Artificial Surfaces
With stakeholders in the sports sector looking to safeguard their investment in outdoor spaces, the artificial turf industry continues to develop systems to meet a wide range of requirements.
In this article, Robbie Craven, Head of Research and Development at TigerTurf UK, provides an insight into the considerations that need to be made when it comes to the use of artificial turf, and stresses the need to view it as a complete system rather than a mere natural grass replacement
An artificial ‘carpet’ being manufactured A
s an industry, the market for artificial turf can still be considered as one which is still in the infant stage of its
development. Despite the early synthetic grass systems having only been brought to the UK market some thirty years ago, the evolution of the products on offer within this market has been rapid. The result of this is that we now have an extremely competitive market here in the UK, which boasts a remarkable number of different artificial turf systems to meet a vast range of end user requirements.
Whilst the rapid evolution of the artificial turf industry is exciting and has increased the appeal of artificial grass, consequently, assessments relating to which systems are most suitable for which requirements have become more complex.
Whether we’re looking at an open
recreational space for a community football club, or an elite level tennis academy, the behavioural characteristics of the surface will need to be considered from the outset. The raw materials used to manufacture the early generations of artificial turf has since been upgraded by alternative materials which are cheaper and more versatile. Given the number of materials used by different manufacturers to construct artificial grass today, each different product will boast an alternative range of traits and maintenance conditions.
106 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
The material with which the end-users have the most interaction is the yarn used to form the artificial grass itself. Here, we generally see four different types of yarn used to offer different aesthetics, not to mention a range of performative features.
The different types of yarn
- Fibrillated yarns - in this instance, a wide tape yarn is perforated to create a strong lattice structure which, during usage, splits into individual blades to produce a multi-fibre appearance at the exposed surface but maintains the lattice structure within the infill.
- Monofilament yarns - are individually created filaments which are twisted or wrapped together during yarn manufacturing to form a multiple filament yarn. The manufacturing process enables different profiles and thicknesses to be offered, which has the potential to increase durability, resilience and improve aesthetic effect.
The finish of a monofilament yarn can also vary depending on end-user requirements. As an example, straight monofilament yarn can be created to reduce ball roll and offer a slower surface for rugby and football. A texturised yarn can also be offered to give non-directional ball roll and a faster surface for hockey and tennis.
- Texturised yarns - this is a straight yarn that has been heat set to produce
3G, the latest generation of artificial turf, comprises a long pile and open construction which utilises the advanced monofilament and fibrillated straight yarns
a tight, curly appearance. The benefit of this is its allowance for a non- directional surface which prevents ball roll and bounce deviation for hockey and tennis, whilst it can also be thatched in layers for landscaping.
- Profiled yarns - a profiled yarn is shaped during the extrusion process in order to offer various performance qualities. Two dimensional shaped profiled yarns offer the capability to encapsulate a sand or rubber infill, whilst three dimensional shaped yarns are designed to spring back upright after wear, which ensures its ball/surface and aesthetic characteristics remain intact.
It is important to remember that behind
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