Hibernians FC - Tony Bezzina Stadium

The Project of the hybrid pitch - Why POWERgrass system?

The project provides for the redevelopment of the 11-aside pitch. The actual surface is based on clay court and The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai selected the most cost effective solution of the innovative hybrid grass system to increase the number of playing hours the pitch is available for the club members.

The project provides a resilient hybrid surface for about 1000 hours of play per yearon really reinforced natural grass with regular maintenance and, last but not least, will provide a safe playing surface even in case natural grass cultivation fails, thus "eliminating" the risk of costly extraordinary maintenance interventions to restore or replace the worn areas. 

Hybrid grass systems are not new; they are basically reinforcing the root zone with fibers injected deep into the soil or hybrid carpets with low amount of fibers. In some cases the fibers are weak, in other cases the fibers are not well bound on the backing, not to mention those with hard and not uniform permeable backing that instead of reinforcing will provide additional stress to the grass cultivation and will increase the budget for the maintenance. Meanwhile there are many standards on the artificial turf industry promoted by FIFA and national Federations, very little knowledge is public on hybrid grass systems with the exception of POWERgrass that is offering free knowledge on its website.

POWERgrass provides a new definition of the "HYBRID FIELD"

POWERgrass sets a new meaning of “hybrid grass systems” that defer from the "reinforced natural systems" we know so far. Hybrid grass systems must deliver a surface where the natural grass can thrive inside the system and resist for at least 20 hours of play per week during the growing season. At the same time, must provide enough fibers protruding on the surface to play also without grass, because in the winter the plant leaves may be damaged. This result is only possible with on site installation as natural or reinforced grass sods are simply laid down and cannot be sewn just as the hybrid carpet rolls. This type of installation makes a huge difference for the lifespan of the hybrid grass system and the warranty itself.

Hybrid carpet systems can be also provided in big slabs but we cannot anymore consider this any more "hybrid field" but simply reinforced. For the sake of good understanding POWERgrass can deliver a hybrid pitch when it is installed directly on site or a reinforced natural pitch when the installation is made in slabs that include the hybrid carpet even if it is the same.

Hybrid grass systems are in fact an alternative to the synthetic pitch and not something in between as the “reinforced natural system” because the game activity never stops during the playing season.

Those who love to play on natural grass and wish to provide a high performing pitch that will reduce the maintenance and overall costs, select the POWERgrass system and contribute on the dissemination of new ecological methods to operate based on the circular economy guide lines. 

The characteristics of the hybrid grass system

The hybrid pitch is capable of hosting numerous professional events with significant savings in maintenance costs compared to a natural grass course because, first and foremost, no divots are formed. The system is innovative because it has fully integrated natural grass into a patented synthetic turf. This synthetic grass reinforces natural grass in a way that is invisible and imperceptible to the player. Natural grass grows better and uniform in the system because it finds a better water/air balance and its roots are protected against thermal stress (hot/cold). In a short time, natural grass becomes predominant occupying over 97% of the surface, offering sports performance designed for the most demanding professionals. At the same time, the hybrid system is easy to maintain and guarantees a field that is always playable.

The hybrid system provides a sand based backgroundbecause it allows the grass to breathe, does not form mud and offers the possibility to play in the rain. The hybrid pitch is much more resistant to foot traffic, which is the main cause of compaction that suffocates the roots in fields made on agricultural land.

Soon after installation it is possible to play on the synthetic fibers but, to get the best comfort that only natural grass can provide, wait until 4-5 weeks for cool season grasses or 6-8 weeks for warm season grasses to establish. Cool season grasses grow ideally in the range of temperatures 15-25°C while warm season grasses 24-32°C therefore, if possible, adjust the intensity of your training program during the day with those temperatures to provide more comfort to players and less damage to the grass. If the pitch is overused off the growing period, you may expect to loose part of the grass density until growth conditions are suitable for the type of grass selected, and new buds sprout from the crowns of the plants, thus, within a few weeks, the field is transformed back into natural grass in the same way as it is in nature.

In hybrid system POWERgrass is much easier to apply an ecological maintenance with positive environmental impact, in line with Circular Economy principles:

• Providing a system with over 20 years of lifespan is a much longer duration compared to any other type of pitch because the synthetic fibers are protected by natural grass from exposure to UV rays from the sun, which causes the plastic to age prematurely, therefore also the warranty is 50% longer than a fully synthetic pitch.
• Optimizing thus the resources over the time but also by the usage of renewable and recycled materials like cork, compost and natural organic fertilizers.
• There is no waste production if the grass clippings are left over the soil or are collected for compost and the whole system is either reusable for less intensive usage or recyclable on the same pitch area milling the synthetic grass at the of its life cycle to reinforce also the sand based background.
• Reducing the water usage for irrigation because the evaporation is lower and the water field capacity is higher below the support. The system also mitigates heat and frost stress while preserving the roots and the soil biology. Under the supportthe water efficiency is higher and the cooling ability of the plant is more effective because it helps maintaining the leaf temperature below 25.5°C for cool season grasses and below 30°C for the warm season grasses that is the critical point to better support heat stress.
• There is significant carbon sequestration in the soil because it is known that lawns are able to sequester anywhere from 25,4 to 204,3 g C/sq.mt./year (Zirkle et al., 2011) and this hybrid system is optimizing the photosynthesis potential for higher carbon sequestration with the teaching of the regenerative agriculture. Our goal is that within two years, the system benefits of its own soil biology and we can reduce the inputs.
• Providing circular job opportunities for specialized ecologic maintenance, acquiring extended knowledge and principles to be used for regenerative agriculture producing also healthier food.

The POWERgrass hybrid system reduces the risk deriving from unexpected climate changes, expensive extraordinary maintenance interventions and has a practically unlimited duration.

• Compared to a natural grass pitch, the risk of flood erosion is limited because the hybrid surface consolidates the soil over the entire surface of the pitch. Any human error, biotic or abiotic stress on natural grass can be resolved with a few maintenance interventions within a few weeks, thus eliminating the sudden risk that requires expensive interventions.
• Compared to a synthetic pitch, it does not require the restoration of the filling material or the complete replacement of the surface within 8/10 years. The hybrid system is always renewable, even when the synthetic fibers wear out, because over time it becomes progressively more natural, with less reinforcement by the synthetic fibers.

The characteristics of the hybrid system

POWERgrass hybrid turf is made of 75,600 strong and elastic synthetic monofilaments per square meter. The synthetic fibers are heat-welded to a uniform mesh support with 320,000 three-dimensional, interconnected holes per square meter, which ensure gas exchange and act as an anchoring element for the roots. The substrate also includes a lightweight non-woven fabric which reduces evaporation of water underneath the substrate and also provides an insulating effect on the roots underneath.

After installation, the synthetic fibers protrude 20-25 mm from the surface to protect the crowns of plants from heavy trampling. During germination, synthetic fibers shade the surface from the sun's UV-B rays, preventing the sprouts from drying out. The roots penetrate the support from the first growth phase, find a balanced humidity content and are therefore protected from drought and summer and winter temperature changes.

The hybrid design system gives a new meaning to the term "hybrid pitch", making it immediately usable: you can play on synthetic grass, since all the fibers emerge on the surface, or on reinforced natural grass, which grows vigorously between the fibers of the synthetic turf, with numerous mutual benefits.

The hybrid design system combines the comfort of natural grass with the durability of synthetic turf, offering greater playability, greater safety and a 12-year warranty.

Reduced maintenance and positive environmental impact

During the Covid-19 lockdown, we raised the quality standards of the POWERgrass hybrid grass system by integrating the HEALgreen maintenance method. A method that adheres to the circular economy with the strategic objective of promoting specialized maintenance employment with a positive environmental impact. The method is based on the principles of regenerative agriculture for turf care. It brings significant advantages because it involves a more appropriate use of mineral nutrients and biological biostimulants and the reduction of the use of pesticides, up to their complete elimination. The growth of turf for sports use has intense trampling as its main limit, as it compresses the porosity, altering the physical properties of the soil and limiting the gaseous exchange between the soil and the air. However, aeration of the surface and regular stirring of the soil guarantee the gas exchange (CO2 → O2) necessary for biological processes. In a well-aerated and draining substrate, microorganisms proliferate and mineralize forms of nutrients inaccessible to plants, both those present in the soil and those supplied with fertilizers. On sunny days, by frequently cutting the natural grass and letting the residues settle on the ground, part of the nutrients are returned to the cycle through biological activity.

From an environmental point of view, there are many reasons to use the HEALgreen method, which can be summarized as follows:

• capture of fine dust and therefore purification of the air,
• sequestration of carbon from the air emission of oxygen,
• reduction of air temperature thanks to more efficient cooling,
• preventing groundwater pollution by filtering rainwater,
• reduction of mosquitoes during the summer months,
• reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers and elimination of pesticides and herbicides,
• reduction in the overall cost of a healthier urban life.

Only through the soil Regeneration can have a positive environmental impact. Maintaining all green spaces with regenerative agriculture is the only way to fight pollution in our cities. It is everyone's responsibility and pays off in terms of health, offering a valuable aesthetic appearance.

With the POWERgrass hybrid grass system it is easier to maintain a natural lawn in an environmentally friendly way, helping to cool the air temperature, purify the air we breathe and filter the water we drink.