The Pro’s And Con’s Of Infill In Artificial Turf On Concrete

Last Updated on February 17, 2022 by ReTurf

Pros of Infill

Safety is the number one pro and concern.

Outdoor fields have to meet a certain GMAX score (GMAX is a test of how hard a surface is). The lower the GMAX score the softer a surface is. The higher the score means that it is a harder surface. You achieve a lower score using infill or padding underneath (the majority of outdoor fields use infill to meet the standard), which is why we recommend infill for safety. If you lay the turf without infill or padding underneath it will still feel almost as hard as the concrete surface when falling.

More About The GMAX Score

GMAX represents the maximum negative acceleration on impact with a surface. What this is saying is how many G’s (G-Force) can the surface absorb and how much is absorbed by the person during an impact. The maximum safe GMAX score according to the American Society for Testing and Materials is 200 or less, any greater and there can be a serious injury. The Synthetic Turf Council recommends a score of less than 165 with these tests.

Infill helps extend the life of the material.

The turf fibers are stitched directly into the backing, so wearing tennis shoes directly on the fibers will eventually start to pull the fibers from their stitches. Infill helps avoid this because they are running and changing directions quickly in the infill, instead of directly on the fibers.

Infill helps with the aesthetic of the material.

With the fibers being between 1 and 1.5 inches in height it is a fairly tall material. The infill will help the fibers to stay standing upright and keep their height. Without the infill, over time, the fibers will lay flat and you will essentially have a flat green mat.

Cons of Infill

The infill can be messy and will need regular tending to and maintenance.

Infill is a crumb rubber and sand mixture, so the small particles do tend to venture out of the turf and onto the floor. You will have to sweep the material up or use a blower to blow the infill back into the material or dispose of it.

The infill does add cost to the order.

We sell the infill for cheaper than you can buy it anywhere else, but sometimes the kicker is the shipping. When shipping infill in 2,000-pound quantities, it does tend to come with a hefty shipping cost. If you provide the shipping or pick the material up at our GA or NC facility we can discount the infill even more.