Pacific Sports Turf offers G-max field hardness testing for both artificial and natural sports fields. Impact testing (commonly referred to as g-max testing) measures the shock-attenuation performance of sports surfaces - including synthetic (artificial), natural turf athletic fields. The higher the g-max value, the poorer the shock-attenuation performance of the surface. Measuring impact-attenuation is a fundamental tool of surface safety testing.
Impact hardness is critical to any surface whether your artificial field or natural field. This service is beneficial for both new construction, and continued maintenance.
Continued surface testing on artificial surfaces produces a trend that will show the rate in which the surface is wearing, this allows the owner to predict when they will need to replace the surface. Testing also generates a meaningful historical record - a record that can be important if warranty or liability issues arise.
Our employees have comprehensive knowledge of sports field safety and proficiency in the testing of sports field surfaces. We follow the ASTM Standard F1936 for our testing procedures on artificial fields, ASTM Standard F1702 on natural fields. We use the Triax 2010 Surface Impact Tester which meets ASTM Standard F355.
It is important to note that g-max measurements are not static. On synthetic turf surfaces, g-max values will generally increase as the field ages. The amount of the increase, and the rate at which it occurs, are tied to construction methods, materials used, levels of play, environmental conditions, and the frequency and types of maintenance. On a natural turf field these same factors are at work, along with the moisture content of the soil, the type of turf grass, and the density of coverage. This suggests that regular g-max testing is important - but how often is often enough? Everyone agrees that new synthetic fields should be tested before they are accepted from the builder so that a base line can be established and to verify that the build specifications were meet. Beyond that, opinions differ: Some advocate testing intervals at least twice a year; some suggest an annual test. We feel that this should depend on the trend in your field log, age of your field, amount of field use, and your particular manufactures recommendations.
Our service includes testing of the surface in accordance with the proper ASTM standard, we furnish you with a report that includes the G values of each spot with a diagram showing the location of the test. The reports will also show and infill height of your synthetic field.
