The Importance of Evaporative Cooling Systems

An ongoing trend at sports and recreation facilities across Florida and nationwide is the transition from natural grass to synthetic turf field surfaces. As schools and municipalities look to maximize field space and usage, synthetic turf offers an all-weather, 24-7 alternative solution to natural grass surfaces. This can be a game changer, especially in warm weather climates like Florida’s that experience consistent rainfall throughout the year.

Decision makers across the state are constantly looking for solutions that make fields safer and more playable, and synthetic turf surfaces offer an assortment of performance benefits such as cushioning, enhanced durability, fiber support and turnkey maintenance, among others.

Synthetic turf has the potential to reach temperatures of 140°, often registering over 160° during the summer in some climates, which can be dangerous for athletes, coaches, officials and fans. One of the most prominent breakthroughs is the integration of cooling solutions as part of a synthetic turf installation project.

…municipalities, recreation facilities, high schools and colleges are now taking the heat issue seriously and recognizing the vast benefits of treating synthetic turf fields. It’s safer for participants, maximizes field usage and extends the overall facility investment for many years.

Solutions have been available at recreation facility playgrounds, dog parks and even home residences for years, sports fields are now embracing the technology as consumers become more educated on the potential heat issue related to synthetic turf field surfaces.

Somerset Canyons Academy (West Boynton Beach) is the first school in Florida that is taking a proactive approach to combat the dangerous heat. It recently installed a pre-treated cooling solution on its new turf field.

"Having a synthetic turf field here in South Florida is going to be a blessing, especially during the rainy season," said Michael Feierstein, athletic director, Somerset Canyons. "Previously, we would lose our grass field use to flooding from poor drainage, and it would deteriorate by mid-year. With a new turf field, we solve these issues, and the installation of this technology alleviates the heat issue associated with synthetic turf surfaces. The ability to reduce field temperatures creates a safer and more consistent environment for our athletes, and we look forward to utilizing our facility year round and in a much safer way."

There are two basic infill options for cooling synthetic turf systems. The first option involves the use of organics, such as renewable cork, coconut fiber, wood fibers and walnut shells. These materials are predominantly adsorbent, and moisture typically either passes through or remains on the surface of the infill.

Once the surface moisture evaporates, the temperature relief returns to the original state. Organic materials tend to degrade over time and field owners may have to budget to replace the infill one or more times during the life of the field. Additionally, this organic infill option requires the installation of a shock absorbent pad for safety, which is an additional expense for the overall project. According to a study reported by Penn State University, in their original state, organic infills provide a mid to high single digit (6-9 degrees) temperature reduction when compared to traditional crumb rubber infill. As black crumb rubber infill makes up nearly 80 percent of the synthetic turf field market in the USA, the second option involves pre-treating the crumb rubber with a super absorbent polymer to enable evaporative cooling. With this solution, the infill is now able to absorb moisture, which slowly releases a cooling effect over an extended period of time.

A natural process, the evaporative cooling solution simply requires hydration in the form of irrigation, rainfall or humidity to continuously activate and reduce surface temperatures on synthetic turf fields. The technology works on the same principle as human perspiration. Stored moisture is slowly released from pre-treated infill, removing heat and allowing a surface to cool.

While it’s not one size fits all, the integration of cooling solutions is prudent, and municipalities, recreation facilities, high schools and colleges are now taking the heat issue seriously and recognizing the vast benefits of treating synthetic turf fields. It’s safer for participants, maximizes field usage and extends the overall facility investment for many years. On the heels of the first installation in Florida, integrating a cooling solution to synthetic turf fields across the state is a growing trend that will soon be a standard for future fields.

Chris’ piece was recently Featured in Florida Recreation and Park Association. See below.