SYNTHETIC SURFACES
length and have rubber infill. England
Hockey is currently reviewing the use of
this surface, so its latest advice needs to
be sought before you purchase a rubber
infilled surface for hockey use.
CONSTRUCTION OF A SPORTS SURFACE
Natural Turf
1. Project Brief
This phase reviews the project brief and considers factors such as location,
Natural sports turf is a complex blend sports usage, funding, procurement and project management
of speciality seed designed to provide
2. Project
optimal playing characteristics, with
This phase includes the development of a business plan, planning application
Feasibility
and, if required, funding application. A consultant is often appointed
sophisticated drainage. Natural turf is
commonly used for football, rugby and 3. Site
Prior to the design phase a detailed site investigation is normally required.
cricket but can be used for other sports.
Investigation
This includes topographical, geotechnical, electrical and drainage surveys
How to choose the
4. Design
This phase includes the production of full design specifications and technical
Specification
right surface
drawings
The first and most important thing to 5. Tender
In this section a review of the tender submissions is undertaken. This in-
consider is the sport or sports that will
Process
cludes tender evaluation, short-listing and eventual contractor selection
be played, to prioritise them and to
6. Construction The construction is carried out. If required, independent quality control is
choose the most appropriate surface.
Period
undertaken to assess build quality and design specification conformity
Frequency of use also needs to be con-
sidered. For example, natural turf pitches 7. Project This section includes the handover of the project. If required, performance
can sustain between five and 15 hours Completion
testing can be undertaken to ensure compliance. Additionally, a maintenance
use per week, depending on their design
regime should be provided by the installer and/or system supplier
and weather conditions. Synthetic sur-
8. Aftercare This phase includes the ongoing maintenance programme and warranty
faces can theoretically by used 24/7 minus
period. Performance tests are undertaken to monitor surface behaviour
the time needed for routine maintenance.
It isn’t uncommon for synthetic surfaces
to be used for 70-80 hours per week. for their particular sport. These stan- How much will my
The life expectancy of the surface is dards are often related to a certain new surface cost?
an important consideration. Longevity is standard of play – county, national or Get prices and tenders from several con-
related to intensity of use and, therefore, international – and are more stringent tractors to compare. While the lowest
needs to be factored into the estimated for higher skill levels. If the surface is for quote may be the most appealing, you
life expectancy. This should also be con- more than one sport, the priority sport need to consider if it offers the best value.
sidered in relation to the capital cost and should take precedent but it’s often pos- If, for example, you get four prices and
sinking fund provision and replacement sible to meet the requirement for more three of them are similar and one signifi-
costs when looking at life-cycle cost. than one sport (ie football and rugby). cantly lower, ask yourself why it’s so low.
Natural turf is alive, and if used and Another consideration is ongoing Are the tenders similar? Are they provid-
maintained correctly will perform long maintenance. Some surfaces need more ing like-for-like prices? Is the construction
into the future. Synthetic surfaces don’t than others, in particular natural turf, specification the same? Have they misin-
have regenerative ability and will need but the importance of maintaining syn- terpreted what you want? Take time to
to be replaced once they’ve degraded. A thetic surfaces should not be overlooked. ensure all aspects of your specification
synthetic surface will last between seven Without regular routine maintenance have been taken into account
and 20 years, depending on the frequen- the life expectancy of a surface can be For further information contact Dr Colin
cy of use and how well it’s maintained. severly comprised. In the worst instance Young of SAPCA at
colin@sapca.org.uk
Performance requirements need to be a new surface may be irrecoverably dam- Technical publications and codes of prac-
considered and national governing bod- aged within a few years, resulting in tice are available to download from the
ies often stipulate playing characteristics significant expense. SAPCA website,
www.sapca.org.uk
We have the best range of equipment
on the market to keep your Synthetic
surface in tip top condition.
Whether it’s routine maintenance
or full scale rejuvenation, our
technical experts can advise you on
the most suitable machine and help
you devise a maintenance regime.
Call 01428 661222 today
for information and a demonstration.
Art
ific
ial
www.charterhouseturfmachinery.co.uk
Issue 3 2009 © cybertrek 2009 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital 35
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