TECHNICAL


Snow and Ice


‘Most weather’ pitches


T


o coin a phrase used widely in the world of marketing and advertising, artificial sports turf offers a clear ‘Unique Selling Point’, or USP; that is, the


capacity to support levels of use far greater than its natural grass counterpart could hope to provide.


The potential benefits of this - maximised revenue, year-round availability, prolonged surface life, to name a few - are increasingly attractive in today’s economic climate, where mounting overheads and a squeeze on our disposable income may threaten the financial practicality of sports facilities. However, increased usage is not necessarily a given; regular and thorough care and attention is required throughout the life of an artificial pitch to achieve this,


112 PC October/November 2020


and for the benefits to be realised. A poorly- maintained pitch will soon experience inadequate drainage, reduced performance levels and increased pile wear, leaving the carpet at risk of failure. Whilst the consequences of this might not be immediately apparent, the arrival of each autumn and winter brings with it weather conditions that can impact greatly upon a vulnerable pitch.


If maintained correctly, an artificial pitch should be playable in most weathers, but it is a common mistake to assume that such surfaces are ‘all-weather’, as grounds teams will no doubt have discovered when heavy snowfall hits the UK.


The last thing that owners and operators of an artificial pitch want to be confronted with is a compulsory closure brought about


by flooding and standing water, or else by failed seams or hazardous silt deposits creating health and safety issues that cannot be risked. After all, a considerable investment has been made on the understanding that the returns would be equally high; from a financial perspective, prolonged downtime can be disastrous. Enforced cancellations in winter soon create a downward spiral of lost revenue, from which it can be hard to recover. Beyond this, failing to properly maintain an artificial pitch in the long term will result in even greater disruption - and cost. And, with artificial turf, a product chosen specifically by schools, leisure centres and sports clubs for its versatility, endurance and resilience, it makes no financial or commercial sense to ignore the


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