FSM
Features
Weathering the storm with effective drainage
As latest figures show UK rainfall at record highs and set to increase, the Great British weather is increasingly having a devastating impact on the nation’s favourite sports – with flooding disrupting international cricket tournaments, football pitches left too waterlogged to play, and golfing greens facing widespread disease. Unsurprisingly, contractors are now
under greater pressure to future-proof sports pitches and ensure playability all year round, which has spurred a new generation of sports construction materials offering
enhanced drainage characteristics – the likes of which have never been seen before. Here, Sean Colbert, Sales Manager at
Garside Sands, examines how the latest innovations in infill sands can help synthetic sport pitches stay high and dry whatever the weather. For many years the famous unpredictable
British weather and inadequate facilities have meant that many sports have suffered. But whether it is the global TV revenues of show- piece sporting events at risk, or the weekly income which local sports clubs up and down
the country rely so heavily on, unplayable sur- faces are causing a serious issue. UK average rainfall is increasing, playing
havoc with sports pitches at all levels of competition. Research from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs shows that between 1998 and 2013, total annual rainfall for the UK surpassed 1,200mm six times. The same only happened once in the 18 years leading up to that period. This trend shows no sign of changing, and
nor is it restricted to the winter months. Last summer we had 32.8% more rainfall than the average summer figure, making it the 11th wettest summer on record for the UK and the fifth wettest on record in Scotland, according to the Met Office. In some areas, of course, the issue is even
more damaging. The Lake District, Western Scotland and North Wales are amongst the areas that experience the highest rainfall in the UK, due to their location and topography, with warm moist westerly winds driving rainfall from Atlantic weather systems. One recent study suggests certain areas of the UK experience rainfall at 300% of the national average, yet pitch design and infill materials do not reflect the variations.
The impact of rainfall
With football stadiums and venues across the length of the UK at the mercy of the elements more than ever, wet weather is increasingly having a detrimental impact on the performance qualities of synthetic
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