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Sustainable Stan Journal reformatting
Are you tired of waiting an entire month (sometimes even more) to get your fill of the Sustainable Stan Journal? Don't bother responding, we know you are. To address this issue (and other issues you may not be aware of), we have decided to issue pieces of the Journal in smaller bites spread out throughout each month. So what does that mean, you ask? It means the Sustainable Stan Journal posts will be more frequent, but they will not be as long. We will still try to maintain the typical segments - project of the month, news, and opinion - throughout a month's time.
This took a while to decide, and that is why we have missed the month of February this year (that, and it doesn't have as many days). So I would like to apologize for the missed month. Hopefully you will appreciate the new format and visit more often.
To start off this month, we have an interesting article regarding synthetic turf.
Enjoy,
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UnderSTANding LEED:
Synthetic Turf is Greener than it Looks
by Kyle Miller, PE, LEED AP BD+C
Synthetic Turf is MUCH
MORE than a Good Economic Choice
Football fields have been going green lately - that is green as in sustainable
and good for the environment. We all think back to the Friday night high school
football game or the cool Saturday afternoon college games. We can also
associate green with the color of the field, or the color of the stains on the
uniforms, or even the smell of the freshly mowed field. However, over the past
decade, synthetic turf athletic fields have started to emerge all over the
world - and not just for football. The original idea was a more durable,
long-lasting field that could withstand hours of play in all weather conditions
without a worry of wearing out the grass. The initial costs of these fields
were high, but the economic payback would be much higher. Today, many sports at
all levels are played on synthetic turf. These primarily include football,
soccer, baseball, field hockey, lacrosse, rugby, and tennis. In some instances,
homeowners and businesses have even replaced their grass lawns with synthetic
turf.
With care for our environment becoming perhaps as important
as the economics, now there is another reason to choose a synthetic turf field
over the traditional grass field. Synthetic turf surfaces of the past were
merely carpets on top of a concrete slab. The industry has come a long way recently, and the “new” synthetic turf fields offer many environmental benefits - even
though they involve plastic and rubber!
The Basics
The basic design of a modern synthetic turf field includes a compacted
subgrade, drainage tiles, stone base, backing pad, synthetic fibers, and infill
material. The object is to replicate a natural turf field as closely as possible - in feel, play, and appearance. While a variety of colors are available (we have
all seen blue at Boise State), green is the most widely used.
Environmental
Benefits
Of course there are many other benefits (primarily use time and
economics) to choosing synthetic turf in lieu of natural turf. However, there
are also many environmental benefits as well:
·
Elimination harmful pesticides, fungicides,
fertilizers, and herbicides.
·
Eliminates the need for mowing and aeration, conserving fuel and reducing pollution.
·
Removes grass clippings and thousands of tires
from landfills.
·
Eliminates the need for irrigation systems, and
drastically reduces the need for water.
·
Materials are 100% reclaimable and recyclable.
·
Storm water drains directly and quickly through
the synthetic turf system, reducing surface drainage issues often associated
with natural turf fields.
·
The issues of “lead” and “excessive” heat have
been associated with these fields over the years; however, manufacturers have
proactively adjusted their materials and systems to eliminate these concerns.
·
Natural turf fields that are not properly constructed
and regularly maintained cause more injuries that synthetic turf systems which
require minimal maintenance.
LEED Credits
Synthetic turf fields and lawns can contribute to the
following LEED credits:
WE Credit 1.1: Water Efficient Landscaping: Reduce by 50%
WE Credit 1.2: Water Efficient Landscaping: No Potable Water
Use or No Irrigation
MR Credit 2.1: Construction Waste Management: Divert 50%
from Disposal
MR Credit 2.2: Construction Waste Management: Divert 75%
from Disposal
MR Credit 3.1: Materials Reuse: 5%
MR Credit 3.2: Materials Reuse: 10%
MR Credit 4.1: Recycled Content: 10% (post-consumer + ½
pre-consumer)
MR Credit 4.2: Recycled Content: 20% (post-consumer + ½
pre-consumer)
MR Credit 5.1: Regional Materials: 10% Extracted, Processed, & Manufactured Regionally
MR Credit 5.2: Regional Materials: 20% Extracted, Processed, & Manufactured Regionally
Synthetic turf fields have become a viable option for fields when weighing the maintenance and upkeep of conventional natural turf fields. Although first costs may discourage some Owners from looking into these fields, life-cycle costing may demonstrate the savings these fields provide in the long run.
