Testing synthetic turf surfaces
Performance Standards
Alastair Cox
Contents
• Who are Labosport?
• Why set standards and which sports have
them?
• What type of standard?
• How are the performance standards set?
• How is performance measured?
Who are Labosport?
Independent sports surface testing
analysis and expertise
• Founded 1993
• Facilities in:
–
–
–
–
–
–
UK
France
Canada
Italy
China
Cameroon
Accreditations
•
•
•
•
FIFA – soccer
FIH – field hockey
ITF – tennis
IAAF – track & field
• ISO 17025
Why have standards – the objectives
• To provide a safe playing environment
• To provide the required playing experience
• To ensure adequate durability and longevity
• To encourage innovation
Which sports have set standards?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Soccer
Rugby
Field hockey
Tennis
Australian Rules Football
Gaelic Football / hurling
Cricket
IAAF
European Standards
Organisation – EN 15330
What type of specification ?
• Construction
– places product / design
responsibility on specifying
body
– Traditional industry approach
– set design / construction
requirements based on
proven products e.g. pile
height, tuft rate, infill grade
– easy to manufacturer
– easy to test
– may not address player’s
needs
– harder to amend; greater
impact on industry
– prevents innovation
– inflexible
What type of specification ?
• Performance
– define the end results
required from the product;
allowing the properties the
players requires / refer too
to be specified
– allows standard to be based
on accepted benchmark
(natural grass)
– allows innovation
– easier to amend as
product technology
improves
– requires specialised means
to test / define properties
– needs greater quality
control / product verification
due to wider range of
design solutions
Setting Performance Standards
- a case study
• How standards for soccer were established
Player comfort and protection
• Shock absorption
• Friction & traction
• Skin abrasion /
friction
• Surface stability
Ball surface interaction
• Ball rebound
• Ball pace
• Ball roll
Bench marking natural grass
Force Reduction Ilkeston Town FC
Force Reduction (%)
90
80
70
60
30
20
8
6
4
2
Ap
ril
ch
M
ar
ry
nu
a
Ja
r
Fe
br
ua
ry
D
ec
em
be
r
10
ov
em
be
10
40
ril
N
Roll (m)
12
50
ct
ob
er
14
60
O
Ball Roll Bedford Town FC
Ap
ar
ch
M
y
ua
r
Fe
br
Ja
nu
ar
y
be
r
D
ec
em
be
r
N
ov
em
O
ct
ob
er
40
Rotational Resistance (Nm)
Rotational Resistance Ilkeston Town FC
50
Player responses
Ball control
Ball roll
10
10
8
8
6
6
4
4
2
2
0
0
1
1
Tiredness
Change of direction
8
8
6
6
4
4
2
2
0
0
1
1
Medical considerations
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Sum
Mean
incidence
Exposure
(h)
3800,6
1515
1600,9
2593,1
571,7
1566,9
538,3
12186,4
GRASS
Injuries
(n)
60
6
3
40
2
23
7
141
Incidence
(inj/1000 h)
15,8
4,0
1,9
15,4
3,5
14,7
13,0
ARTIFICIAL TURF
Exposure
Injuries
Incidence
(h)
(n)
(inj/1000 h)
4590,5
89
19,4
4591,4
16
3,5
1617,5
3
1,9
4382,8
33
7,5
4318,7
7
1,6
1876,4
20
10,7
1755,5
31
17,7
23132,8
199
9,7
8,9
‘This study did not show any evidence of increased injury risk when playing on artificial turf as
compared to playing on natural grass.’
The results are to be considered as tendencies due to the limited data set.
Prof. Jan Ekstrand November 2004
Test conditions
Property
Test Method
Preparatio
n
Temperatu
re
Dry
Preconditioning
Vertical ball
rebound
Angle ball
rebound
Ball roll
FIFA 01
&
FIFA 09
Simulated
Wear –
5,200
cycles
Simulated
Wear –
20,200
cycles
Wet
FIFA 02
23ºC
FIFA 03
Preconditioning
23ºC
Shock
Absorption
FIFA 04
&
FIFA 09
FIFA 04
1st impact
-
Dry
45% - 60%
45% -70%
Dry
Wet
Dry
Test
Method
Preparati
on
Temperat
ure
Condition
N/A
0.60m - 1.0m
Wet
23ºC
Property
N/A
Wet
Test conditions
0.60m - 1.0m
Dry
Dry
Preconditioning
0.60m 0.85m
0.60m 0.85m
23ºC
Preconditioning
Simulated
Wear –
5,200
cycles
Simulated
Wear –
20,200
cycles
Preconditioning
Condition
Requirements
FIFA
FIFA
Recommend Recommend
ed Two Star
ed One Star
45% - 80%
4m - 8m
4m - 10m
60% - 70%
55% - 70%
60% - 70%
N/A
Dry
N/A
55% - 70%
40ºC
Dry
60% - 70%
55% - 70%
-5ºC
Frozen
60% - 70%
55% - 70%
Vertical
Deformation
FIFA 05
&
FIFA 09
Preconditionin
g
Preconditionin
g
Simulated
Wear –
5,200
cycles
Simulated
Wear –
20,200
cycles
Dry
FIFA 06
&
FIFA 09
Simulated
Wear –
5,200
cycles
Simulated
Wear –
20,200
cycles
4mm - 8mm
4mm - 9mm
Dry
4mm - 8mm
N/A
Dry
N/A
4mm - 9mm
Dry
30Nm 45Nm
25Nm 50Nm
Dry
30Nm 45Nm
N/A
Dry
N/A
25Nm 50Nm
Wet
23ºC
Preconditionin
g
Rotational
Resistance
Requirements
FIFA
FIFA
Recommen Recommen
ded Two
ded One
Star
Star3
Wet
23ºC
How do we measure
performance?
Shock absorption
⎛
Fmax(testpiece) ⎞
⎟ ⋅ 100 %
FR = ⎜1 −
⎜
⎟
F
max (concrete) ⎠
⎝
Deformation
⎛ 1 500 ⎞
⎟⎟ ⋅ d max
VD = ⎜⎜
⎝ Fmax ⎠
HIC
Gmax
The ASTM F-355 test uses a weighted
missile of approximately 20 pounds, with a
face area of 20 square inches. The missile
is dropped from 24inches above the
surface, and the impact of that drop is
measured. That measurement is the GMax level.
Linear stud friction
Rotational Resistance
Skin abrasion & skin/surface friction
Angle ball rebound - football pace
Canon
Radar
Ball rebound
2m
drop
Durability
&
environmental resistance
Ball roll
Simulated Use
5,000 cycles: 3 – 4 years moderate
use
20,000 cycles : 6 – 8 years high use
> 50,000 cycles regularly undertaken
Real life field use
• Wear principles have changed
– Competition use: New type of studs
– Community use: Flat shoes
• Generating
– Higher compaction
– Higher intensive wear
Timescale
• 01/2009: New study launched in coordination with the
European Synthetic Turf Organisation (ESTO)
• 08/2009: Prototype finalized
• 10/2009: Evaluation of principles
• 04/2010: Full size machine ready for use
Lisport version 2
Traditional LISPORT 20200 cycles
(1 week test duration)
LISPORT XL 2000 cycles
(7 hours test duration)
UV resistance - artificial
weathering
Joint Strength
Climatic influences
• Tests at 40 º C
• Tests at - 5º C
• Dry and wet
Flammability
Environmental properties
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Analysis for:
Lead
Cadmium
Chromium
Chromium
Mercury
Tin
Zinc
Quality control
Component
Artificial turf
Test method
Permitted variation between
laboratory component and
manufacture’s declaration
Mass per unit area
ISO 8543
< ± 10%
Tufts per unit area
ISO 1763
< ± 10%
Tuft withdrawal force
ISO 4919
> 90% of manufacturer’s
declaration
Pile length above
backing
ISO 2549
< ± 5%
Total pile weight
ISO 8543
< ± 10%
EN 12616 using a single ring
infiltrometer
>180mm/h (1)
DSC
Same polymer
See Note 2 below
< ± 10%
EN 933 - Part 1
< ± 20%
prEN 14955
Similar shape
EN 1097-3
< ± 15%
Characteristic
Water permeability
Pile yarn(s)
Pile yarn
characterisation
Pile dtex
Particle size
Infill (if supplied as part
Particle shape
of system)
Bulk density
Labosport UK
Unit 3 Heanor Gate Road, Heanor,
Derbyshire, England DE75 7RJ
Tel. +44 (0)1773 765007
Email : info@labosport.co.uk
www.labosport.co.uk
LABOSPORT Canada
5661 rue de Lanaudière - suite 200
Montréal (Quebec), Canada H2G 3A5
Tél : +1 514 277 9111
E-mail : infolsc@labosport.com
LABOSPORT France
Technoparc du Circuit des 24 Heures,
Chemin aux Boeufs, 72100 LE MANS,
France
Tel : +33 (0)2 43 47 08 40
E-mail : bureau.labosport@wanadoo.fr