The installation of new synthetic turf sports fields and the replacement of turfgrass sports fields with artificial turf continue at a pace almost unimaginable a decade ago.

The infill and poly fibers of synthetic fields should be broomed from time to time.

This shift in the sports field construction market has created a tsunami of opportunity for carpet manufacturers, synthetic turf suppliers and installation contractors, but has put yet another responsibility onto the shoulders of sports field managers. Most of these managers have been trained and have mastered both the science and art of maintaining turfgrass, often under extreme conditions. Now they have the challenge of learning how to maintain synthetic turf fields.

The great majority of field managers welcome the challenge of maintaining synthetic fields. And synthetic does require maintenance. In fact, these facilities require regular and ongoing maintenance, although the degree is sometimes a matter of debate.

Most field managers realize that they need to participate (as much as possible anyway) in decisions regarding the sports surfaces they will be maintaining. These decisions include site and product selection and, hopefully, involvement and oversight in the installation process. Field managers know that ultimately their success will be measured by the safety and performance of the fields, and their ability to take care of them within the budgetary guidelines they’re provided.

While manufacturers provide some ongoing support and training on the maintenance of their products, it can hardly be expected to be sufficient considering the cost of these surfaces (often approaching $1 million). Factor in the sobering responsibility of providing safe playing surfaces for oftentimes hundreds of daily fields users  (tens of thousands of users over a period of eight to 10 years, the generally recognized life of these surfaces), and field managers realize they have no choice but to develop and adhere to responsible maintenance regimens.

Mechanized brushes like this Redexim Verti-brush keep synthetic fields clean and attractive.

One of the biggest differences of these newer synthetic fields from the first generation of artificial turf fields installed 40 years ago is the so-called infill material. Synthetic sports fields today are rarely installed without a layer of infill material. In the United States this material is almost always a mixture of sand and crumb rubber or crumb rubber alone. Most of this crumb rubber is shredded and processed recycled tires. Other infill materials can be used in place of crumb rubber, but they add cost to an installation, approximately $40,000 to $50,000. To this point, they're not often used in U.S. installations.

The infill serves several purposes. It provides a cushioning effect, giving the playing surface the feel of real turfgrass. It also helps keep the poly “grass” blades upright, improving the field’s appearance and its playability.

Apart from unexpected issues caused by faulty or sloppy installations (far from rare), field managers have some big decisions to make in regards to keeping these fields safe and attractive. This is especially true if these fields are intensively used, the reason why synthetic is specified and installed in the first place.

Here are some suggestions to consider as you develop or improve your synthetic turf maintenance program :

• Acquire a maintenance log from the synthetic turf supplier and/or installer. If one is unavailable from the supplier or installer, fashion your own. This is a working document. Enter every maintenance procedure that you perform on the field into the log and date it.
•  Get the most complete and precise maintenance procedures you can from the synthetic supplier and/or installer. Following these recommendations will lessen the chances for disagreements over warranty issues and major repairs during the warranted life of the field.
• Acquire, if possible, a list of recommended or suggested maintenance equipment and materials from the synthetic turf supplier or installer.
• Your most important maintenance tool may be a fence around the field, with gated and locked entrances. Unattended fields invite unsupervised play and lend themselves to vandalism. Yes, these fields can sustain a lot of use, but it should be supervised use.
• Signage at the field that clearly spells out guidelines in terms of use and what may or may not be brought onto the playing surface or its immediate area (gum, candy, glass containers, tobacco products, etc.) tells users at a glance that you’re serious about keeping the playing surface clean and safe.
• Keep trash or litter containers near the sports fields so that users and spectators can dispose of cans, paper and other materials rather than pitching them onto the ground.
• Develop a strategy to keep materials such as leaves, twigs, grass clippings or wrappers and other wind-blown debris off the field. You don’t want this material to get crushed or ground into and contaminate the infill. The fence around the field will solve keep some wind-blow material off your fields.Many field managers now use push or pull gasoline-powered blowers to remove litter from their fields. Backpack blowers can do the job, as well, as long as operators are careful not to disturb the infill.
• Inspect fields regularly for damage or unusual wear. Pay special attention to areas that receive lots of traffic (goal mouths and corner kick areas of soccer pitches, the edges of infields on baseball and softball fields, between the hashmarks on football fields) to maintain adequate levels of infill material.
• Keep a supply of extra synthetic material, glue and other materials to make minor repairs as needed?
• If possible, keep on hand some extra infill material (perhaps a 55-gal. barrel) to replace what's lost through normal use.
• Develop a routine for drag matting or brushing your synthetic field to redistribute/even the infill and restore the “grass” blades to an upright position.
• Equipment is now available to "pick up", filter and return infill material to the surface of synthetic fields. Look for manufacturers to introduce more units to collect infill material, filter it and redistribute it evenly over the surface of a playing surface.

• Field managers are taking a more aggressive stance in cleaning and maintaining the synthetic fields they maintain.

  The question of sanitizing synthetic fields in light of concerns over the presence of community-acquired MRSA is a difficult one. There have been statements made that rain cleanses these fields, which seems unlikely, inasmuch as even in areas with regular rain car washes seem to do quite well. Also, it's been claimed that environmental conditions, in particular, sunlight and heat destroy MRSA bacteria, which seems reasonable. But what about spring and fall play when these fields are most used for youth sports, often during cloudy, cooler conditions? While other sports surfaces, including locker rooms, training equipment and wresting mats, to name a few, are more likely to harbor MRSA bacteria, the degree of risk of infection from synthetic sports fields remains a matter of lively debate.

This article is not meant to be an exhaustive report on the care and feeding of synthetic turf sports fields, especially since different suppliers might have different suggestions regarding procedures such as as the frequency of brushing and cleaning. We hope, however, that these suggestions alert you to the very real need to maintain your synthetic turf fields.

Remember, the financial investment in these fields is sizable, and your responsibility to provide safe playing conditions for athletes (regardless of age or skill level) is huge.