ASET provides third-party, onsite artificial turf testing according to several standards. We have expanded our synthetic turf field testing program to include the field tests required for FIFA™ QUALITY PRO™ and QUALITY™ field certifications, however we are not a certified FIFA™ lab at this time. ASET now offers the following tests:
- F1936 – Gmax
- F1015 – Abrasion
- F3189, FIFA-04A, FIFA-05A: Force Reduction, Vertical Deformation, and Energy Restitution
- FIFA-01 Vertical Ball Rebound
- FIFA- 03: Ball Roll
- FIFA-06: Rotational Resistance
- FIFA-18: Free pile height
- FIFA-21: Infill Depth
- World Rugby Standards – HIC and Gmax
We custom tailor each instance of our artificial turf testing services for the needs of the client. However, the following are the three most common test programs requested by our clients.
Commissioning: New Installations
Today’s infilled artificial turf systems require a blend and distribution of infill materials. Inconsistencies in either the blending, or the distribution can result in significant performance variations, and sometimes in performance that fails to meet safety standards and guidelines. Commission testing of new installations is the best way to verify that the entire field performs properly and protects the athlete.
Most new installations include performance requirements well below the maximum levels of 200/1000 gmax/HIC levels outlined in ASTM F1936. This practice helps to provide a surface that meets the requirements for years to come. Because testing is conducted on select points, a slight reduction helps to ensure that 100% of the surface area of the new installation will meet the 200/1000 levels. Specified Gmax/HIC levels in the range of 175/850 are becoming more common in the industry. Several organization already require or recommend levels well below the 200/1000 limits during the entire lifetime of the field.
Maintenance Testing
Many owners only conduct artificial turf testing when their surface is newly installed, even though best practices are to test the field annually, especially during the warranty period. Routine testing can help to guide maintenance activities. most owners are unaware that performing maintenance activities like decompaction too frequently can actually reduce the life of the field.
Routine testing is not only a chance to guide maintenance activities, it also allows owners to see how rapidly their field is changing and to better prepare for its replacement. Often, fields start to change rapidly after 5, 8 or 10 years of service. Sometimes those changes can be slowed or halted with key maintenance activities and sometimes they are an indicator that the field is nearing the end of its useful life.
Product Development and Research
ASET works with a variety of surfacing companies by providing testing used for research and product development. ASET can economically provide testing of systems in the prototyping or development phase using a variety of standardized and proprietary test methods. Standardized tests include ASTM F355, F1936, EN 14808, EN 14809 and others. We have worked with manufactures to help them better understand how their products react to these standards that are relatively new to North America.
To learn more about our field and GMAX testing certification services, please contact us.
