When the Battery Park City Authority decided to renovate its old grass ball fields that frequently turned to mud, they wanted to create an athletic field that benefitted the environment as much as players. The result is the country’s most sustainable playing field, which features Brock International’s Cradle to Cradle Certified CM combined drainage and shock pad product as well as other noteworthy synthetic turf system components.
“We conducted a lifecycle analysis of the individual components of a synthetic turf system in order to maximize sustainability,” explained David Nardone, the Sport Group Leader- North America for Stantec, the globally-recognized architecture and planning firm that handled the project. “Brock’s recyclability and recycling program, coupled with their proven drainage and impact attenuation capabilities, made them the perfect choice for Battery City Park.”
The project involved numerous challenges. Converting a natural grass field to synthetic turf involved detailed planning. Construction took place right beside two residential tower construction projects. The lifecycle analysis evaluated longevity as well as field performance in determining the most sustainable components needed for the field. The Battery Park City Authority wanted to collect storm water from the field to hydrate the turf infill and water the surrounding landscape, so drainage needed to run very clean. In addition to selecting Brock’s shock pad and drainage layer, Stantec opted for recyclable polyethylene grass on the field and infill made of coconut husks.
Since the park opened in the late September, it has been well-received by the community. A record 1,200 children are enrolled in a parent-run soccer league that can now play and practice even in the rain.
Environmental stewardship is a core value for Brock international. In October 2011, Brock became the first company in the synthetic turf industry to have a Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM Designation for its combined drainage and shock pad product. Offering the only product in the market that can be closed loop recycled, the company’s technologies reduce the overall energy cost of constructing a field by 50%. Made in an ISO and TS certified manufacturing facility of 100% recyclable and non-toxic material, Brock PowerBase is certified to the world’s most stringent environmental standards.
Brock PowerBase is a shock pad and drainage layer used beneath synthetic turf on athletic fields. It is manufactured into an interlocking panel system with the highest quality, food grade 100% pure polypropylene, known for its longevity and environmental safety. The panels can be easily removed, cleaned and begin their next life as a quality, durable material with minimal use of additional energy or waste. Alternatively, as a pure mono-component material, the panels can be easily recycled and remade into new Brock panels, eliminating the demand for new fossil fuels for this use. Unlike many industrial hybrid materials used by others, which include a mixture of components that are difficult or impossible to be salvaged after their current life, Brock PowerBase is a pure non-toxic product that can be used over and over again.