Having the right maintenance schedule in place for your 4G turf allows you to take advantage of the sports and technical functions that are provided by the system. It also helps maintain the integrity of the system surface and enables any system certifications to be renewed.
Football pitches are notoriously quick to become a muddy, grimy mess, which has a direct effect on the calibre of play and can lead to games being cancelled due to weather conditions. This is why it is vital that you take a pro-active approach to 4G turf maintenance, which can include drag brushing, power brushing, infill top ups and decompaction.
The use of a 3G or 4G artificial grass all-weather multisport pitch for your football and rugby facility is an ideal solution to help reduce match day cancellations and to maximise the number of fixtures that can be played in all weathers. This type of surface has been designed to look and feel as close as possible to traditional turf and has been accredited by the FA, FIFA, RFU and IRB sports governing bodies.
These types of surfaces are constructed using a high-quality synthetic grass carpet that is infilled with sand and rubber granules. These are designed to fit between the carpet fibres, which gives them stability and enables the natural bounce associated with playing on real grass. The surface is often laid over a rubber shock pad, which is designed to absorb impact energy and provide cushioning for players.
Infill maintenance is a crucial part of maintaining a football or rugby pitch, as it redistributes infill materials, lowers surface hardness and overall variability and replenishes lost infill material. This was proven in a recent study that showed the significant interaction between maintenance and the 3G synthetic turf systems on surface hardness (1.3 m) and head injury criterion (HIC). The results show that by applying routine maintenance, the sand and rubber infill is kept closer to initial installation conditions, which improves performance and reduces potential injuries.
Similarly, the study also found that removing infill maintenance resulted in a reduction in the overall consistency of the surface and increased its variability. This is because the loss of infill material can compromise the impact attenuating layers and allow greater contact between players and the synthetic fibers. Replacing this lost infill can help the surfacing perform to original installation specifications and prevent injuries by reducing the amount of force transmitted through the surface.