GTR Installs Shaw Sports Turf and Hydrochill at Commonwealth Stadium
Todd Britton June 1, 2015
(EDMONTON, Alberta) – GTR Turf and Shaw Sports Turf have completed installation of an all new synthetic turf field at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta.
GTR Turf of Saint-Colomban, Quebec, was selected to complete the field installation at Commonwealth Stadium. Shaw Sports Turf of Dalton, Georgia is the manufacturer of the product.
“This is a great honour for GTR Turf,” said Luc Rochon, President & CEO of GTR Turf. “To have been selected to provide the field for such a prestigious stadium says a great deal about the quality of our work.”
GTR Turf was selected in a competitive bid process and by the recommendation of the architect, JSA Sport Architecture of British Colombia, and Canada Soccer.
Along with Commonwealth Stadium, GTR Turf have also installed surfaces at Rocky Stone Field in Moncton, New Brunswick; Winnipeg Soccer Complex in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Henry Singer Sports Centre in Edmonton, Alberta as part of the overall project. All surfaces will meet the FIFA Recommended 2 Star requirements for football (soccer) turf.
The group making the decision also spent time at GTR Turf’s installation at Town Centre Park in Coquitlam, British Columbia. This field played a significant role in the decision to use GTR Turf and Shaw Sports Turf at Commonwealth Stadium.
Commonwealth Stadium, the focal point of the project, is the host stadium for the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL. This summer, the stadium will host 11 matches during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015, including Canada’s first two matches, the semi-final match on Canada Day, and the match for third place on July 4.
The Shaw Sports Turf system used for the installation is the PowerBlade Elite 2.5 system. PowerBlade Elite is made with an advanced HP+ monofilament fiber and is the next generation in engineered performance. The system is designed around performance criteria that measures both athlete-surface and ball-surface interactions.
PowerBlade Elite delivers a quality turf system with the best combination of durability, playability and safety. PowerBlade Elite is an engineered system specifically built to meet the stringent laboratory and field tests of FIFA. The FIFA Quality Programme ensures that the Shaw Sports Turf field delivers the maximum level of performance and quality to athletes.
The field at Edmonton will also feature Shaw Sports Turf’s innovative HydroChill product. When athletes sweat, evaporative cooling takes place when evaporation of moisture from the skin’s surface has a cooling effect. HydroChill works on the same principle. As the turf surface is heated by solar radiation, moisture stored in the turf is released, leaving a cooler, more comfortable surface for athletes.
The technology is applied to a field where components react and form a coating on the infill. The field is watered to activate HydroChill and then energy from sunlight drives out water, removing heat from the surface. The cooling effect of HydroChill after watering can last two to three days. Watering alone can result in some short-term cooling, but a flash-effect means temperatures can rise and quickly exceed uncomfortable levels of heat. HydroChill creates a substantial and sustained temperature difference.
HydroChill provides maximum benefit when the sun is nearest the Earth. During the summer months the sun is positioned overhead, causing surfaces to absorb more energy, resulting in hotter temperatures. Temperature differences of 50 degrees have been seen on an outdoor field. Studies have shown that temperature differences of over 30 degrees provide a noticeable increase in the comfort level of athletes.
The research behind HydroChill was extensive and was conducted for three years, both in laboratory tests and in real-world field applications currently in use by athletes. Shaw Sports Turf’s testing facilities include an entire lab dedicated to the study of heat on turf. It houses a custom-built solar simulator with a watering mechanism that simulates rainfall so testing can be conducted on a year-round basis. Tests on a variety of outdoor surfaces were conducted with thermocouples, an Infrared thermometer and by a certified thermographer with a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera.
“This field is used for elite teams and events,” said Chuck McClurg, Vice President of Shaw Sports Turf. “We believe the quality of the field must meet the level of play and that makes our PowerBlade Elite system the perfect match.”
Shaw Sports Turf has also donated a mini-pitch, which will be used outside the stadium for special events. In July, the pitch will be donated to the City of Edmonton.
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