The effects of testing procedure on critical fall height determination for third-generation synthetic turf |
| |
| Authors: | Dara Twomey Leonie Otago Natalie Saunders |
| |
| Institution: | (1) School of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, University of Ballarat, Mt Helen, VIC, 3353, Australia |
| |
| Abstract: | Test procedures and their accuracy in determining critical fall height (CFH) on sporting grounds are paramount to player safety.
The procedure currently adopted for synthetic turf in Australian football 1] consists of four consecutive drops at various drop heights at three test locations on the sample. The quantity and packing
of the infill in third-generation turf and the pooling effect of the rubber particles with consecutive drops suggests that
the current standard protocol may need re-assessment. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to investigate whether
current methods of testing for CFH are appropriate for third-generation synthetic turf or whether an alternative or adapted
method needs to be developed. CFH was measured, using a HISUN Uniaxe-II Impact Tester, on 12 combinations of synthetic turf
samples (four different products with three shock pad options). Three conditions were investigated on each sample; the existing
protocol; an alternative 12 single-drop protocol and four single drops from the CFH determined from the existing protocol.
A significant difference was found for both absolute and percentage difference between the existing and 12 single-drop protocol,
with p = 0.001 and t = 4.33 and p < 0.001 and t = 6.03, respectively. There was also a significant difference between the CFH reached with and without a shock pad for both
the existing protocol and the 12 single-drop protocol. The results of this pilot study demonstrate that differences do occur
with alterations to the existing protocol and highlight the need for a more detailed characterisation of testing methods on
third-generation synthetic turf and the response of surfaces to them. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
| 本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录！ |
|
