Alveo Shock Pads

Shock Pad (Alveo)

The benefits of artificial turf must be considered when it comes to a grass sports field. The heart of these turf systems is the technical layer, also called the shock pad. This layer makes up roughly 70 % of the vertical sports performance of the overall turf system. Alveosport is a patented technical layer designed specifically for artificial turf systems – and it performs like a champion. Fields built with Alveosport are cost-efficient to install and maintain, provide consistent world-class performance, and last for decades, withstanding extreme weather exposure and intensive rugged use.

Benefits

Playing fields must meet a range of diverse requirements. Athletes need a sports surface that offers ideal playing characteristics and is easy on their joints. Clubs and communities want an uncomplicated solution and guaranteed performance – fields with consistent playing characteristics and high availability. Contractors prefer systems that are easy and reliable to install. Operators want a worry-free field that stays in top shape with little maintenance. Owners demand longevity, high quality, and the best total cost of ownership. And everybody wants good environmental performance. Alveosport is at the core of turf systems that meet all these expectations. Well, over one hundred Alveosport playing fields are in service worldwide. Many of these are world-class fields that meet specific standards of UEFA, IRB, FIH, AFL, or other leagues.

Your engineered playing field

Sekisui Alveo, a leading European foam specialist, works with synthetic-grass manufacturers and contractors to design each new field individually to provide the required playing characteristics. In each case, Alveosport is manufactured and supplied as an integral component of an engineered turf system. You choose your standard, and we make sure your field meets it. It’sIt’s as simple as that!

We use only virgin base materials to control the properties of the cross-linked polyolefin foam product precisely. By using different types of resins and optimizing the design of the foam, we can fine-tune the technical layer to deliver just the right shock absorption, energy restitution, ball bounce, and resilience for any sports field.

And it doesn’t matter where your field will be – we provide our services anywhere in the world. Our support extends from pretesting of the system design to the final testing of the installation to verify the performance of your playing field.

Easy handling for fast and economical installation

Alveosport is easy to install in most weather conditions. It can be installed over any normal sub-base and covered with a synthetic grass mat. The rolls are approximately two meters wide and weigh about 100 kilograms, so they are easy to handle – a big plus for contractors. Alveosport rolls out flat, unlike some other materials, and our taping machine makes taping the joints a snap. Installation is much faster than sheets that interlock, or that must be glued or sewn together. Two men can easily roll out Alveosport over the foundation and tape the seams, covering an entire field within a day. Mr. M. Olde Weghuis, Ten Cate. Ten Cate and its partners installed this synthetic turf pitch in 2008, using Alveosport as the shock pad. All performance characteristics that Alveosport contributes to were measured again this year and are still at the same level measured in 2008.”

Hot or cold, wet or dry, new or old – your field stays in top form.

Alveosport is soft but made for hard use. The material withstands mechanical loads by compressing and quickly recovering. The foam retains its original mechanical properties for decades. Alveosport is known to outlast the grass layer often. Alveosport delivers constant performance in most weather because the closed-cell foam does not absorb water. Absorption would alter the properties of the shock pad and, thus, the overall system’ssystem’s performance. Absorption could also reduce the durability and insulation properties of the foam. Alveosport is perforated for drainage – water flows through horizontal and vertical drains in the sheet but does not enter the material. Drainage is efficient; the playing field remains usable even during moderate rains.

Alveosport is resistant to moisture, chemicals, and microorganisms. It delivers consistent performance over a wide temperature range. With patented two-way expansion and contraction, the shock pad adjusts to temperature fluctuations without buckling or changing the overall footprint.

Adam Coleman, General Manager of turf component provider USGreentech, is convinced of the total performance of Alveosport: “We reviewed all the pads to find the right one suitable for a high-performance system built around our Envirofill infill. It became clear that Alveosport was the best-engineered pad – addressing expansion, contraction, drainage, player comfort, and performance in a unique design.”

A proven long-term investment

Many Alveosport fields have a long-lasting history and continue to serve as fine playing surfaces. Long service life and low maintenance is the key to a good return on investment and low total cost of ownership – and this is a hallmark of Alveosport.

Another economic benefit of Alveosport is the insulation properties of the foam. The sub-base normally must extend below the frost line to prevent heaving. Because Alveosport insulates the foundation, the depth of the engineered fill may be reduced. In the Netherlands, for example, the environmental and economic savings by reduction of the sub-base is up to 30 % per field (fewer truck loads and less earth removed). Open-cell foams do not provide this level of insulation or offer this advantage.

Whether you measure value in terms of system cost, lifecycle cost, cost-performance ratio, or total cost of ownership, Alveosport is a winner.