”. Whether this can be applied
Thick sods (e. g. goal area renovation) to all other procedures will depend on staff qual-
May Fertilisation Starter fertilisation ifications, the number of staff available for more
comprehensive measures and the willingness to
Scarifying with disposal
invest in machinery and its professional use and
Chain harrowing maintenance.
June Regeneration Maintenance fertilisation For the more demanding tasks, which are carried out
at longer intervals, and for renovation and refurbish-
Sanding ment measures, it is general practice to call on the
Subsoiling services of a gardening and landscaping company
Aeration
who specialise in sports grounds. Their machines are
up to date, and if need be the specialist will ascertain
Over-seeding whether drastic measures are required, or whether
Chain harrowing the problems can be solved by simple means.
Leading companies in this sector offer tailor-made
End of July Fertilisation Maintenance Fertilisation
packages for various categories of sports ground,
Harrowing in which a catalogue of measures for the whole
Aerification year is compiled towards the end of the winter
break, including mechanical and chemical meth-
Mid-October Fertilisation Autumn fertilization
ods, and subsequently implemented, so that a
Sanding good quality pitch is practically guaranteed. In the
Sand case of new construction projects, the construc-
tion company also provides the user with instruc-
Thick sods (e. g. goal area renovation)
tions and guidelines for maintenance.
Picture: STADIAWORLD
Aerification and
perforation: Spoons or
tines are used to activate
www.stadiaworld.com root growth and brake up 11
surface compactionSPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
NATURAL TURF
MAINTENANCE MEASURES
SCARIFYING using a roller can make sense when newly seeded ground
A thatch of organic material inevitably accumulates on has to be compressed.
every area of natural turf. If the thatch attains a thickness
of 5 mm or more, this can hinder the vital functions of the PERFORATION SEEDING
turf, and promote diseases. The scarifying procedure lets the This method of reseeding combines the insertion of a large
turf breathe again: blades which penetrate no deeper than number of “seedlings” with spreading the grass seed and
3 mm free the thatch from the sward. The remains have to a starter fertilisation. Subsequent chain harrowing creates
be removed. a loose protective layer of earth for the seedlings. After up
to two months including special care and fertilisation, gaps
AERIFICATION in the grass layer can be filled, or a whole playing field can
Aerification is a more intensive and more deeply effective be renovated.
measure than scarifying. The tines of the aerifier penetrate
the ground, leaving holes in it, which promotes permeability MOWING
and root growth, and alleviates surface compaction. Without regular mowing, the sports field would turn into a
meadow. It is essential to ensure that the natural ground
PERFORATION provides constant playing conditions.
Perforation is a method which penetrates even deeper than
aeration, but it is hardly ever employed more than once a WATERING
year. After this the roots take up to a month to regenerate. Supplying the sports ground with sufficient amounts of wa-
This results in increased root growth. ter at the right time is vital. A sports ground built to current
standards requires around 175 m³ of water, if there is no
SANDING rainfall. As a general rule, it is best to water in the morning or
Sanding, especially with quartz sand, helps to level the at night, when the grass blades show the first signs of with-
pitch, makes for good permeability and helps to combat ering – in such a way that the ground is wetted to root depth,
thatch. Sanding is preferably carried out after aeration. i.e. generously rather than sparingly. In summer, it can help
to save water if the grass is mown 1cm higher. Fertilising with
CHAIN HARROWING potassium in spring can help to make the grass less thirsty.
Chain harrowing generally follows aeration and sanding, to
remove the remnants of this procedure. The blades of the FERTILIZATION
chain harrow are adjustable, so that the intensity of the pro- Fertilization is carried out according to a care plan compiled
cedure can be controlled. As part of the continuous main- by a specialist at the start of the season. The mainstays of
tenance routine, chain harrowing helps to aerate the soil. this plan are maintenance, starter and autumn fertilisation.
The respective timing and the definition of how much of
ROLLING which fertiliser should be applied depends in each case
Rolling should only be employed selectively and with cau- on the results of a soil analysis. Only these methods will
tion, as this procedure can lead to extra and actually unde- produce the best results. It is not advisable to fertilise “in-
sired compaction of the ground. Unevenness in the ground tuitively”. And of course the professional’s expertise is also
is better remedied with regular chain harrowing. However, required in the area of pest and disease management.
12 www.stadiaworld.comSPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
WORLD CLASS TURF THANKS
TO TOP OVERSEEDERS
The World cup is over, Vredo delivered six compact overseeders at the
Russia 2018 World Cup, in order to repair the damaged pitches.
S
ix Vredo Compact DZ214.075 overseeders have been
Vredo will be present at the GaLaBau in Nürnberg, Germany,
used in-between the matches at the 2018 World from 12 to 15 September in Hall 8 /Stand 309, please visit
Cup in Russia because of their exceptionally high them for more information.
germination rate. And now the World Cup has been played,
Vredo repairs the damaged pitches. The pitches at Samara, rate. Pedestrian seed spreaders, spiked rollers and driven
Saransk, Ekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd and Ka- single discs seeders seed on top of the soil and therefore do
liningrad are all being overseeded with the Vredo Compact not reach the Vredo germination rate. Vredo machines elimi-
DZ214.075. The surfaces at these stadiums vary between hy- nate most of the environmental risk factors like dehydration,
brid and natural grass and Vredo’s track record on both sur- sunburn, lack of nutrients and bird seedpicking by seeding
faces was another factor that made them the perfect option. with the V-shaped disks that place the seed directly in the
ground at a pre-set depth, which
Overseeding hybrid fields with a Vre- can be adjusted between 5mm and
do seeder has proven to be a suc- 25mm deep. Once the seed is in
Picture: Vredo
cessful combination for many years. direct contact with the soil the slit
For instance, the hybrid fields of the closes automatically and is further
Gelredome Arnhem, Real Madrid, compressed by the compaction
Manchester United and Borussia roller, re-establishing a level sur-
Mönchengladbach etc. are effective- face and providing the conditions
ly overseeded by Vredo Overseeders for maximum germination.
with perfect play turf.
A broadly spread, hand on net-
The Dutch manufactured 1.4-me- work of specialised dealers make
ter-wide machines place seed directly into the ground with sure that in a total of 38 countries, Vredo overseeders are
7.5cm spacings and use a unique Double V-shaped disc sys- being used to take care of all kind of different grass sods.
tem, a 3,5 cm spacing machine is also available. The decision Top field managers, gardeners, contractors, municipalities,
to use the machine at the biggest competition in world football greenkeepers and privat users, all use the different Vredo
was made in co-operation with Russian dealer Unisaw with the overseeders to secure the same top result … Guaranteed
reputation of the machine playing a big part. One of the other green surfaces under all conditions.
key factors in this decision was that (the already bought) trac-
tors (Shibaura ST33HST) could lift the 3 point hitch, 1.4 meter
Vredo Dodewaard B. V.
double disc overseeder. The Vredo Compact is the lightest of Welysestraat 25a
its kind, and therefore the decision for the Vredo Compact was NL – 6669 DJ Dodewaard
easily made …
Phone: +31 488 411254
Email: sales@vredo.com
Vredo is Market leader in the overseeder business. Thanks to Web: www.vredo.com
the double disc system, they provide an unmatched quality
www.stadiaworld.com 13SPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
PROVIDING
automatically generate a PCI for the field being tested,
but it also provides immediate feedback to sports turf
managers about areas of the field that need attention if
SAFER unsafe conditions are present. The digital format allows
the spreadsheet to be used as many times as needed to
PLAYING
maintain records for all fields.
The Natural Grass PCI collects information pertaining to
SURFACES the entire facility, staff and the field itself. Cultural prac-
tices, turfgrass type and uniformity, rootzone composition,
and pest issues are all considered. Additionally, a section
The Sports Turf Managers Association, an is dedicated to baseball and softball fields to record in-
field information. Collection of data on turfgrass cover,
organisation in the USA with 2,700 members, field hardness, compaction and volumetric soil moisture
developed the Playing Conditions Index (PCI) requires additional tools.
to help members assess the playability of To enter data on percent turfgrass cover, the free Canopeo
app can be downloaded. To enter data on field hardness,
their fields.
compaction, and volumetric soil moisture, a Clegg Impact
Hammer, soil moisture sensor, and dial penetrometer are
T
he original tool was developed in 2008 to help necessary.
sports turf managers gain more respect for their Data entered for hardness, compaction, and soil moisture
efforts in managing fields. Dr. Brad Fresenburg has immediately produces a reading that indicates if the field
updated the tool to further address the complexities in- is safe and ready for play, or if it needs attention before
volved in conditioning sports fields for safety, playability, athletes are allowed access. After entering field and facili-
and fan enjoyment. ty data, the tool automatically generates a PCI to indicate
if the field is excellent, above average, average, below av-
STMA is using the updated PCI to conduct a Field Perfor- erage, or unplayable.
mance Study to investigate if it is possible to determine
when a field becomes unsafe for athletes. The greatest The Synthetic Turf PCI collects similar information as the
need for this information is for field managers at high Natural Grass PCI regarding facility information. Field in-
schools and at municipalities in parks and rec depart- formation focuses on field use, base composition, drain-
ments. Each year, approximately 715,000 sports and rec- age and cultural practices. Infill depth and field hardness
reation injuries occur in school settings alone. are also collected and automatically generate a reading to
The updated PCI tool seeks to provide information about determine if the field is safe, or if adjustments need to be
where the sports turf managers’ field(s) are in the spec- made before athletes may use it.
trum from safe to unsafe. Once that information is known, Values for field hardness are calculated based on the test-
maintenance and cultural practices can be employed to ing method. The Synthetic PCI also takes temperature into
provide a safer playing surface. account and makes a recommendation if temperatures
The results of this study may assist in reducing injuries are safe or dangerously high. Baseball and softball fields
by identifying unsafe surfaces, lowering risk and liability are also included in the synthetic version. As with the Nat-
to employers and field owners, determining budget needs, ural Grass PCI, the synthetic tool automatically generates
improving the visibility and authority of the sports field a PCI to rate the field as excellent, above average, average,
manager, and driving innovation in the industry. below average, or unplayable.
The PCI is now available in a digital format for both nat- Over the course of time, STMA hopes to develop a data-
ural grass fields and synthetic turf fields. It is a protected base that will help bring the turf experts closer to making
Excel spreadsheet and users can only enter information in informed decisions about when fields become unsafe by
the cells that allow entry. Not only does the spreadsheet identifying trends with field usage.
14 www.stadiaworld.comSPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
“EXCELLENT How does the Canopeo app work, how does it interact
with the PCI spreadsheet?
STATISTICAL Dr . Fresenburg: Canopeo is an application tool that
measures green color respectively green grass and
ANALYSIS”
allows the field manager to measure a percentage of
green turfgrass cover remaining or the opposite being
the amount of wear or bareground being observed on
a field.
Dr. Brad Fresenburg, turfgrass professor at the
University of Missouri, answers questions about It seems some data required to analyse a pitch with PCI
the PCI spreadsheet and the Canopeo app. are on a very specific level. Is it necessary to integrate
an inspection engineer with his testing tools into the
process?
How have the usage statistics developed Dr. Fresenburg: No, the tools needed to conduct several of
since the original PCI tool was introduced the data points are easy to use and are the same as the
in 2008? NFL is using prior to each of their games. The Clegg Impact,
Dr. Fresenburg: My involvement with the Infill Depth tool, and others like a soil moisture probe do
project began in 2016 so previous to that not require an engineer to use. A company called Turf-Tec
I do not know how STMA has used the in- sells many of the tools required to conduct the test that
formation. The original PCI was simply a tool generates the data points for the PCI.
Dr. Brad Fresenburg design by a committee that field managers
could use to evaluate fields for playability. It Is it a tool groundsmen would use regularly or is it rather
was primarily used to monitor fields in-house for that par- part of a survey that takes place once or twice a year?
ticular facility. Dr. Fresenburg: The PCIs can be used regularly to monitor
changes in the playing conditions of a field while under
Which updates have you implemented? heavy use. More than likely it will be used as you sug-
Dr. Fresenburg: The biggest update since my involvement is gest, once or twice a year. However, once a field manager
the development of the electronic version. It is simply an Excel starts conducting a PCI on one particular field and con-
spreadsheet that field managers can fill in and the program tinues to conduct them over time, they should be able to
does two things: it calculates the PCI number and it creates see the level of wear realized per usage hours and how
a data line that can be pulled into a database by STMA if the that correlates to the amount of maintenance or inputs
field managers send the file to STMA. We now have a spread- that field receives. For that field manager, it becomes a
sheet for natural grass fields and a spreadsheet for synthetic record keeping program. For STMA, it becomes a usable
fields. The original PCI was for both. We also incorporated addi- database to draw conlusions about usage, maintenance,
tional questions on hardness, and playability/safety.
compaction, soil moisture,
infill depth that would provide Does the PCI offer a cato-
some hard data points. When logue of measures or rec-
all is said and done, these ommendations correlating
spreadsheets – if used by field with turf profiles that are
managers and if they are sent generated by the users?
to STMA – can develop a da- Dr. Fresenburg: The PCI will
Picture: canopeoapp.com
tabase that will allow for some generate the playing condi-
excellent statistical analysis tions Index that corresponds
and correlation of field usage, to a 1 to 5 scale for playabili-
field maintenance and playa- ty, with 5 being excellent to 1
bility/safety. being unplayable.
www.stadiaworld.com 15SPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
HYBRID TURF
SYNTHETIC SUPPORT FOR THE NATURAL PRODUCT
U
ntil a few years ago there was only one established Experts in the trade are unanimous in their opinion that
and affordable solution for world-class stadiums. hybrid systems will continue to gain in status. The discus-
But the market for hybrid systems has gained mo- sion is gathering pace, and not just at professional sport
mentum – and football pitches beyond the professional competition venues. The professional clubs’ training centres
stadiums can also profit from this. are also adopting this innovation. And these days the ref-
erence lists of some providers already comprise hundreds
For what is now over 20 years, technology has been availa- of playing fields, which have been either wholly or partly
ble which toughens up natural turf playing fields by means reinforced. However, in the world of popular sports, the will-
of synthetic support – we’re talking about hybrid systems. ingness to make the requisite investments is not as wide-
The manufacturing company Desso started it all off with spread as it is in the professional sector.
its product GrassMaster: artificial grass fibres are inserted
into the playing field. These are anchored in the ground at However, taking a closer look at the overall long-term cost
a depth of around 16 to 20 cm, with just a small part pro- analysis puts this into perspective. It reveals that artificial
truding above the surface. The roots grow and interweave turf may enable more hours of use than natural turf, but
with a mesh comprising 20 million fibres per playing field, the lifespan of the synthetic system components has to
which results in a particularly stable, level playing field with end sooner or later. For this reason replacement at least
increased permeability. This kind of pitch ensures a usage every ten years, including dismantling and recycling of the
capacity three times larger than that of a conventional foot- materials, has to be included in the calculation. In view
ball pitch. The system requires a high initial investment, and of the dismantling procedure and the disposal of system
its care and maintenance differs from standard procedures. components, from which it is hardly possible to separate
This meant that the Desso system has predominantly been the plastic, critics do not consider all issues to have been
adopted in world-class stadiums, such as the English Pre- addressed satisfactorily, as far as the price is concerned.
mier League or in stadiums which are also used for UEFA
and FIFA tournaments. For example, the manufacturer Eurogreen gives us at least
one idea of the costs of a new construction project: “A nat-
In the meantime other systems from various providers ural turf pitch costs around € 270,000, an artificial turf
have proved their commercial viability; the product range pitch about € 490,000 – the costs for a hybrid turf pitch of
has been diversified considerably, so that clubs without a around € 350,000 are also of afforda-
top league budget and local sports organisations are also ble dimensions for local
catered for. The scenery has become more varied for the organisations
groundsmen responsible or the owners of sports grounds, and clubs.”
but also more complex.
Picture: EUROGREEN
16 www.stadiaworld.comSPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
Accordingly, the maintenance and lifecycle costs, as in the
case of natural turf, should be about € 30,000. In this
sample calculation the cost for an artificial turf pitch are HYBRID BEARING LAYER
somewhere around € 62,000. Compared with natural turf, Products in the category “hybrid turf” – other-
artificial turf gives you two to three extra hours of playing wise officially declared as natural turf playing
time per day. fields – are divided into two main groups: hybrid
bearing layers, and hybrid turf. Depending on the
Just like all professional turf products, hybrid systems are respective system, the hybrid bearing layers are
the subject of current research, and of a discussion among created by mixing various synthetic components
international experts. Thus their environmental impact on with the soil, in the form of small net elements,
other vegetation is being tested in experimental set-ups on together with stiff or flexible artificial fibres. Prod-
uct names containing the word “fibre” indicate
the use of this technology. In this way the spe-
cific properties of the turf-bearing layer can be
precisely controlled. For example, the product
“AirFibr” is also focused on biomechanical opti-
misation, which benefits the players by increasing
the elasticity of the pitch.
HYBRID TURF
Hybrid bearing layers serve to facilitate the seed-
Co. KG
ing of natural turf. Hybrid turf, on the other hand,
comprises synthetic grass blades, which are in-
Picture: heiler GmbH und
serted into the turf-bearing layer along with natu-
ral grass. There are basically two types of system
in use – one in which the artificial grass blades
are implanted into the ground as if with a sewing
machine, and the other which comprises a woven
mat encased in natural turf. The classic Desso
GrassMaster is still on the current market, as are
other systems including XtraGrass, SISGRASS,
fields, using different manufacturers’ products under var- PowerGrass and CombiGrass. In the end all these
ying conditions. Their biomechanical properties are also solutions have the same goal, namely to reinforce
being investigated. The values derived from certificated test the turf where there is intensive use, and where
procedures establish the comparability of the systems, and conditions are unfavourable. This doesn’t have to
help to classify them with regard to standard specifications. be a whole playing field; specific procedures can
Because apart from the technical aspects which are im- also be implemented to focus on problem zones,
portant to the groundsman, the aim in the end is also to for example the goal areas, and different prod-
achieve the best possible values for sport applications. ucts can be combined.
Dr. Harald Nonn, Chairman of the German Turf Association,
has this to say on the subject: “These systems which are
reinforced with a somewhat harder surface generally speed
up the game, as ball rebound is quicker and energy re- high topsoil content in particular are considerably softer.
turn to the players is greater. Measurements using a Clegg This does make it feel more comfortable to run on, but leads
hammer produced values of between 80 and 100 Gm. This more quickly to fatigue due to the energy absorption.” Those
places them within the tolerance range, which is from 65 who are faced with a choice ought to look closely at the
to 100 Gm. A key advantage over natural sports turf is the commercial viability for themselves, but also get their play-
long-lasting evenness of hybrid turf. Turf-bearing layers with ers to test reference pitches.
www.stadiaworld.com 17Picture: STADIAWORLD
ARTIFICIAL TURF
COMPLEX SYSTEMS
FOR THE FOOTBALL PITCH
T
he transformation of hard pitches or natural turf due to special conditions. Larger sports grounds or training
pitches into artificial turf pitches has been one of the centres generally offer both types of pitch.
strongest driving forces behind sports ground con-
struction for years. In this case it concerns the future-orient- Outdoor hockey is indeed only played on artificial turf, and
ed refurbishment of existing facilities; clubs which only have sometimes tennis too, but the systems for these kinds of
the old “cinder pitch” to offer shouldn’t be too optimistic special application can be described more briefly than
about attracting new members. This means the pressure of those employed in football. They involve products which are
competition has increased, especially in densely populated now in the fourth generation. Technological development is
areas with a large number of clubs. Looking further into this progressing faster than the updating of standards taking
topic leads to the relative proportion of natural and artifi- place EU wide.
cial turf. The latter is still a substitute, as in the end all the
efforts of the industry are aimed at getting ever closer to the Artificial turf without infill is available, but in football sports
original, but artificial turf enables a higher intensity of use. ground projects the focus is on systems with infill. They
This becomes particularly noticeable in winter, when natu- comprise several components – the mat with synthetic fi-
ral turf pitches have to be closed, during maintenance or bres, together with fine sand infill, and over that, plastic or
cork granulate. Other relevant elements are the elastic layer
and the design of the artificial turf mat. This
makes a latex sealing on the back an is-
sue when it comes to recycling or disposal.
Procedures such as these at the end of the
lifecycle have to be included in the full cost-
ing for the sports ground, so that there is a
budget available later for the corresponding
measures.
For the owner, all the other technical de-
tails, the planning guidelines for the sports
ground construction project and the main-
tenance procedures result in a confusing
mass of information. Without a specialist on
hand, neither the member of staff responsi-
ble at the sport office nor the club can really
Picture: SMG
be expected to make an informed decision.
The marketing departments at the manu-
facturers do indeed strive to prepare their
product descriptions so as to be clearly
18 www.stadiaworld.comregistered trademark of JUTA engaged in the manufacturing of artificial turf
ARTIFICIAL
TURF
FOR FOOTBALL
MULTISPORT
PLAYGROUNDS
LANDSCAPING
AGILITY
www.jutagrass.com
FIFA licensed producer of artificial turfSPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
understandable. But the actual challenges are so deeply structure of the fibres and the cross section of the artificial
embedded in the experience of experts that outsiders are grass stalk are also being further developed, together with
hardly in a position to judge. For example, the depth to properties which minimise heating up in sunshine.
which the granulate is filled is not only important for the
system’s sport functionality characteristics, but also with re- How much high tech does a district league football ground
gard to the price. Furthermore, installing an immovable layer need? This question can only be answered on location while
of elastic wrongly or an incorrectly glued seam can cause comparing all the requirements with the budget available – in
big problems years later. Official inspection of all stages of the course of professional consultation. Apart from that, the
work by a closely involved expert is essential. FIFA certificate is not a criterion for exclusion. It guarantees
the highest quality from the manufacturer in all issues, but
Football pitches which have problems can quickly gain a this is substantiated by renowned companies with certificates
bad reputation via word of mouth – and consequently also which already have to be obtained. However, potential for
the manufacturers or companies involved, who are not to conflict can arise when globally valid construction procedures
blame. After all, every product and production process is according to FIFA standards are confronted with regional con-
subject to quality control to the extent that the largest area struction law and standards, for example the German DIN.
of potential for problems lies in shoddy workmanship, and
not professional maintenance. Using the quality of pitches already built in the surrounding
region as a benchmark for decision in the project in hand
Research and development forges ahead continuously. As a is a proven method of testing the practical feasibility of the
result the plastic mixtures and additives which are the basis issues at stake. But it always has to be considered just how
of manufacturing the filaments are improved. One impor- many construction crews and system components are actu-
tant aspect is to balance UV protection with high elasticity. ally crucial for quality. It is also a good idea to deal honestly
On the other hand, if the matching with the granulate is with the question as to how much effort can be invested in
poor, the shape-retaining properties will not be perfect. The maintenance.
Picture: STADIAWORLD
20 www.stadiaworld.comsoccer
systems
madeto
win
edelgrass.comSPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
The highest altitude
ProPlay® field
completed in Bolivia
ts
Picture: Schmi tz Foam Produc
ProPlay®, the shock and drainage pads by
Schmitz Foam Products B.V., have recently been
installed as vital parts of the synthetic pitch for
the new stadium in El Alto, Bolivia. The playing
field holds a FIFA Quality Pro certificate.
T
he highest altitude ProPlay® field, located in Estadio weeks. ProPlay® panels are puzzle shaped and therefore
Municipal Villa Ingenio in the municipality of El Alto in easy to install during all weather conditions.
Bolivia, is completed. El Alto is the highest major me-
tropolis in the world, with an average elevation of 4,150 m. The stadium was officially inaugurated by Bolivian President
It makes this field the highest altitude FIFA Quality Pro Evo Morales in Villa Ingenio. It was premiered by the teams of
certified field in the world. It is also the first synthetic turf ‘Bolívar’ and ‘The Strongest’ in a classic ‘paceño’. “Brothers and
field with a horizontal drainage system in Bolivia, using the sisters, a small gift to the people of El Alto, to that rebellious
ProPlay®-Sport23D shock pad with an people, rebellious not only for the demands of the people of El
outstanding drainage capacity. Alto, but also for the people of La Paz and fundamentally for the
Picture: Schmitz Foam Products
Bolivian people,” the President said after giving the inaugural
El Alto (Spanish for “The Heights”) is kick. “The people of El Alto from the first moment guaranteed
the second-largest and youngest city us the democratic cultural revolution with their conscience, with
in Bolivia, located adjacent to La Paz their vote and therefore fulfilling our responsibilities to recog-
in Pedro Domingo Murillo Province nize with this kind of works the people of El Alto,” he said.
on the Altiplano highlands. Today, El
Alto is one of Bolivia’s fastest-growing The realization of the high quality field was a collaboration
urban centers, with a population of between Greenfields (who provided the high quality synthet-
974,754 in 2011. ic turf) and Schmitz Foam Products B.V. (who provided the
high performance ProPlay® shock and drainage pad). The
Estadio Municipal Villa Ingenio is the collaboration resulted in this world-class synthetic turf FIFA
first modern stadium in Bolivia and Quality Pro certified system with excellent playing character-
has a capacity of 25,000 spectators. istics and high durability.
The Government allocated 55.8 million Bolivians for the
construction which is about 6.6 million Euros. The stadium Want to see ProPlay® with your own eyes? Request a sam-
covers 22,850 square meters so it has enough room for other ple via www.schmitzfoam.com/contact.
sports. This mainly benefits the children and young people of
the city, so they have a place for training and entertainment.
Schmitz Foam Products
Produktieweg 6
The municipality of El Alto were highly satisfied with the 6045 JC Roermond (NL)
time of installation. Temperatures in El Alto vary between
Phone: +31 475 370 270
-17ºC and 18ºC which can make the installation a chal-
Email: sales@schmitzfoam.com
lenge. This however was no problem for the professional Web: www.schmitzfoam.com
installation crew who completed the installation in just two
22 www.stadiaworld.com® by Schmitz Foam Products Top performance shock and drainage pads Schmitz Foam Products B.V. is the Request your ProPlay® sample at: global supplier of ProPlay ®, the www.schmitzfoam.com/contact perfect shock and drainage pad for high-quality artificial grass systems in sports and fall protection. · Playable in all weather conditions · Excellent drainage capacity · 25 years warranty · Lowest total cost of ownership find us on
SPORTS PITCHES AND TRACKS
CLEANING &
GENERAL
MAINTENANCE
ARTIFICIAL TURF NEEDS LOVING
CARE AND ATTENTION, TOO
A
rtificial turf pitches can be played on inten-
MAINTENANCE PROC
EDURES sively all the year round. In order to be able
to take advantage of this important feature,
Surface cleaning
regular maintenance has to be carried out, and the
Daily removal of leaves and
debris and contaminants playing field has to be kept free of debris and con-
of all kinds with a leaf blow
er. taminants. In addition to this, more intensive main-
tenance and cleaning procedures must be planned
Dragging
for. Because the question as to how often and how
Any unevenness in the gran
ulate, especially in the intensively an artificial turf pitch has to be maintained
heavily played on zones,
has to be levelled at leas and cleaned depends on various factors, there are
once a week. t
no exact answers, but rather basic estimates of the
amount of maintenance. Factors which could have a
Brushing
negative influence include neighbouring trees which
With normal intensity of
use, the playing field is overshadow the playing field, fallen leaves or a cinder
brushed once a week with
a special machine. running track which throws up dust.
Maintenance, Intensive and
reactivation cleaning VEGETATION IS NOT WELCOME
At monthly to seasonal inte
rvals, more intensive proce-
dures are carried out with
special ancillar y machines As a general assumption, there has to be a weekly
with a sweep/suction func
tion. They groom the fibres cleaning cycle. Apart from that, the minimum amount
and put the cleaned granulat
e back into the system. of maintenance for artificial turf – a list of procedures is
Maintenance and intensive
cleaning differ in the depth included in the industry standards – comprises brushing
at which the machine wor
ks; reactivation cleaning is the pitch, which should be carried out once a fortnight,
carried out on severely neg
lected pitches. regardless of what type it is. Apart from this, it must
be ensured for example that fallen leaves are regular-
Wet cleaning
ly cleared in autumn with a leaf blower. If these routine
The system is wet-cleaned,
including the infill, loos- procedures are not carried out, not only is the risk of in-
ened and straightened up.
Among other things, algae, jury increased for the players, but organic debris will also
moss and dust are remove
d during this process. This accumulate in the fine-pore infill material, which can lead
annual procedure ensures
a considerably longer life-
cycle for the football pitch.
www.stadiaworld.comPictures: STADIAWORLD
Signs of negligence: Wear and tear, vegetation and granulate congestion. Regular maintenance helps to prevent defects.
to a layer of moss or algae developing, reducing the perme- The more intensive procedures which have to be carried
ability of the pitch. To maintain the playability of the artificial out regularly but at longer intervals are generally car-
turf, it has to be brushed, and the infill material sieved. A ried out by specialist firms, because local organisations
good machine will bring the sand or granulate towards the or clubs rarely have the necessary machinery at their
surface and spread it evenly. Some multi-function machines disposal, due to the expense. This includes auxiliary de-
can perform these tasks in a single procedure. vices to remove the infill. For these procedures, experts
carry out an assessment of the condition of the pitch,
From an economic point of view, it makes sense to use a inspect the seams and lines, and where necessary
machine which can level, clean and put back the infill mate- carry out appropriate repair work. Even more intensive
rial, vacuum away fine parts and work in the infill, all in one cleaning and maintenance procedures should definitely
work sequence. As well as this, problem zones such as the be carried out before every winter, while the artificial
penalty area have to be given more intensive maintenance. turf is dry. The same procedure is also advisable at the
Due to the heavier use here, the infill material reduces in start of spring.
volume more quickly, which is why the material has to be
redistributed regularly, and topped up if necessary. The fi- One important aspect of maintaining artificial turf con-
bres also have to be straightened again, because otherwise cerns preventive measures during daily operations,
extremely heavy wear can occur in places. which save time, work and trouble. Playing field regula-
tions, for example, set out exactly which requirements
A major comprehensive cleaning procedure has to be car- have to be fulfilled in order to gain access to sports
ried out once or twice a year, during which the infill is grounds, which are often closed to the public for good
filtered to remove debris. This is the only way to maintain reasons. Cigarettes, glass bottles and dogs should be
the permeability and elasticity of the system. This is es- considered taboo. Apart from this, to avoid players en-
pecially important for pitches with sand infill, as the sand tering the pitch with dirty shoes, there are shoe brushes
compacts quickly. available at the entrance gates.
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