//How to maintain your 3G Pitch

3rd Generation (3G) carpet systems are being increasingly adopted for use at varying levels of the game by the Rugby Football Union, the Football Association and even FIFA, thereby propelling artificial grass pitches to the international stage.

So what is the secret to boasting a successful 3rd Generation sports surface? Here, Technical Surfaces explains how a regular programme of effective maintenance techniques can help you achieve an artificial pitch that FIFA would be proud of...

Playing characteristics such as ball roll and bounce, stud slide and shock absorption are improved by the carpet’s longer fibres (around 40-50mm) and cushioning rubber infill. These features must be preserved to allow a 3G pitch to provide a consistently high standard of play.

• Decompactions

Regular Decompactions help to agitate the surface and remove contamination, simultaneously lifting the carpet fibres and loosening the rubber particles, which become flattened and compacted during play. Keeping the pile upright not only protects the carpet fibres from wear, it also preserves the playing characteristics and restores the aesthetic qualities of the pitch. Loosening the rubber infill helps to improve drainage and control the feel of the surface underfoot, whilst allowing for infill levels to be regulated at repeated intervals.

• Monitor Infill Levels

Regular maintenance encourages familiarity with the way a pitch reacts to factors such as player footfall and natural weathering. Rubber infill is removed from a 3G pitch on a daily basis, and frequent monitoring can help to ensure that rubber levels and distribution are assessed and corrected before infill displacement is able to weaken the carpet fibres, increase the rate at which the carpet wears, compromise the playing characteristics and foreshorten the life expectancy of the surface. As a minimum requirement, rubber levels must be topped up every 1 to 2 years 

• Regular Maintenance

As with any artificial surface, combining daily and weekly in-house routines with specialist, deep-cleaning works is the key to a successful 3G pitch maintenance programme. Drag brushing should be carried out at least weekly, to maintain a consistent distribution of rubber infill and raise the carpet pile. Compaction of the infill can also be reduced on a regular basis with suitable equipment. There are various types of machinery available to carry out this function, which can be used a standalone item or attached to existing machinery. Technical Surfaces can offer advice on the best machinery to complement your pitch maintenance routine.

Alongside these everyday surface-based tasks, it is important to regularly remove the accrued dirt, debris and contamination that can bed in amongst the infill. Drag brushing alone does not achieve this so it is important that a 3G pitch is swept using a rotary brush with filtration systems which lift and clean the top layer of rubber infill before returning it to the carpet. This service forms the basis of Technical Surfaces’ regular MatchFit® maintenance contracts, and should ideally be carried out on a monthly basis to complement the in-house drag brushing of the surface.

• Deep-Cleaning

Furthermore, to ensure comprehensive decompaction and dirt removal a more intense cleaning of a 3G pitch should be completed either annually or as a minimum every 2nd year. This process, called a Revite®, is designed to get much deeper into the carpet pile, removing any dust, debris and broken-down carpet fibres that have migrated lower into the rubber infill.

• Vegetation Treatments

As with all synthetic grass carpet systems, moss and weed growth can create problems on 3G pitches and must be tackled on a regular basis. Failure to remove this material will soon increase contamination levels, leave the pitch looking unsightly and, most importantly, pose health and safety risks to players in the form of slip hazards. Trained and qualified operatives from Technical Surfaces treat the perimeters as part of our maintenance programme, and are able to attend to other affected areas as required.

• Work with the experts

As with natural grass, the good condition of an artificial pitch can only be sustained with regular care and attention throughout its life. It is essential to understand the routines and practices relevant to 3G surfaces, and utilising the services of Technical Surfaces, a maintenance specialist with a working knowledge of maintaining FIFA RECOMMENDED rubber-filled surfaces, provides added peace of mind that your investment is in safe hands.

So, the secret to boasting a successful 3G sports surface? It’s no secret at all – quite simply, if properly maintained from day one, with on-hand support from industry experts, a 3G pitch will provide you with a consistent playing surface all year round.