Artificial Turf vs. Natural Turf
Every new school needs a playing field. And every playing field needs a periodic refresher. Plain old grass used to be the only option for groundcover. Then came AstroTurf. And now, there’s a new generation of artificial turf that promises to be softer, easier to play on and more nearly maintenance-free than its predecessors.
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ARTIFICIAL TURF SUPPLIERS Company Name: FieldTurf Web site: www.fieldturf.com Company Name: Sprinturf Web site: www.sprinturf.com Company Name: Sports Technology International, a division of Advanced Polymer Technology Web sites: www.sti-sports.com, www.advpolytech.com |
Each surface has its pluses and minuses, and choosing can be difficult. Which is best? Read on to make an informed decision that’s right for your facility.
History
Before 1950, grass was the only way to create a playing field. It had its problems, though, particularly in intemperate climates. The ground would freeze solid in the winter, only to turn to slick mud with the thaw or morph into dried straw in the heat of summer. But with proper maintenance, a lush, springy grass field was the perfect site for a game of football, soccer or baseball.
Along came AstroTurf, a 1950s invention that was originally designed to encourage people to be more active outdoors. In 1966, it was installed in the Texas Astrodome where for many years, professional athletes played on its bright-green carpet. But AstroTurf, too, had its problems. "Basically, AstroTurf was a glorified carpet over concrete," says Dr. Michael Meyers, head of the department of sports and exercise sciences at West Texas A&M and lead author of a study on turf injury rates. AstroTurf was blamed for a variety of sports injuries, including "turf toe" and concussions, because its surface was harder than that of natural grass.
Over the past 10 years, new artificial turf surfaces have been developed, and they purport to offer vast improvements over the old AstroTurf. Synthetic turf today usually consists of artificial fibers embedded in a thick layer of pulverized tires and sand. Manufacturers claim that the new products are more durable, better-cushioned to prevent injuries and nearly maintenance-free. But some environmental and safety concerns have been raised.
Cost
New-generation synthetic turf can have a high initial installation cost, but manufacturers say that the savings in maintenance will make up for it. Installation of a new artificial turf field might cost $500,000 or more. Although the initial capital cost is high, maintenance costs over the life of the synthetic turf should be lower than those associated with natural grass.
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PROS & CONS Natural Turf Pros
Natural Turf Cons
Artificial Turf Pros
Artificial Turf Cons
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But it’s a mistake to assume that natural grass is always cheaper. "When you’re talking about higher-end natural grass systems-sand-based, under-drained, irrigated field systems-the costs of those systems can oftentimes exceed the capital costs of a newer synthetic turf," says Patrick Maguire, president of Geller Sports, a Boston-based turf installation company. "It’s a no-brainer to install synthetic turf at that point in time." A plain old soil-based grass field will likely be cheaper than synthetic turf, but without proper maintenance, it will not last as long.
Maintenance
Unlike natural grass fields, synthetic turf playing fields do not have to be watered, mowed, re-seeded or painted (field markings are woven directly into the fabric), so the turf is less expensive to maintain. Keeping a natural turf field in top shape is also more complicated than keeping up a synthetic turf field. Real grass must be aerated, herbicides must be applied and gophers must be battled. These maintenance tasks usually fall to the school maintenance staff, and if a boiler fails, field upkeep may fall to the bottom of the priority list. By choosing to install a synthetic field, school administrators may save money on maintenance and relieve some of the burden on their maintenance workers. However, litter and other solid waste must be removed from both types of surfaces. In fact, dog feces will not biodegrade on synthetic turf, so additional cleanup or stricter leash laws may be required.
Because synthetic turf won’t freeze or get muddy like natural grass, it can be used year-round, even in conditions that would usually get a game called on account of rain. Synthetic turf fields have built-in drainage channels to keep the fields from flooding, and of course, ground rubber won’t turn to sludge, even in a downpour. But when temperatures skyrocket in the summer, natural grass fields may have the advantage. Proponents of natural turf studied both grass fields and synthetic turf surfaces at Brigham Young University. They found that on hot days, synthetic turf heats up faster and retains heat longer. The synthetic turf had an average temperature of 117 F on its surface and even reached a high of 200 F on a 98-degree day. Watering the field cooled the synthetic surface down significantly, but only temporarily. In contrast, natural turf only reached an average temperature of 78 F. Superheated synthetic turf could adversely affect players if they are exposed to the high temperatures for long periods of time.
Safety
Both synthetic turf and natural turf have the potential to cause injuries, but Maguire cites anecdotal evidence that injuries are less likely on synthetic turf. Dr. Meyers conducted a study of high-school football injuries on natural turf and on synthetic turf. The study, which was published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, found that different types of turf caused different types of injuries.
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CHOOSING A MANUFACTURER Because the new generation of artificial turf has been on fields for less than a decade, no one is entirely sure of its useful life span. That’s why a reputable manufacturer and an iron-clad warranty are of the utmost importance. A few tips:
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"This new generation of synthetic turf typically results in far fewer injuries than we see on the old-generation AstroTurf, the old synthetic artificial carpeted turf. What we found out was typically, we get less joint problems, less major joint damage as far as less ACL injuries on FieldTurf versus natural grass," Dr. Meyers says. "We get fewer cranial injuries, fewer concussions, on FieldTurf versus natural grass because it is a softer surface." In general, Dr. Meyers says, FieldTurf will cause less-traumatic injuries because of its softer surface. It can be softer than grass because in many parts of the country, grass dries out in the fall and winter, so the ground becomes very hard, Dr. Meyers says.
However, another study shows that the risk of concussion is the same, whether players are on grass or artificial turf. Dr. Roseanne Naunheim, an associate professor of emergency medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, published her findings in the Journal of Trauma-Injury, Infection and Critical Care. She found that there was little difference among playing surfaces in terms of concussion risk.
Making the Decision
| Natural Grass | Artificial Turf | |
| Initial Cost: | $483,360 | $697,680 |
| Maintenance per square foot: | $0.46 | $0.09 |
| Life expectancy (with proper maintenance): | 24 years | 10 years |
| Source: Geller Sports |
For facilities that must weather long, cold winters, an artificial turf product might be best. For example, Clark University in Worcester, Mass., installed a synthetic playing field, and this spring, it was the only useable playing field in the area because mud and snow had ruined the natural grass fields. In more temperate climates, the lower initial costs of natural grass might make it more attractive. And of course, there’s nothing wrong with a mix of the two. Patrick Maguire, of Geller Sports, says that the Phillips Academy at Andover, Mass., is installing some synthetic turf fields to take the burden off its natural grass fields, but synthetic turf will not completely replace natural grass. Only after a careful consideration of the pros and cons of each type of surface can administrators decide which type of playing field is right for their schools.