Turf Reinforcement Technology

Advancing the Evolution of Soil means enhancing the performance of natural surfaces by stabilizing the root zone underneath.

StaLok Fiber Reinforcement Technology

Flexible polypropylene fibers that mimic grass roots in size and flexibility, providing three dimensional strength and stability to sand and soil by spreading a point load across a larger area in the rootzone.

Integration - Grass roots grow through Fiber

Promotes plant growth - Creates porosity and air-filled porosity

Triangulation - Spreads point load across root zone network

Load Bearing and Shear Strength - Increases load bearing and shear strength without increasing compaction

Stability - Maintains stability across various moisture contents and grass cover

First things first, how do you evaluate turf surfaces?

How high is the surface load bearing and shear strength?

A reinforced turf surface must be designed to provide (in engineering terms) the correct amount of load bearing and shear strength to support the load needed for the application. In sports turf the surface must support player movements without causing injury from slide or grip. In turf parking the surface must support the vehicle load without deforming or rutting.

How much downtime can you expect from weather?

Without reinforcement, wet stability of a turf surface is usually dependant on the soil particle structure beneath the turf. Usually a trade-off is made using sand based turf. Sand provides little in the way of load bearing strength, but varies less when moisture is present. Non-sand based turf will provide more in the way of load bearing strength, but will destabilize quickly when moisture is present.


Will the grass grow properly and how much maintenance will it take?

It is easier to increase load bearing and shear strength by increasing compaction in the soil. Many reinforcing products accomplish this, but increased compaction reduces the infiltration rate and air filled porosity which causes problems for grass growth. Furthermore large reinforcing products impede cohesion in the rootzone. Are you strengthening the surface at the expense of proper grass growth?



More on Load Bearing and Shear Strength

Typically load bearing and shear strength has been determined by the soil particle structure of the root zone. Generally higher clay content is needed to increase the load bearing and shear strength of the surface. Unfortunately, clay content can destabilize quickly and inhibit grass growth. Therefore, most athletic turf surfaces are sand based or sand modified. Sand possesses very low load bearing and shear strength capabilities on its own.

Test results show that the inclusion of StaLok Fiber at the rate of between .3-.5% have increased unconfined compression test results, a measure of load bearing strength, up to 4 times as much in sand based systems. Furthermore, triaxial shear testing results have increased at a rate of 2.5 times in sand based systems. In live performance testing this has translated into a reduction of divots and divot size.

Proper Grass Growth

It is much easier to increase traffic resistance by increasing compaction. Unfortunately compaction does not help maintain grass growth. Test results show that StaLok Fiber reduces bulk density. Bulk density is a measure of how sand or soil compacts when subjected to compactive force. StaLok Fiber has greater resistance to compaction and therefore a low bulk density. StaLok Fiber also has showed increases in total porosity of 11%, including air filled porosity at 14%, as a result the infiltration rate of water is also increased. Air Filled Porosity is a measure of the large pore spaces that are essential for air movement through sand or soil, drainage and infiltration and root growth.

Maintenance

StaLok Fiber does not inhibit any maintenance procedures. Solid tine aeration, hollow tine aeration and sod removal can all be completed with the addition of StaLok Fiber.

Slope Reinforcement

Since StaLok Fiber increases shear strength, this may allow for steeper slopes to be constructed without slope failure.

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