Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
ARTIFICIAL TURF
Submitted to:
by:
Submitted
Aman
B. Tech III
ID NO.
Uttarakhand
2013-17
Batch
Acknowledgement
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all those who provide
me the possibility to complete this report. This report becomes a reality
with the kind support and help of many individuals. I would like to extend
my sincere thanks to all of them.
I would like to express my special gratitude and thanks to my advisers, my
roommates, friends and all of my faculties, who helped me in completion
of this report.
I would also like to thank my Head of Department Dr.M.P.S. Chauhan Sir
for guiding and correcting various mistakes of mine with attention and
care.
My thanks and appreciations also go to my colleagues and peoples who
have willingly helped me out with their abilities.
Abstract
Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural
grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are
normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential
lawns and commercial applications as well. The main reason is
maintenanceartificial turf stands up to heavy use, such as in sports, and
requires no irrigation or trimming. Domed, covered, and partially covered
stadiums may require artificial turf because of the difficulty of getting
grass enough sunlight to stay healthy. But artificial turf does have its
downside: limited life, periodic cleaning requirements, petroleum use,
toxic chemicals from infill, and heightened health and safety concerns.
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. History
3. Profile
4. Raw Materials
5. Infill Materials
6. Manufacturing process
7. Installation
8. Applications
9. Environmental Effects
10.
Comparison
11.
Benefits
12.
Demerits
13.
Conclusion
14.
Reference
15.
INTRODUCTION
Artificial turf is a surfacing material used to imitate grass. It is generally
used in areas where grass cannot grow, or in areas where grass
maintenance is impossible or undesired. Artificial turf is used mainly in
sports stadiums and arenas, but can also be found on playgrounds and in
other spaces.
Artificial turf has been manufactured since the early 1960s, and was
originally produced by Chemstrand Company (later renamed Monsanto
Textiles Company). It is produced using manufacturing processes similar
to those used in the carpet industry. Since the 1960s, the product has
been improved through new designs and better materials. The newest
synthetic turf products have been chemically treated to be resistant to
ultraviolet rays, and the materials have been improved to be more wearresistant, less abrasive, and, for some applications, more similar to natural
grass.
HISTORY
David Chaney who moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1960 and later
served as Dean of the North Carolina State University College of Textiles
headed the team of Research Triangle Park researchers who created the
first notable artificial turf. That accomplishment led Sports Illustrated to
declare Chaney as the man "responsible for indoor major league baseball
and millions of welcome mats."
Artificial turf was first installed in 1964 on a prep school recreation area in
Rhode Island. The material came to public prominence in 1966, when
AstroTurf was installed in the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The state-ofthe-art indoor stadium had attempted to use natural grass during its initial
season in 1965, but this failed miserably and the field conditions were
grossly inadequate during the second half of the season, with the dead
grass painted green. Due to a limited supply of the new artificial grass,
only the infield was installed before the Houston Astros' home opener in
April 1966, the outfield was installed in early summer during an extended
Astros road trip and first used after the All-Star Break in July.
The use of AstroTurf and similar surfaces became widespread in the U.S.
and Canada in the early 1970s, installed in both indoor and outdoor
stadiums used for baseball and football. More than 11,000 artificial turf
playing fields have been installed nationally. More than 1,200 were
installed in the U.S. in 2013 alone, according to the industry group the
Synthetic Turf Council.
Maintaining a grass playing surface indoors, while technically possible, is
prohibitively expensive. Teams who chose to play on artificial surfaces
outdoors did so because of the reduced maintenance cost, especially in
colder climates with urban multi-purpose "cookie cutter" stadiums such as
Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium and
Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium.
PROFILE
Most synthetic turf systems installed today include a drainage layer, a
multi-layered backing system, and resilient "grass" blades that are infilled
with a granular filler to resemble natural turf. "Infilled" means that the
man-made grass blades are interspersed with a top soil created with sand
and/or granulated recycled tire rubber or other infill materials that provide
the necessary stability, uniformity, and resiliency. Each blade customarily
stands above the infill material. The typical blade length and system
characteristics are determined by the specific activity requirements. In
some applications, the synthetic turf system includes a pad or elastic
layer underneath the turf, often in combination with lower pile height and
less infill.
RAW MATERIALS
The quality of the raw materials is crucial to the performance of turf
systems. Almost anything used as a carpet backing has been used for the
backing material, from jute to plastic to polyester. High quality artificial
turf uses polyester tire cord for the backing.
The fibers that make up the blades of "grass" are made of nylon or
polypropylene and can be manufactured in different ways. The nylon
blades can be produced in thin sheets that are cut into strips or extruded
through moulds to produce fibers with a round or oval cross-section. The
extruded product results in blades that feel and act more like biological
grass.
Cushioning systems are made from rubber compounds or from polyester
foam. Rubber tires are sometimes used in the composition of the rubber
base, and some of the materials used in backing can come from plastic or
rubber recycling programs. The thread used to sew the pads together and
also the top fabric panels has to meet the same criteria of strength, colour
retention, and durability as the rest of the system. Care and experience
must also be applied to the selection of the adhesives used to bond all the
components together.
INFILL MATERIALS
Crumb Rubber: Crumb Rubber is derived from scrap car and truck tires
that are ground up and recycled. Two types of crumb rubber infill exist:
Ambient and Cryogenic. Together these make up the most widely used
infill in the synthetic sports field and landscape market. Crumb rubber
infill is substantially metal free, and, according to the STC (Synthetic Turf
Council) Guidelines for Crumb Rubber Infill, should not contain liberated
fiber in an amount that exceeds .01% of the total weight of crumb rubber.
Coated Rubber Infill: Both ambient and cryogenic rubber can be coated
with colorants, sealers, or anti-microbial substances if desired. Coated
rubber provides additional aesthetic appeal, reduction of dust by products
during the manufacturing process and complete encapsulation of the
rubber particle.
EPDM Infill: EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) is a polymer
elastomer with high resistance to abrasion and wear and will not change
its solid form under high temperatures. Typical EPDM colours are green
and tan. EPDM has proven its durability as an infill product in all types of
climates. Its excellent elasticity properties and resistance to atmospheric
and chemical agents provide a stable, high performance infill product.
Organic Infill: There are several organic infills available in the North
American market, all utilizing different organic components, such as
natural cork and/or ground fibers from the outside shell of the coconut.
These products can be utilized in professional sports applications as well
as for landscaping. At the end of its life cycle it can be recycled directly
into the environment.
Sand (Silica) Infill: Pure silica sand is one of the original infilling
materials utilized in synthetic turf. This product is a natural infill that is
non-toxic, chemically stable and fracture resistant. Silica sand infills are
typically tan, off-tan or white in colour and - depending upon plant
location may be round or sub-round in particle shape. As a natural
product there is no possibility of heavy metals, and the dust/turbidity
rating is less than 100. It can be used in conjunction with many other
infills on the market to provide a safe and more realistic playing surface.
The round shape plays an integral part in the synthetic turf system. It is
important that silica sand have a high purity (greater than 90%) to resist
crushing and absorption of bacteria and other field contaminants. Silica
sand can either be coated with different materials as a standalone product
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
The "grass" part of a turf system is made with the same tufting techniques
used in the manufacture of carpets.
1. The first step is to blend the proprietary ingredients together in a
hopper. Dyes and chemicals are added to give the turf its traditional
green color and to protect it from the ultraviolet rays from the sun.
2. After the batch has been thoroughly blended, it is fed into a large
steel mixer. The batch is automatically mixed until it has a thick,
taffy-like consistency.
3. The thickened liquid is then fed into an extruder, and exits in a long,
thin strand of material.
4. The strands are placed on a carding machine and spun into a loose
rope. The loose ropes are pulled, straightened, and woven into yarn.
The nylon yarn is then wound onto large spools.
INSTALLATION
Artificial turf installation and maintenance is as important as its
construction.
1. The base of the installation, which is either concrete or compacted
soil, must be levelled by a bulldozer and then smoothed by a steam
roller. Uneven surfaces will still be evident once the turf is applied.
APPLICATIONS
BASEBALL
Artificial turf was first used in Major League Baseball in the Houston
Astrodome in 1966, replacing the grass field used when the stadium
opened a year earlier. Even though the grass was specifically bred for
indoor use, the dome's semi-transparent Lucite ceiling panels, which had
been painted white to cut down on glare which bothered the players, did
not pass enough sunlight to support the grass. For most of the 1965
season, the Astros played on green-painted dirt and dead grass.
The solution was to install a new type of artificial grass on the field,
ChemGrass, which became known as AstroTurf. Because the supply of
AstroTurf was still low, only a limited amount was available for the first
home game. There was not enough for the entire outfield, but there was
enough to cover the traditional grass portion of the infield. The outfield
remained painted dirt until after the All-Star Break. The team was sent on
an extended road trip before the break, and on 19 July 1966, the
installation of the outfield portion of AstroTurf was completed.
Artificial turf was later installed in other new "cookie-cutter" stadiums
such as Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, Philadelphia's Veterans
Stadium, and Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium. Early AstroTurf baseball
fields used the traditional all-dirt path, but in the early 1970s, teams
began using the "base cut-out" layout on the diamond, with the only dirt
being on the pitcher's mound, batter's circle, and in a "sliding box" around
each base. With this layout, a painted arc would indicate where the edge
of the outfield grass would normally be, to assist fielders in positioning
themselves properly.
The biggest difference in play on artificial turf was that the ball bounced
higher than on real grass, and also travelled faster, causing infielders to
play farther back than they would normally, so that they would have
sufficient time to react. The ball also had a truer bounce than on grass, so
that on long throws fielders could deliberately bounce the ball in front of
the player they were throwing to, with the certainty that it would travel in
a straight line and not be deflected to the right or left.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
The first professional American football team to play on artificial turf was
the then-Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans), at the time part of
the American Football League, who moved into the Astrodome in 1968
which had installed AstroTurf two years prior. In 1969, Franklin Field, the
stadium of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
switched from grass to artificial turf. Also home of the Philadelphia Eagles,
it was the first National Football League stadium to use artificial turf.
In 2002, CenturyLink Field, originally planned to have a natural grass field,
was instead surfaced with FieldTurf upon positive reaction from the Seattle
Seahawks when they played on the surface at their temporary home,
Husky Stadium during the 2000 and 2001 seasons.
In 2006, Gillette Stadium, the football stadium of the New England Patriots
and the New England Revolution, switched from grass to FieldTurf due to
the conflict of poor weather and hosting many sporting and musical
events at the stadium. It is one of 13 National Football League stadiums
that have artificial turf instead of grass fields; the Giants and Jets (who
share a stadium) and Bengals actually switched from AstroTurf to natural
grass before reverting to a next-generation artificial surface.
All nine stadiums in the Canadian Football League currently use artificial
turf.
FIELD HOCKEY
The introduction of synthetic surfaces has significantly changed the sport
of field hockey. Since being introduced in the 1970s, competitions in
western countries are now mostly played on artificial surfaces. This has
increased the speed of the game considerably, and changed the shape of
hockey sticks to allow for different techniques, such as reverse stick
trapping and hitting.
Field hockey artificial turf differs from artificial turf for other sports, in that
it does not try to reproduce a grass 'feel', being made of shorter fibers.
This shorter fiber structure allows the improvement in speed brought by
earlier artificial turfs to be retained. This development in the game is
however problematic for many local communities who often cannot afford
to build two artificial fields: one for field hockey and one for other sports.
The International Hockey Federation and manufacturers are driving
research in order to produce new fields that will be suitable for a variety of
sports.
ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL
In February 2015 Arsenal F.C. ordered 1,400 m2 of artificial grass from the
Swiss company called Tisca Tiara for their training pitch at the Arsenal
Training Centre.
TENNIS
Carpet has been used as a surface for indoor tennis courts for decades,
though these originally was more similar to home carpets than a synthetic
grass. After the introduction of artificial turf, it came to be used for tennis
courts, both indoor and outdoor, though only a small minority of courts
use the surface. Both infill and non-infill versions are used, and are
typically considered medium-fast to fast surfaces under the International
Tennis Federation's classification scheme. A distinct form found in tennis is
an "artificial clay" surface, which seeks to simulate a clay court by using a
very short pile carpet with an infill of the same loose aggregate used for
clay courts that rises above the carpet fibers.
GOLF
Synthetic turf can also be used in the golf industry, such as on golf
ranges, putting greens and even in some circumstances tee boxes.
Because of the vast areas of golf courses and the damage from clubs
during shots, it is not feasible to surface fairways with artificial turf.
LANDSCAPING
Thousands of homes, businesses, golf courses, municipalities, parks and
tourist attractions like Disneyland and Steve Wynns Las Vegas resorts
have turned to synthetic grass to provide a lush, attractive landscape
solution that requires minimal resources and maintenance while saving
millions of gallons of water each year. It is also a smart way to beautify
public spaces such as highway medians and airport landing strips that
would otherwise be difficult and expensive to maintain. Synthetic grass
reduces city maintenance costs, freeing tax dollars for other purposes.
Synthetic turf also promotes greater utilization of land, as you can do
more with the same space surface than with natural grass. Rooftops once
deemed unusable for high rises and residential buildings can now feature
inviting green area. Hotels that had to restrict the use of lawns for parties
and events can now schedule as many functions as they can book.
AIRPORTS
One can count on our artificial turf systems to:
Improved visibility
o Creates a visual contrast marking the edges of the runway,
improving visualization for pilots in all weather, daylight or
night conditions.
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
COMPARISON
A synthetic turf field usually has a higher upfront cost, but the field often
pays for itself over 3-4 years, proving to be a highly cost-effective
investment. Synthetic turf fields are typically utilized for about 3,000
hours of play per year, with no "rest required, the equivalent of three to
four well-maintained natural turf fields. In addition, synthetic turf
maintenance costs are two to three times less than natural turf, since no
mowing, irrigation or chemicals are needed. Because of its consistent
While much less time and money is required to maintain a synthetic turf
sports field than a natural grass field, synthetic turf needs to be
maintained to maximize playability and the life of the product. The STC's
Guidelines for Maintenance of Infilled Synthetic Turf Sports Fields
(available in English and Spanish) provides essential guidance on proper
maintenance techniques and frequency.
A 2004 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) study among
schools nationwide comparing injury rates between natural and synthetic
turf found that the injury rate during practice was 4.4% on natural turf,
and 3.5% on synthetic turf.
BENEFITS
DEMERITS
degree day, the temperature on the turf could rise to more than 120
degrees. A Brigham Young University study found that the surface
temperature of synthetic turf at its football practice field was 37
degrees higher than the air temperature. Proponents point out that
use of the fields can be managed to ensure that athletes aren't
playing at the hottest times of the day and are adequately hydrated;
as a result, they argue, the higher temperature is more of a comfort
issue than safety issue.
Toxic run-off. When an artificial field drains after a heavy rain, the
run-off (which may contain lead and infill material) could leach into
and contaminate a community's ground and drinking water.
CONCLUSION
An Introduction to Artificial Turf (Synthetic Grass) Artificial turf is the
material used in making artificial grass. Artificial grass is often seen
in playgrounds and parks. It is a recent trend to have artificial grass
in lawns and outdoor spaces. It is a replacement to natural grass.
The reason why turf is used is that it is easy to maintain. Natural
grass grows fast and needs regular chopping and maintenance.
Apart from this, artificial turf always looks fresh and has no effect of
the changing seasons. They do not need to be watered like natural
grass in order to remain new and fresh.
Artificial turf is an excellent option in places where it is not possible
to have natural grass growth. This is why more people are choosing
an artificial turf over natural grass. Artificial turf consists of synthetic
fibers. Artificial turf first gained importance in the 1960s. Since then
REFRENCES
1. www.wikipedia.org/
2. http://www.syntheticturfcouncil.org/
3. http://www.fieldturf.com/
4. http://www.madehow.com/
5. http://www.momsteam.com/