Long-Term Impact Testing Reaffirms FieldTurf’s Safety

Montreal, Canada, March 21, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Once again the research favors heavyweight infill systems as a recently complied study confirms the long-term safety of FieldTurf fields as it relates to field hardness (gmax). The study analyzed data from 11 FieldTurf fields located in California over an 8 year period.

The results of the study demonstrate that FieldTurf fields with heavyweight infill systems maintain safe Gmax ratings over time. Gmax signifies the firmness of the surface, which often has a direct correlation to injuries/trauma and performance. In accordance with MSP (Maximum Safety and Performance) fields need to be within a Gmax range of 120-180 to be considered safe, and the FieldTurf fields analyzed fall in this category.

Heavyweight infill systems are those with a minimum of 8.0 pounds of infill per square foot. Lightweight systems typically have a high face weight / high fiber density, a term commonly described as "fiber loading", and between 3.0 and 6.0 pounds of infill per square foot. Published reports have indicated that lightweight turf systems can achieve potentially unsafe Gmax levels (above 200 g’s).

One of the fields included in the study was San Diego’s Francis Parker High School. Over time it has maintained an incredibly consistent Gmax number thanks to FieldTurf’s heavyweight infill system and proper maintenance.

“Our field has been a dream for an AD,” said athletic director Dan Kuiper from Francis Parker High School. “It has never let us down, even in a rain storm it is good to play on. We are in our 9th year and the field has held up wonderfully.”

For more information and study results, please visit http://www.fieldturf.com.