Pitchcare June/July 2015 Issue 61

Artificial Surfaces

“ Stone layers

Historically and traditionally, we have used suitably graded aggregate to act as an intermediate layer between the drainage layers and surfacing layer of synthetic pitch and artificial constructions. This is based on tried and tested methods of road construction and involves the selection and use of virgin or recycled materials delivered to site and appropriately consolidated and graded to support the layers that sit above it. As the price of materials has fluctuated,

more and more recycled materials have become cleaner and more readily available, and are being used nowadays, but there is

It is worth pointing out that, geographically speaking, some recycled materials are easier to get hold of than others, so a careful geographical analysis and

consideration should be undertaken

Steeplechase jump installation in athletics track 114 I PC JUNE/JULY 2015 ”

It goes without saying that the selection and grade of stone must be suitable to maximise both surface stability and overall robustness

Dynamic stone layers

figures. These days, if building from new or refurbishing, I tend to come down on the side of using gripper rails for synthetic grass systems, particularly where cross-play pitches are marked on the facility. Synthetic grass does not move like it used

to in the past, however the additional detail of a gripper can enhance the scheme overall and ensure the carpet stays in place and minimises any distortion to inlaid lines etc. It is an item to consider carefully, especially the cost, but I believe a sustainable design solution should include grippers in certain situations; however, I am mindful that the industry at large takes a variable view of this.

still a significant transportation issue in delivering these materials to site. Further developments within the industry, in recent times, have focused on these intermediate layers and alternative materials that can be used instead of traditional stone materials. The objective of many of these layers is to enhance the performance of the sports surfacing system, whilst reducing the need for this intermediate stone, either in terms of overall volumes or depth of this material. In very recent times, I have seen systems that advocate not requiring an intermediate layer at all, and can be installed straight over stabilised sub-soils, discounting the need for an intermediate stone section. The success or otherwise of these systems

remains to be proven, but the environmental argument and costs associated with the production, distribution and use of significant volumes of stone is one that the industry is constantly looking at. It goes without saying that the selection

and grade of stone must be suitable to maximise both surface stability and overall robustness, whilst optimising drainage potential through the profile to the drainage system underneath. At this moment in time, my bias is to stick

with what we know works, and it is certainly the case that appropriately graded stone can

be purchased via the recycled route nowadays, without any significant contamination issues, and subsequently used to build sustainably facilities. It is worth pointing out that,

geographically speaking, some recycled materials are easier to get hold of than others, so a careful geographical analysis and consideration should be undertaken. The use of soil stabilisation also offers increased potential for reconsidering traditional construction depths and perhaps optimising the depth of material that is installed as a stone intermediate layer, whilst providing a traditional design solution of sorts. It is one area of the market that is evolving

at the moment and, eventually, alternative intermediate layers will probably be selected and offered as sustainable alternatives. I would always recommend that you view each layer in terms of its compatibility with the other layers of the profile, so as to create an integral system where each layer performs on its own and in conjunction with others to optimise system performance.

Dynamic/Engineered Layers

There has been much debate over the years about the relative merits of so called engineered layers, which typically consist of one or two layer tarmacadam installations.

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