Artificial Surfaces
Removing snow from an artificial surface ...
Broom™. This will stand the fibre up and bring sand into place to support the fibres, as well as preventing the sand from becoming ‘locked’ with fines and compacted. Moss is also a common occurrence on sand based surfaces because of the nature of the material. The sand provides ample nutrients because it is normally warmer than the ambient air and constantly damp. It is also more common to see moss developing around the perimeter of a pitch as fencing and kickboards create shady and damp conditions, or on less played areas as the infill doesn't get the agitation it does in other areas.
Regular inspection of these areas will help
to prevent moss from taking hold. If you do find moss on the surface, do not brush it as this will only spread the spores around the surface, compounding the problem. Instead, treat it with an effective moss or weedkiller and, once it is dead, use a vacuum cleaning machine to suck it out of the carpet. Looking even further ahead, I often get
asked about snow and what to do. Firstly, clear the main paths around a facility and make sure they are safe. Even if the surface is under a blanket of the ‘white stuff’, it is likely that sports coaches will want to use the pitch. Whilst it is very difficult to refuse and block the revenue stream the surface
produces, it is worth weighing up the true cost of clearing the snow. Firstly, it is not an easy job to do! If you plough it, you really need to roll the snow, but this will also pull the infill out of the top of the carpet; infill that needs to be there to support fibre. It will then be necessary to pile the snow up, but space is often limited. When pushing the snow with a tractor, this action will stress the seams of an ATP - it is likely that the four wheels of the tractor will be on one side of a seam and a plough or loader on the other. This action can literally pull the carpet apart, then requiring very costly repairs or even replacement in some areas. Also, if more snow is forecast this can be a fruitless and costly task. My advice is to leave the gate shut and close the facility.
With ATPs being damp for the majority of
the winter months, it is highly likely the surface will freeze through the night, requiring a good risk assessment in the morning. More importantly, when the ATP is in use, checks should be made in the evening as the temperature can drop rapidly causing the surface to freeze. This can be quite tricky as pockets of frozen material can lie under a few millimetres of infill, so always ensure the players understand this and monitor the surface during their usage.
... is likely to remove the infill Through their very nature, synthetic
surfaces take longer to thaw than natural surfaces and, because of the very limited solar heat during the winter months, ambient ground heat will be the main source available to clear any snow or frost. Under a synthetic surface, there are many
different layers of material, normally black in colour, which will absorb this heat before it reaches the top and can thaw the surface. It is possible to spread a dry vacuum packed salt (pure salt) onto the surface to assist with thawing, but this can prove expensive and repetitive; again worth weighing up the costs and practicality before conducting. To summarise; be aware of the increased
footfall, longer playing hours and weather conditions when considering autumn/winter maintenance. More maintenance than normal may be required and should include regular brushing to reverse the effects of flattened fibres and help prevent moss from taking hold. Try to collect leaves, mud and rubbish from the surface as it appears - this will prevent it being trodden in - and check infill levels to assist with fibre support. The fibres in the surface are much like a piece of paper and, once folded, it is very difficult to get the crease out of them; preventing this from happening in the first place is the best course of action.
PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 I 113
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