Casestudy - Ranney School

Ranney School, Tinton Falls (USA)

ProPlay provides the base for ‘the most sustainable field ever built’

Reclaimed material shows that sustainable synthetic turf syst

Ranney School and Princeton Soccer Academy can rightfully claim that their new field is 'the most sustainable field in the world'. The woven carpet utilizes TPE infill made from discarded plastic that has been reclaimed from the sea. As it has been built over a ProPlay shock pad, the field has prevented thousands of pounds of foam and plastic from being discarded.

Allen Hubbard

National Sales Manager, Schmitz Foam Products

“We go to great lengths to ensure that only the best foams will make it to our production process. Our suppliers follow stringent protocols to prevent the foam from getting contaminated. Upon arrival at our plants, the foam is visually and mechanically inspected once again, before it is diverted to our storage facility. Here we continue monitoring the foam and the conditions in which it has been stored.”

Project details

Project	All-in-one, eco-friendly turf system that is 100% recyclable
Product	ProPlay-Sport20
Address:	235 Hope Rd, Tinton Falls, NJ07724, United States
Application	Soccer
Completion	2020
In cooperation with	Act Global, Elite Turf

The new field in Tinton Falls uses an Act Global Xtreme Turf Woven carpet. It also utilizes TPE infill that has been produced from the recycling of over 1 million plastic bottles that had been reclaimed from the sea. Most importantly, it has been built on a ProPlay shock pad. “ProPlay is produced from foam remnants that are collected from high-tech industries like the automotive and construction industries. Schmitz Foam Products sources these remnant foams and converts them into a source material that we use for engineering our ProPlay performance layer,” says Allen Hubbard, National Sales Manager at Schmitz Foam Products. The foam is collected, transported, and stored according to carefully defined and well-stipulated protocols. Before the foam enters the production process, it is subjected to another quality inspection. Regular tests of the final product, a ProPlay shock pad, guarantee that the performance layer will pass any quality and performance test once a field has been installed.

The safest option available

Ranney School embraced the proposal to install a field that uses materials that initially either had been or were about to be discarded. As both the school and its soccer academy cater for the youngest and most precious age group in society, they wanted to lead by example without sacrificing the safety and comfort of the players in their quest for the most sustainable synthetic turf system. The decision to embrace the Act Global Xtreme Turf Woven carpet with TPE infill from reclaimed plastic and a ProPlay shock pad has given the school the safest high performance turf system available that is completely sustainable at end of life.

Ranney School-1

Extensively tested

ProPlay is known for the performance it delivers and the sustainable contributions it makes. The shock pad is produced in the a US facility in Coldwater, MI, as well as in Roermond, the Netherlands. It is produced by carefully arranging foam flakes of different sizes, shapes and density on a non-woven backing. The arranging is done in accordance with the intended purpose of the pad. “Once the engineering of the pad is completed, thermal heat is used to bond the foam and non-woven backing together without using any additive or chemical substance,” Hubbard points out.

ProPlay doesn’t leak any hazardous materials and doesn’t fall apart. The production quality and consistency are carefully monitored and both Schmitz Foam Products production sites have a laboratory where products are inspected randomly to ensure they meet all standards. Quality inspections and performance tests are conducted during production and before dispatch of a finished batch. “Both manufacturing facilities have a laboratory where important tests like those for Gmax, HIC and drainage capacity tests are conducted.”

With a capacity to vertically drain 1,000 inch or more of rainfall per hour, the drainage capacity of ProPlay is amongst the highest recorded for shock pads. “Our laboratories have all the components to replicate the synthetic turf system in which a pad will be used. This allows us to establish the performance of the shock pad in the final synthetic turf system, which puts us in a position to ensure that the ProPlay will deliver,” Hubbard continues.

Better for the environment and increased safety

The management of Ranney School, as well as all partner companies involved in the project, all voiced their pride and happiness at the official handover. “We are excited to have this state-of-the-art technology that will increase the safety for our student-athletes,” says Ranney School Athletic director Natalie Gorman. “The ability to feature the same playing surface as the professionals use on our campus is an incredible benefit for our students. This system will increase the playing hours, be better on the environment, and increase the safety of our students.” Moshe Grant, COO at installing company Elite Turf, praises the sustainability of the entire synthetic turf system. “Some of the greatest qualities of any sports surface are not visible to the naked eye when the surface is complete,” he says, referring to the unique infill as well as the shock pad. “A key factor within our Power System is the effect the warps and wefts structure our woven turf has on the permeability of our turf system. When combined with our Power Drainage System, our fields become the fastest-draining turf surfaces in the industry,” he adds, pointing out that the permeability of the woven field is twice as high as that of a tufted system and is complemented by the capabilities of the ProPlay shock pad.

02 ProPlay-Sport (Vertical drainage) Base

Paul Adams, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Elite Turf USA, points out: “Over the past 20 years, the social and market drivers for greater turf innovation related to environmental, sustainability and player safety factors have significantly increased. By installing our comprehensive Power System, athletic facilities, public and private institutions, and athletes and their families can now rest easy knowing that they’re investing in and playing on a completely recyclable turf product that’s safer for the environment, safer for the player, and performs better.” John Baize, Founder and CEO at Act Global, adds: “We are committed to providing safe and environmentally conscious surfaces to both our partners and to communities around the world.”

The best way to guarantee these commitments to safety and sustainability is by building a synthetic turf field over a ProPlay shock pad.

25

years warranty

ProPlay shock pads have proven to last for over 25 years. "By the time it can no longer serve its intended purpose, the shock pad can be converted for use as a source material in the production of another performance pad," Allen Hubbard concludes.