Open-cell or closed cell prefabricated shockpads, either from virgin or recycled materials, in-situ shockpads or e-layers are all expected to meet the same minimal requirements in terms of performance. Yet, they are inherently different products. A new European standard will assist buyers and specifiers in distinguishing the different products and their characteristics.
Different parts of the world have different preferences. Some are driven by promoting local or national brands or products, others by a more prone focus on sustainability or believe that their national requirements are superior to others. But in the global market the world has become, the absence of a consensus about how performance or characteristics should be measured and noted, makes it incredibly difficult for specifiers or buyers to separate the wheat from the chaff. The recently adopted NEN-EN 15330-4 specifies minimum performance and durability requirements for shockpads used within synthetic turf and textile sports surfacing systems. The document also specifies appropriate performance tolerance for production and on-site quality control procedures. The new norm will replace any national standard that was used anywhere in Europe. By specifying minimum performance and durability requirements for these products, CEN has alleviated the pressure on the authorities in those markets in particular that didn’t have a quality standard thus far, and safeguards buyers and users of synthetic turf from investing in inferior shockpads or e-layers.
Some take-aways
NEN-EN 15330-4 specifies a minimum impact attenuation index (IAI)of 18 for the product. It also states that the shock absorbing layer must be durable and able to withstand the wear and tear of regular use. The standard specifies a minimum wear resistance of 50,000 cycles, something that is established by means of a Ball Impact Durometer Test. The water permeability should be 100 liters per square meter per hour and the product must be resilient and able to return to their original shape after being compressed. The standard also specifies a minimum resilience of 80% for shock absorbing products used with sports. Furthermore, it is expected to be dimensionally stable and not shrink or swell when exposed to moisture. The standard specifies a maximum dimensional change of 2% for shockpads used with sports surfaces that are intended for ball sports.
To ensure buyers and specifiers can correctly compare details of various products or suppliers, NEN-EN 15330-4 specifies the format for the technical documentation of synthetic turf and textile sports surfacing systems.
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A good start
Despite the introduction of NEN-EN 15330-4, football governing body FIFA has decided to take things one step further. Its upcoming manuals for quality synthetic turf football surfaces will stipulate that it will have to be verified whether the shockpad used in the installation is similar to the one submitted for the mandatory laboratory test.
At present, the mandatory inspections to obtain a FIFA Quality or FIFA Quality Pro certificate for an installed pitch focuses on only the top layer of the system. With the shock absorbing layer often not immediately visible, it is often taken for granted that the same product was installed as the one used in the system that obtained FIFA approval. As the price for foam products continuous to drop, rumour has it that this ignorance is sometimes abused by installers or contractors who replace the originally used pre-fabricated product by another, cheaper, product that looks similar to the original product. However, while FIFA-approved products virtually all guarantee a life-span of 25 years minimum, the performance of the replacement product, is often unknown.
As FIFA and World Rugby acknowledge that a shock absorbing layer contributes to the safety and comfort of the players and the longevity of the carpet, the possibility of a shockpad being installed of which the quality (in the long term) has not been verified and accepted, has alarmed both sports governing bodies. They have now decided to close this loophole. It is up to the manufacturer of shockpads used in FIFA or World Rugby approved synthetic turf products, to ensure their product is visually identifiable.
Hockey as an example
In doing so, FIFA and World Rugby will follow a similar route as the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has taken. In addition to the type of synthetic turf surface, the FIH certificate for approved hockey turf projects also lists the specs of the shock absorbing layer used.
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