Alveosport used as shockpad in artificial turf systems in Haiger, Hessen

Successful start of collaboration between Sekisui Alveo and Trofil Sportbodensysteme

 

Lucerne, April 2014. Sekisui Alveo, manufacturer of polyolefin foams, and Trofil
Sportbodensysteme have completed their first joint project: The elementary
school in Haiger, Hessen now has a small football pitch and a multi-use
field with artificial turf. Trofil provided the artificial grass and the
granulate filler for the project and handled the installation, whilst Sekisui
Alveo provided the Alveosport shockpad. “We are pleased with the good start of
our collaboration and we see a successful partnership in the future”, say Frenk
Stoop, responsible Key Account Manager at Sekisui Alveo and Eike Wedell, Managing
Director of Trofil.

Both fields feature high-quality artificial turf products specially made for the sports
applications: The Trofil grass fibres on the football pitch have a pile height of
40 millimetres, which gives balls natural rebound and rolling characteristics.
A key contributor to the overall mechanical performance of the artificial turf system is underneath the
grass mat: the Alveosport shockpad made of cross-linked polyolefin foam with a closed
cell structure. Alveosport meets the standard DIN SPEC 91335 (Sport areas with
synthetic turf systems – Usage of factory made shockpads), in effect since
October 2013. Across the entire 450-square-metre football pitch, the shockpad provides
good traction and optimal impact absorption, so the playing surface is easy on
athletes’ joints. At the same time, the structure of the ten-millimetre thick base layer provides
energy return, making for excellent rolling and rebound characteristics of the
balls. A further advantage of the robust foam is very good resilience: Even
after long and hard play in any type of weather, no unevenness is caused. This
reduces the risk of injury for the athletes and reduces maintenance costs for
the operator.

The 216-square-metre multipurpose field enjoys the same benefits: Here the shorter
grass fibres (20 millimetre pile height) together with the Alveosport shockpad
provide an optimal solution for nearly all types playing and sports activities.

Because Alveosport is delivered in rolls, the shockpad is fast and easy to install. It remains
dimensionally stable under fluctuating temperatures and can be laid in one day
in nearly any type of weather. No special machines or technical specialists are
necessary. This installation system has been proven in fields around the world
and is now being used increasingly in the German market.

Overall, the patented Alveosport shock pad ensures that the mechanical properties of the playing field remain
intact for years. This in turn enhances the longevity of the other components
and thus the entire artificial turf system. It benefits the users – the
students and other athletes – as well as the school, as the operator.

“The collaboration gives us valuable synergies – we can learn much from one
another”, explains Frenk Stoop of Sekisui Alveo. Because artificial turf
functions well as a system only when the individual components are perfectly
coordinated with one another. “We are now looking forward to the next projects.”