A GreenFields MX 3-STAR turf system will be installed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which is set to open in 2017 as the new home of the Atlanta Falcons and the city’s new Major League Soccer team, Atlanta United.
“Our goal is for every feature of this stadium to be a difference maker,” said Rich McKay, President and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons. “Our challenge to GreenFields was to create a turf surface that will not only be the best in the world for professional football and soccer, but will have the durability to maintain top quality over time. They’ve produced a world-class field that is a safer surface for NFL players.”
In order to deliver on this challenge, the GreenFields team turned to what they do best: research and development. “Everything we do is research driven,” said Guido Vliegen, President of GreenFields USA. “We strive to develop and make products that perform well for elite athletes, no matter the sport. After much testing, our R&D group finalized a brand new kind of infill and shock pad. When paired with the GreenFields MX turf, it’s an amazingly versatile system and for football and soccer, delivers enhanced performance and safety.”
The GreenFields MX 3-STAR Turf System is the world’s first synthetic turf system to pass the NFL BEAST test requirements. The BEAST testing process mimics the forces exerted on an athletes’ lower legs and how the surface under their foot contributes to optimal performance and reasons for associated injuries.
“The GreenFields MX turf that will be installed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium showed reduced traction forces in our laboratory testing,” said Dr. Richard Kent, Principal Scientist and Consultant for BioCore LLC and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia. “It performs much like a natural grass field.”
Testing according to exacting FIFA protocols has confirmed that the GreenFields® MX 3-STAR Turf System also closely mimics the shock absorption and energy restitution characteristics of natural grass soccer specific stadium surfaces. Stadiums throughout The Netherlands have converted to GreenFields MX systems including ADO Den Haag, Sparta, Dordrecht, PEC Zwolle, Volendam, RJC, Heracles and many others.
“This will be a world-class stadium where we will host Atlanta United matches as well as international competition, so for us it was important to partner with a company that had an extensive background and experience in soccer,” said Atlanta United president Darren Eales. “The surface GreenFields has developed is the most innovative, highest quality turf surface on the market.”
System features
- GreenFields MX is a 100% recyclable field and provides the most comparable experience to playing on natural grass of any artificial turf system in the world;
- GreenFields MX turf has no pile lay and reduces the glare found in other traditional synthetic surfaces, giving it a beautiful, natural appearance;
- The top layer of the system features GreenFields MX Trimension, a patented weaving technology that ensures the synthetic grass fibers will stand up straight, better replicating natural grass when it comes to playability at top-flight level;
- Unlike traditional synthetic turf where the fibers are bound one at a time to the top layer, the proprietary GreenFields MX process weaves the fibers directly into the matting while also varying their composition and length. The resulting ‘clumps’ of grass are nearly identical in texture to natural grass and possess many of the same properties;
- Extremely wear-resistant blades feature diamond-shaped yarns that are firmly secured through an industry leading 3D weaving technology developed by GreenFields parent company TenCate.
- The woven turf is a more consistent surface that resists compaction, providing excellent traction with less infill splash, allowing the player to pivot easier and deliver better and more natural control of the ball;
- The shock absorption characteristics of the 3-STAR turf system are provided by a separate dampening layer below the turf. This ECOCEPT sports performance layer is manufactured from a variety of materials and is an innovative way of providing the best available performance in an environmentally friendly manner.
“We are redefining the stadium experience every step of the way,” said Scott Jenkins, General Manager of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and AMBSE. “Versatility is key for our turf surface, from how the ball rolls for soccer, to safety for football, to what the paint looks like on the field and how natural the grass appears.”
In line with the best-in-class sustainability standards of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the ECOCEPT sports performance layer furthers GreenFields goal of moving toward a zero-waste future by recycling end-of-life plastics and rubbers of many types that were previously unable to be recycled.