Lambeau is switching to astroturf

[GoPackGo]

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/feb07/lambeau1021607.jpg
http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/feb07/lambeau2021607.jpg
just kidding.... 8)
The "tundra" will be reworked for better drainage, rewired for a better in-ground heating system and replanted with a mix of real and synthetic blades of grass.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=566928

[red]

cool pics

i forgot all about this, should give us one of the best fields in the world

if i'm not mistaken some of the bigger soccer clubs in Europe use the stuff, and love it

[]{ilr]3]

I think there is already a few NFL teams with this turf as well. I believe the Eagles have had this system for several years now and the Patriots just installed it as well.

[GBRulz]

Yeah, they installed this grass on one of their practice fields prior to TC of last year. They really liked it so of course are installing it at Lambeau now.

They have been working on this for at least a month and a half now. All of the trucks and construction equipment are using the Fleet Farm gate entrance...too funny !

[MacCool606]

Didn't we try something like this a few years ago? I thought it didn't hold up real well and it was torn out and replaced with real grass.

[oregonpackfan]

Many high school and college facilities have gone with Field Turf out here on the West Coast.

As many of you know, Field Turf has synthtic grass about 2-3" long. It has a drainage system of gravel topped with inches of sand. On top of the sand is the synthetic grass with several inches of black, ground-up rubber pieces.

It has these advantages:

1. excellent drainage
2. soft absorbant surface for the athletes when they fall on it.
3. athletes will not get there spikes locked in like the old astroturf
4. low maintenance.

Frankly, I think Field Turf is absolutely great and would be in favor of Lambeau using it.

[red]

{ilr]3]I think there is already a few NFL teams with this turf as well. I believe the Eagles have had this system for several years now and the Patriots just installed it as well.

the eagle and broncos both have it, as far as i know

and know we didn't try this a few years ago. we did tear up the whole field and redid it, but we haven't tried this new system before

[Kiwon]

Now, this stuff IS cool science. I'm seen something similar to it before.

It's too bad Reggie didn't get to play on it. He would have extended his career and avoided some of his injuries he had playing on the concrete in old Veterans Stadium in Philly.

I'm for anything that keeps Lambeau Field from turning to crap in December.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I don't think it's true Field Turf. It's even more advanced. The Packers were cautious with messing with tradition, so they have some kind of Field Turf and grass mix that's a little different than most teams Field Turf. That's what I took from the article. The Field Turf is for the foundation, so the field doesn't become a mess in December and January--like grass becomes at that time in Wisconsin.

[the_idle_threat]

I happened to speak with Ted Eisenreich, Head of Facility Operations at Lambeau, and he told me the following about the new turf:

"It is a hybrid. This is a cross, ah, Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play four quarters on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff."

[ny10804]

I have the pleasure of playing on FieldTurf for home games at my highschool, and it is far superior to natural grass or any other kind of turf. Just my opinion though.

[superfan]

I happened to speak with Ted Eisenreich, Head of Facility Operations at Lambeau, and he told me the following about the new turf:

"It is a hybrid. This is a cross, ah, Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play four quarters on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff."

Sounds perfect for night putting with the 15 year old daughter of the Dean...

[the_idle_threat]

:whist:

[red]

no, its not field turf, i think thats all fake, just longer with a better foundation then the older stuff

this is all real grass with some help

you have these fibers (you can see then in the second picture, that are very long and stick in the ground, (only a little big sticks out of the top). then the grass grows with it and past the end of the fibers. so you don't see the fibers, just the natural grass. however, as most people that take care of their own grass know, grass roots only go down and inch or two, then its all dirt. thats why in sloppy conditions if a guy cuts a giant chunk of turf comes up. with this new field the fiber add strengths, instead of 1 or 2 inches of support under the surface, you have 8 inches. meaning the surface won't ever tear up

you can mow it, just like real grass(because it is), but it'll last just like astro turf

this stuff is cool

[RashanGary]

I'm really hoping our guys do a better job than they did in Philly, because Philly's hybrid field didnt' look too good during the January playoff game against the Giants. It was as bad as any clay based field I've seen in the last couple of years.


It's a pretty big deal that they've found a way to keep a grass field together on a sand surface. Sand drains really well but it also tears up too easily. This is the best of both worlds. You get the real grass and the drainage that goes along with a sand base and gravel sub-base.

Also, it will be heated better and from what I understand; it will be a much more comfortable surface in the winter months.

Again, I wasn't too impressed with Philly's. it was no worse than a clay field in a cold climate as far as how it held up but it was no better either. They didn't have to re resod all year so it's not apples to apples as a clay field would have likely been resodded before the game. Regardless, it's not some freakishly incredible breakthough. It sounds like a good surface, but it's sitll gonna get torn up in January.

[red]

I'm really hoping our guys do a better job than they did in Philly, because Philly's hybrid field didnt' look too good during the January playoff game against the Giants. It was as bad as any clay based field I've seen in the last couple of years.


It's a pretty big deal that they've found a way to keep a grass field together on a sand surface. Sand drains really well but it also tears up too easily. This is the best of both worlds. You get the real grass and the drainage that goes along with a sand base and gravel sub-base.

Also, it will be heated better and from what I understand; it will be a much more comfortable surface in the winter months.

Again, I wasn't too impressed with Philly's. it was no worse than a clay field in a cold climate as far as how it held up but it was no better either. They didn't have to re resod all year so it's not apples to apples as a clay field would have likely been resodded before the game. Regardless, it's not some freakishly incredible breakthough. It sounds like a good surface, but it's sitll gonna get torn up in January.

was it tearing up in big chunks at all, or did it just look bad?

i read where its suppose to look and act just like the real thing, its just suppose to hold together a lot better

and i think the resodding is the main thing here. i read somewhere about this stuff. with the new fields they say you can get 900 playing hours out of it (based on soccer games), and some clubs have even played over 1400 hours on it in a season without problems. that site also said natural turf has a life span of about 300 playing hours (again based on soccer).

so you could be resoding two or three times more with the old stuff then you would with the new stuff

of course, if you can make it through the year the field would grow back to where it was before the season. so you would hope with the new stuff you would never have to resod

[GrnBay007]

So in other words, when the Packers have home field advantage in the playoffs this next season, Lambeau will look a hell of a lot better than the spaceship (soldier) field did during the playoff game? :mrgreen:

[ND72]

It is real grass, with some synthetic stuff put into the turf. It's different than what New England has. New England has the full fledged field turf. I played on field turf in college, we were actually the first college at any level to install the field turf, and I love it. I think the Packers should just give up on the "tradition" bullshit and put that stuff in, they'd save a shit load of money. And it's better.

[Scott Campbell]

So in other words, when the Packers have home field advantage in the playoffs this next season, Lambeau will look a hell of a lot better than the spaceship (soldier) field did during the playoff game? :mrgreen:


Lambeau could be hit by a nuke and still look better than Soldier Field.

[RashanGary]

So in other words, when the Packers have home field advantage in the playoffs this next season, Lambeau will look a hell of a lot better than the spaceship (soldier) field did during the playoff game? :mrgreen:

Philly has the hybrid stuff and it looked on par with the space-ship. I think it plays a little better though.