August 2020 - Parks & Recreation - 52

OPERATIONS
Evaporative Cooling Solutions
New technology battles extreme heat on synthetic turf ﬁelds
By Chris Tetrault

n communities nationwide, finding field time remains a challenge as
multiple sports organizations at the recreation and competitive levels
compete for limited availability. The need to maximize sports field
usage has led to more than 1,000 new synthetic turf field installations
each year at schools, parks and municipal complexes across the country.
ty's " Synthetic Surface Heat Studies "
(tinyurl.com/yar7mmbt),
playing on fields reaching temperatures higher than 122 degrees
is considered unsafe. In following those safety guidelines, unless treated by a cooling agent,
the synthetic turf field would be
unavailable for activity on many
days during peak season.
To make fields cooler, safer and
more playable, new technological
innovations are being introduced.
One of the most prominent breakthroughs is the integration of cooling solutions as part of a synthetic
turf system installation.
Through a natural process, called
evaporative cooling, the synthetic
turf infill is treated with a cooling

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITADEL

Synthetic turf offers a breadth
of performance benefits, including
cushioning, enhanced durability,
fiber support and turnkey maintenance. Most importantly, as youth
sports continue to grow, it serves as
an all-weather, anytime alternative
solution to natural grass surfaces.
For decades, one overlooked fact
was that synthetic turf has the potential to get very hot, consistently
reaching temperatures of 140 degrees and often registering above
160 degrees in some climates,
which can be dangerous for athletes, coaches, officials and fans.
According to Penn State University's Center for Sports Surface
Research (tinyurl.com/y77t7mny) and Brigham Young Universi-

Inﬁll treated with cooling agents can keep synthetic turf from becoming dangerously hot.

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agent that simply requires hydration in the form of irrigation, rainfall or humidity to continuously
activate to reduce surface temperatures on synthetic turf fields. Evaporative cooling technology works
on the same principle as human
perspiration - stored moisture is
slowly released from treated infill,
removing heat and allowing a surface to cool.
The infill coating captures water
from rainfall, dew or irrigation and
stores it for later use. As the sun's
radiation heats up turf, the coating
releases moisture that enables the
synthetic turf cooling infill to cool
the entire synthetic turf system for
sustained periods of time.
While the use of black crumb
rubber makes up nearly 80 percent
of the synthetic turf field market in
the United States, there are alternative infill options, such as sand,
cork and walnuts, among others.
Technologies like TºCool® treated
Sports Sand can be added to these
systems to enhance and extend
their cooling benefits.
Municipalities, recreation facilities, high schools and colleges are
now recognizing the heat issue
and the vast benefits of installing
a synthetic turf cooling solution.
What's more, it increases safety for
participants, maximizes field usage
and extends the overall facility investment for many years. It's truly
a win-win for synthetic turf.
Chris Tetrault is Design and Build Expert
at TºCool® (tatroinc@gmail.com).

August 2020 - Parks & Recreation

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