The synthetic turf industry has come a long way since the start of my career 21 years ago. From relatively simple system designs to complex blade structures and multiple new organic infill types. 20 years ago, the third generation of turf, which now included sand and rubber infill was a step up from the original thin carpet model that turf was before. Rubber was a readily available and relatively cheap option as recycled tires was the main component. Over the year, especially in more environmentally conscious areas like the EU and California, other options have emerged such as organic infills like wood, walnut shells, cork, coconut husks, olive pits etc., and a combination of each in some systems. Although the organic products usually carry a higher price tag the benefits they can bring a field can be great. the perception is that if something is organic then it is better for us so when groups were deciding on playing on rubber tires (with possible hazards and carcinogens), or ground up coconut or olive pits the argument was easy to sway regardless of price. Organic fields tend to be 15-20% cooler on their surface temperature due to lighter color than rubber and water retention properties. another small advantage is the smell, or lack thereof compared to the rather pungent smell of rubber on a hot day. These two factors had a major roll in areas like the southwest, and Florida where temperatures of the field are a major concern. Some of the down sides of some of the organics are they need to be kept moist to maintain high playability standards, which may require an entire watering system like cannons to water the field. these materials also tend to break down over time and need to be topped off or replaced such as the coconut fibers and lighter cork materials.

Another huge shift in safety especially when going away from the tried-and-true rubber infill was to add a shock pad underneath the synthetic turf playing system to increase shock attenuation from falls and contact sports like football. This offered architects and manufacturers alike to develop full sports systems that worked together versus just one of the products that a field needs to be safe, reliable and good looking. The pads, like some of the up and coming infills, also had different varieties ranging from Elastomeric foam, rubber, or polypropylene beads fused together to rolled sheet type pads made from portions of the recycled turf itself.

The last and most important of these products within a sports field system is the synthetic turf itself. From the Astroturf days of green carpet on concrete to fully integrated line packages and logos manufactured directly into the backing of the turf, the industry has seen a great deal of innovation and technology within the blades and backing. Although slit film blades led the industry for years the monofilament blade type has take much of the industry by storm and allows for a broader range of blade structure and shape variability. Slit film blades tend to split apart during install and use, and hold infill in place better while maintaining strong resilience to wear. Monofilament blades can mimic real blades better by forming them info unique shapes like c blade, w blade or spine blades. Overtime manufacturers have combined both types of blades into a single system called dual blade so that you get the benefit and strengths of each type of blade. This has led to increased playability for multi-sport fields and longer durability over the life of the field. The most unique technology to date that I’ve seen is the ability to tuft in lines, logos, and details for the field directly into the backing from manufacturing so that when it arrives on site the installers simply layout the positions of the markings and panels and then glue the panels together. This greatly increases the field integrity as you are no longer cutting out lines or logos to glue them in, and decreases the amount of repairs and potential tripping hazards on a field as now 90% of all previously inlaid lines are now tufted in.

Although synthetic turf has come a long way, it is still a heavily used product and regular maintenance is required to keep it looking and performing to its max. The average field should last around 10 years, but with regular maintenance, repairs, and infill management could last up to 16 especially if it has a pad to keep the impact numbers low and safe.

The next big move and future of the industry is sustainability and recyclability. Whoever can figure out the best and most efficient process to remove, recycle and repurpose old fields and infill into new field products like pad, turf or infill will win over many environmental conscious clientele. The struggles with this endeavor include transportation to a facility that can handle the large size and weight of the products, separating out the unneeded portions and then reintegrating the useable sections into.