01-01-2011, 11:16 AM
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INTRODUCTION
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibres made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. The main reason is maintenance — artificial turf resists heavy use, such as in sports, better, and requires no irrigation or trimming. Domed, covered, and partially covered stadiums may require artificial turf because of the difficulty of getting grass enough sunlight to stay healthy.
A common misconception is that the new synthetic grass is similar to the household carpet. In fact this intricate system involves properly constructing a porous sub base, and using turf with holes in the back, then the product is filled with sand/rubber granule mix which we call infill.
Artificial turf, also known as synthetic turf, has found a prominent place in sports today. Manufactured from synthetic materials, this man-made surface looks like natural grass. With the international sports associations and governing bodies approving the use of artificial surfaces, sports like football and hockey, which were originally played on natural grass, have moved to these artificial sports pitches. So, next time, you find players playing on an artificial hockey pitch, do not be surprised.
Artificial turf has been manufactured since the early 1960s, and was originally produced by Chemstrand Company (later renamed Monsanto Textiles Company). It is produced using manufacturing processes similar to those used in the carpet industry. Since the 1960s, the product has been improved through new designs and better materials. The newest synthetic turf products have been chemically treated to be resistant to ultraviolet rays, and the materials have been improved to be more wear-resistant, less abrasive, and, for some applications, more similar to natural grass.
NEED FOR ARTIFICIAL TURFS
The playing surfaces where artificial turf is installed tend to remain consistent. They require no sunlight or constant watering. It needs no seeding or fertilizers or pesticides and you do not need to mow it down. Such low-maintenance has made is an extremely viable option.
Initially, it was mostly clubs and stadiums that were investing in artificial turfs, but increasingly individuals with a large backyards have also started to choose synthetic turfs for the sake of convenience.
Also, in environments as big cities possess, where soil is scarce and pollution rampant, natural grass finds it hard to grow. If it does grow, it might be uneven, patchy and not as attractive as we would like it to be.
RAWMATERIALS
The quality of the raw materials is crucial to the performance of turf systems.
THE GRASS FIBER
The fibers that make up the blades of "grass" are made of nylon or polypropylene and can be manufactured in different ways. The nylon blades can be produced in thin sheets that are cut into strips or extruded through molds to produce fibers with a round or oval cross-section. The extruded product results in blades that feel and act more like a biological grass. The blades may have different length depending upon the type of field. i.e. blades used for football will be different from that of in hockey and tennis and so on. The detail of the type of games, fiber height, gauge length.
BACKING MATERIAL
Almost anything used as a carpet backing has been used for the backing material, from jute to plastic to polyester. High quality artificial turf uses polyester tire cord for the backing.
Cushioning systems are made from rubber compounds or from polyester foam. Rubber tires are sometimes used in the composition of the rubber base, and some of the materials used in backing can come from plastic or rubber recycling programs.
INFILL
The infill holds and absorbs water which eventually drains through the holes to the sub base system. Some water will run off the top under heavy rains just the same as natural grass. Correctly installed synthetic grass will drain quicker than natural grass.
GEOMEMBRANE
It is used in the drainage system. Its property of draining the water through the top surface without any infiltration towards the bottom layers is utilised for the drainage process.
AGGREGATES
Coarse aggregates or pebbles passing through 3/4” and retaining at 3/8” are used to fill the sub base layer.
Fine aggregates or sand is used to fill the top layer. They are also used in between the sub base layer in order to provide a backing for the drainage system.
OTHER MATERIALS
The thread used to sew the pads together and also the top fabric panels has to meet the same criteria of strength, color retention, and durability as the rest of the system. Care and experience must also be applied to the selection of the adhesives used to bond all the components together.
