Feature FSM
sports surfaces. In some cases, we have seen surfaces which were installed as little as 5 years ago rendered outdated and sometimes unplayable due to changing environmental trends, made worse by poor maintenance. For club operators, it has never been
more important to specify the right sports construction materials and undertake the correct maintenance procedures in order to protect their investment. Manufacturers have responded with
continued innovation of sports construction materials including future-proof drainage solutions to ensure longevity and maximum return on investment.
Importance of infills
One area of innovation has been silica infill sands, which serve a number of purposes including weighing down the surface, preventing rippling, increasing fire resistance, protecting the backing and, of course, drainage, by acting as a filter to regulate the flow of water through to the subgrade. Leading manufacturers are dedicating
huge time and investment within their laboratories to develop future-proof infills which can support with the ongoing threat of flooding. ProPitch Elite, for example, is a new generation of infill sand from Aggregate Industries’ Garside Sands and Levenseat division which offers superior drainage performance, specifically designed for sports pitches at risk of flooding.
Product innovations
The secret to this new generation is the inclu- sion of larger rounded particles to provide superior void space for enhanced drainage. Traditionally, market leading silica infills like the 2EW sand from Garside and Levenseat Sands offer a nominal effective particle size of between 0.25mm and 0.39mm. Whilst this remains suitable in most areas, ProPitch Elite signals a new approach for areas of extreme rainfall with nominal effective particle size of between 04mm to 0.8mm Through continuous product development
and rigorous testing, manufacturers are bringing to market products to support operators to overcome the challenge of
increasingly wet winters (and summers too) – withstanding the new norm of average rainfall, protecting their investment and maintaining all-important revenue from sports pitches. In fact, ProPitch Elite is proven to drain 25% faster than the best silica sand on the market, 2EW and 116% better than the most popular competitor sands.
Looking forwards
From 3G synthetic sports pitches for football, the continued innovation of silica infills will help to future-proof artificial playing surfaces in line with changing weather patterns – but only if forward thinking contractors are switched on to the benefits. Working closely with manufacturers, the
onus is now on contractors to understand the issue, educate the customer and deliver added value. For once, we must be encouraged to talk about the weather.
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