A pitch made from artificial turf can last up to 10 years with the right maintenance.

Maintaining an artificial turf playing surface correctly can help to increase its lifespan, allowing it to last for up to 10 years.

Artificial turf pitches can withstand intensive use in any weather conditions, but to guarantee these advantages, it is important to follow a scheduled, standardised maintenance programme.

Indeed, implementing a maintenance programme for an artificial turf pitch enables players to enjoy excellent levels of comfort, along with a feeling during play that is increasingly similar to natural turf, ensuring that the biomechanical behaviours and performance parameters of the playing field remain consistent over time.

WHAT IS THE CORRECT APPROACH TO MAINTAINING AN ARTIFICIAL TURF SPORTS FIELD?

The maintenance operations that should be carried out on an artificial turf pitch are divided into two categories: routine and non-routine.

Routine maintenance of an artificial turf pitch can easily be performed by those responsible for managing the sports facility. It entails regular procedures including cleaning the grass to remove any organic residues and marks and brushing to keep the filaments in an upright position and to redistribute the quantity of performance infill granules. In addition to these activities, any snow or ice must be removed, and the playing surface must be carefully inspected at the end of every championship.

 

Non-routine maintenance of an artificial turf surface, meanwhile, must be carried out by qualified technical staff, and is usually completed over the course of a day. It is divided into a number of different procedures, including:

  • cleaning and subsequent vacuuming of the surface of the artificial turf, to cleanse and redistribute the infill granules
  • de-compaction of the granules and restoration of their biomechanical behaviours
  • brushing of the fibres
  • re-filling of the performance infill in the areas subject to heavy use
  • inspection of the lines and joins on the pitch, repairing and replacing any areas in bad condition

Both routine and non-routine maintenance operations are essential: in addition to ensuring that the properties of the artificial turf are maintained over time, they also enable the system to pass any tests required in order to renew the relevant certifications.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN MAINTENANCE GOALS FOR AN ARTIFICIAL TURF PITCH?

The key goal of correct maintenance is to ensure that the performance parameters of the system surface remain unchanged over time, preserving the sports and technical functions of the system itself. This ensures that the quality of the playing surface is always excellent, as well as allowing any system certifications to be renewed with ease.

For more information on the sports and technical functions of the system, read the dedicated article.