Sports Pitches - Technical Information
Surface consistency and drainage of a sports facility is perhaps the most important consideration throughout design and construction.
As a result, a wide range of sports facility designs have been developed that incorporate the Permavoid geocellular units. These geocellular units provide a consistent sub-base allowing water to freely drain from the surface, ideal for sports facilities.
Surfacing
The beauty of using Permavoid for sports pitches is the versatility it provides. There are many different types of sports surfaces that can be constructed directly onto the Permavoid sub-base.
Careful considerations are required when designing a sports facility, as different sports have specific requirements that the construction must comply with, such as slip resistance, rebound, shock absorption, and moisture content. Here are five examples of regularly used surfaces.
1: Resin Bound Gravel (RBG)
As an alternative to a traditional macadam surface, RBG can produce the same durability, robustness and hardness of macadam, whilst remaining fast and easy to install in logistically challenging areas. A popular surface for MUGAs as these characteristics maximise ball bounce, perfect for sports such as tennis and basketball. RBG surfacing has been independently tested to Sport England Guidelines for slip resistance and permeability.
2: Polymeric surface
Recognised and recommended by Sport England as the chosen surface for running tracks, compliant with IAAF standards. Typically, RBG is installed directly on the Permavoid sub-base, followed by the wet-poured ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) surface, sometimes referred to as synthetic rubber.
3: Synthetic turf
Perhaps the most popular surface used in modern sports facilities. There is an extensive range of synthetic turf available, with each turf suited for a specific purpose. A shockpad can be installed directly onto Permavoid followed by the synthetic turf of choice. This surface supports a wide range of sports including, football, rugby, hockey, and tennis.
4: Natural grass
A very simple but effective construction, with endless sporting uses.
The natural grass can be installed directly onto Permavoid with a root zone. This creates a well-drained natural grass surface, usable all year round.
5: Equestrian sand surface
In Equestrian sport, the moisture content of the sand fibre surface is critical. The ability to install equestrian surfacing directly onto Permavoid allows the surface to be well-irrigated, maintaining the optimum moisture content without flooding.