Synthetic Turf

Beyond the benefits for ball fields

More than 8,000 multi-use, synthetic-turf fields are in play today at North American K-12 schools, colleges, parks, and professional sports stadiums, according to the Synthetic Turf Council. This trend reflects a growing desire to invest in surfaces that are safe for athletes, are durable over time, and require minimal maintenance.

At the same time, there is increased demand for synthetic grass in other settings, such as amusement parks and hotels, where natural grass traditionally requires extensive maintenance. While initial funding can be a challenge, installing synthetic turf can turn these sites into local, regional, and national destinations, while generating significant safety, social, and financial benefits.

For example, Bedford (Ind.) North Lawrence High School initiated its new synthetic-turf baseball and softball fields in April 2021. Funded by a board-approved bond issue, the $2.3-million project included new bullpens, fencing, padded backstops, and synthetic turf for the baseball infield and softball infield and outfield.

In the two months following the opening, the fields have supported the practices and games of Bedford North Lawrence students and teams and hosted a regional tournament. Additionally, Athletic Director Jeff Callahan says Bedford North Lawrence has been fielding calls from other schools that don’t have turf to have their games played there during inclement weather. Callahan says the return on investment for these fields is already evident.

“The usage has been incredible, and it’s just going to continue to grow,” Callahan says. “PE classes are playing kickball on the softball field, even on sunny, hot days when we couldn’t do that before because the natural grass would get damaged. Before this project, our softball and baseball teams would have to spend most of their spring practices inside, but they were held inside this year only two or three times.”

Fine-Tuning The Pile

Artificial-grass systems have evolved considerably since their first generation, which was installed in the Houston Astrodome in 1966. There are literally dozens of options now when it comes to the top 3 inches of a synthetic pile, which can feature a pad, sand infill, and rubber crumb that lay between the grass-like fibers. Because there are so many options to choose, project planners are keen to work closely with landscape architects and engineers to find an appropriate, budget-friendly turf solution.

Woolpert Senior Landscape Architect Carl Armanini, who has led a number of synthetic-turf projects during his 35-year career, says having a consultant involved early in the budgeting discussion is a key to accurately forecasting costs and arriving at a solution that provides the best system based on the intended field usage.

All athletic projects start with the same desire from the client: ‘I want the best turf my money can buy,’’ Armanini says. “You hope to have a relationship with the client during the budgeting process to understand their needs and to be ready to adjust when their needs change.”

Armanini says knowing which sports will be played on the field, how often the field will be used, and the age range of the athletes are all important in determining precisely what type of turf system will work best. The optimal turf field for soccer or baseball may be slightly different than what’s best for football or lacrosse. Knowing the age of the athletes who will use the field is a safety factor. A teenager or adult is heavier than a younger child, creating the potential for higher impact with the field, and therefore higher potential for injury or concussion from a fall.

“The suppliers in this industry will say they can design the turf profile for a particular sport, but a lot of that affects cost, and a lot of the fine-tuning with lighter, shorter fiber materials can be done to the top pile to reduce those costs,” Armanini says.

Environmental conditions, water drainage, and each client’s preference all can have an impact on which fiber/filament materials to use and whether a pad is needed. For fields that serve multiple sports and activities, a mix of slit film and monofilament fibers can be a good middle ground.

“As we fine-tune the turf, we can adjust the base materials that are under the field to provide the needed stability and remove water/runoff from the field,” Armanini says.

Synthetic Fields Equal Lower Costs, New Revenue

Field Day Park in Lake Wylie, S.C., is a 50-acre site that opened to the public in October 2020 after two years of construction. The $13.5-million project resulted in three new baseball and softball fields that have Bermuda grass outfields and synthetic-turf infields. The project also consisted of a score tower, six courts dedicated to pickleball, and three synthetic-turf, multi-purpose fields for soccer, lacrosse, rugby, and flag football. 

Park Superintendent Jason Ratteree says the York County park fulfilled a longtime goal to have a local destination for ball games and other recreational activities. Since opening to the public, the park has hosted a regional football combine, travel baseball team workouts, and tournaments that drew out-of-state teams.

“It’s a really neat park because there’s something for everybody to do, whether you’re bringing the kids to the playground, walking the trails, playing pickleball, or taking in a baseball or softball game,” Ratteree says. “Whether rain or shine, as long as it’s not lightning or thundering, we’re able to play through inclement weather and host multiple games in a day without any concern for the fields’ conditions. That’s a big plus.”

Field Day Park is the result of a design-build approach to project planning, in which the client is involved in the planning and execution at every step. Ratteree says this approach included important discussions that led to the best possible outcome. 

“We were able to work really closely with the landscape architects and the construction company to collaboratively envision what we wanted and to make changes as we went,” he says. “With synthetic turf, obviously, there is more of an upfront cost, but the fields are set to last up to 15 years, depending on the usage. Maintaining the fields requires only periodic combing with a Gator attachment to fluff up the fibers.”

At Bedford North Lawrence, long-term cost reductions were estimated for the synthetic-turf fields: expenditures for personnel by $65,000 a year, irrigation and maintenance by $35,000 a year, and minimum overall cost savings of more than $1 million over 10 years, according to the district’s calculations.

“The new fields will lead to a net-positive economic impact for the community, as the school’s facilities can now host tournaments that will bring people into Lawrence County, where they will stay at hotels, eat at local restaurants, and shop at local businesses,” Callahan says.

According to the U.S. Sports Congress, sports tourism—the act of traveling to participate in or watch a sporting event—is an immense and growing driver of economic development. Research shows that installing artificial-turf fields opens avenues for additional and more frequent community recreation and sports activities, which can result in a significant and positive regional economic impact. 

The last phase of the Bedford North Lawrence project is the installation of synthetic turf on the football field and a new track. That phase got underway after the past spring track season, and work is expected to be finished in time for football season. Callahan says the football field will be the site of the high-school graduation ceremony next year. That event will include chairs on the field and guests with high heels—all of which would normally damage a natural-grass field.

“This project provides for our students and our community, and not just athletes,” Callahan says. “A lot of times people think it’s just athletic fields, but there are so many more opportunities for the students as well as the community.”

Todd Ford, PE, LEED AP, is a Professional Engineer with 14 years of experience in educational, commercial, residential, athletic, and governmental land-development projects. His areas of expertise include designing athletic facilities, stormwater management, site grading, and site-development permitting. He works out of Woolpert’s Cincinnati office.