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Terms of the Trade

Aggregate base: A ¾ inch minus free draining gravel placed evenly below the turf.

ASTM: American Society for Testing and Materials, is a not for profit organization dedicated to establishing and publishing voluntary, regulatory guidelines, standards, and test methods that are designed to benefit the welfare of societies. Different government organizations site ASTM Standards in law, thereby making the standard legally enforceable.

Astroturf: Is a registered trademark of synthetic turf originally produced in the 1960’s. It is a carpet-like covering made of vinyl and nylon to resemble turf.

Critical platform height: The maximum height a person may fall from on a playground. The maximum critical height allowed varies from state to state.

D Zones: The “D” shaped areas on opposite ends of a field located between the interior track curb and the end zone.

Face weight: The weight of the synthetic turf per square foot measured in ounces.

G: A unit of acceleration equal to the acceleration of gravity at the earth’s surface (sea level). 32 feet per second or 9.8 meters per second.

G-max: The maximum value of G recorded at surface impact. On average, a G-max of 40 is comparable to mud and a G-max of 240 is comparable to concrete.

Impact attenuation: The ability of the synthetic turf surface system to reduce and disperse the energy force of an impacting body.

Inlaid lines: Lines permanently set into the synthetic turf surface. The inlaid lines are specified for each field on an individual project basis and are available in a variety of colors. The regulatory lines for major sports are commonly inlaid.

Inlet basins: Supplemental drains, located near where the athletic field and interior track edge meet, that aid in the removal of surface water.

Liners: An impervious barrier installed below the field drainage system to prevent surface water from draining into expansive soils.

Multi-flow system: A multi-pipe drainage system, below the aggregate base, laid diagonally to the main field axis, which collects and channels excess water to the main drainage pipes.

Painted lines: Lines applied annually using a special turf paint prior to the start of the respective playing season.

Pile height: The height of the individual turf strands measured in inches.

SBR rubber: Non-metal filament rubble granules.

Shock absorbing pad: A rubber pad installed beneath the synthetic turf used to increase the systems shock absorbing properties.

Synthetic turf system: All components that make up a synthetic playing area. Generally composed of the turf fabric, adhesives, rubber granule in-fill, shock-absorbing pad, crushed aggregate concrete sub-base, liners, and sub-surface drainage components.