Continuing our look at innovation, we focus on system changes, specifically with base construction.
For too long there has been little to no local UK innovation in base construction, bar ground stabilisation. In contrast, new ideas have been tried, with success in the US and Europe. Where the UK pitch builders focus on building a base to support an expensive tarmac layer, which adds nothing to the sports performance of the finished pitch, there have been innovations that show how a base can assist in providing better play conditions.
Fundamentally, contractors have always made their money from digging holes and filling them with stone and covering with tarmac. This provides a long lasting, stable, free draining, level base for the top surface to be laid onto. However, in itself, it can be seen as making it harder for the turf to perform, and is increasingly expensive.
To overcome the hardness of the asphalt layer, a longer pile surface is needed, with around 16kg of SBR infill on top, or a shorter pile surface with around 7kg of SBR infill, laid over a shockpad, such as Revosport, Alveo, Apetek or insitu rubber. In other words, the top surface has to deal with base issues as well as meet sports requirements.
The most common alternative, around for 40 years, has been to replace the tarmac layer with a “dynamic” mix of finer stone that locks the top. The “dynamic” part comes from the greater allowance of energy that can pass through the unbound stone (compared with the unyielding impact of tarmac). This adds to the sports performance of the top system but is not popular with many contractors because of the greater skills needed to lay this type of base.
Around the world stone only base construction is the standard choice with tarmac used under hockey fields.
As long ago as the 90’s the Dutch used a combination of recycled rubber chunks combined with small chunks of lava rock (both around 14mm in size), to provide a base that balanced excellent drainage, added sports resilience and performance with cost benefits. Although tried successfully by one contractor in the UK on a number of pitches, that contractor gave up on the concept because other contractors opposed it.
More recently, the American plastic panel concept was successfully installed on a full size pitch area in the north of England. The panels offer excellent drainage and water retention capacity as well as a “spring” under the turf. Easy to lay on a reduced depth of stone, contractors were simply not interested, as it replaced much of their work. However, in both the US and Europe panel systems are proven.
Locally in the UK, Notts Sport have had some success with their Shockwave concept. Considered to be the best performing shockpad for football and rugby, in terms of HIC, it is easy to lay in panels and has a long guarantee. Shockwave is more than just a shockpad, offering real construction benefits as well. However, the cost of the pad alone has put contractors off this system, yet, when considered against a conventional asphalt base, it can offer some cost savings, partly due to a reduction in base stone requirement and in-built drainage. This system is here now and should feature on more pitches.
As pitch build prices continue to rise, the market faces a decision. Do we continue building bases as we have done, or embrace new concepts that improve sports performance and reduce costs?
