Article code: 81-030
http://www.panstadia.com (also www.piqr.com and www.panstadia.co.uk)
PanStadia International Quarterly Report: Volume 8 No. 1, July 2001.
[ICE & SYNTHETIC GRASS COVER SYSTEMS]
TERRACOVER TROPICANA
Terraplas Plc, working with the operations staff
at Tropicana Field, have perfected the
ideal synthetic grass cover -
Terracover®.
Prior to the 2000 Major League Baseball Season, the owners of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball team decided to replace their Astroturf surface with a FieldTurf system. A simple enough task to accomplish - however that choice triggered a number of equally significant changes, with the most important being the requirement to have an effective field protection system.
As everyone knows, Astroturf fields are installed over a hard asphalt surface. This type of construction allows the stadium operations staff to be very liberal when it comes to placing significant loads on the surface and using heavy equipment to move everything from staging to seating. The FieldTurf system normally uses a crushed stone base. This softer base makes the surface look and play more like natural grass than any previous indoor turf system. However, without the hard surface under the synthetic covering like Astroturf, the operations of a special event dramatically changed.
In the late fall of 2000, the operations staff at Tropicana Field contacted Terraplas USA Rentals regarding the possibility of renting their standard outdoor protection system for an upcoming event. They knew they needed a significantly stronger turf protection system due to the construction properties of their new field so they turned to the top name in natural grass turf protection to help them.
As discussions between the two centered on the operations, not only the upcoming event but other events to be held at the facility as well, it became very clear that new thinking had to be inserted in the process. The staff at Tropicana anticipated concerts with their stages and mix positions, a home and garden show and a boat show. All of these would require the transportation of heavy loads over the protection system. The answer lay in a new system that was just now reaching the market.
For several years, Terraplas Plc of the UK, manufacturers of the world-renowned turf protection system, had been working on the perfection of its ice cover system. One of the key ingredients in the new product, Terracoverr, was the ability to drive heavy loads over it, a must requirement for the fast turn over between shows in an indoor arena. The conclusion of the Terraplas USA Rental staff was to send a significant number of Terracover® samples to the operations staff at Tropicana Field and allow them to field test the product on their FieldTurf system. Seeing is believing.
Since Terracover® was originally designed as an ice cover, it did not have the outdoor natural grass protection properties of its big brother, Terraplasr. It was an indoor product from the beginning - one designed to be dense and incredibly strong, being made from HDPE with cavities filled with a foamed polyurethane. At 1.5 inches thick it is able to hold very heavy loads when locked into place with its unique cam locking system. In addition, it did not have to maintain an air space since nothing was being kept alive. Tropicana Field is a dome stadium; the match seemed to be a natural one.
The next step was to compare Terracover® in action against the other field protection systems being offered up as a possible solution to the operations problems facing the staff at Tropicana Field. Each protection system was tested with turning and twisting loaded forklifts, the harshest treatment possible. Only Terracover® met the expectations. It's overlapping design and the locking cams gave it an edge over every other tested product. The results provided a clear-cut winner... Terracoverr.
Finally the decision came, the staff at Tropicana Field had decided that Terracover® met all of its specifications and the order was placed. Initially, the Stadium purchased approximately 90,000 square feet to use during special events when the Devil Rays are out of town or during the off-season.
Rick Nafe, VP of Operations/Facilities for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field discussed the development of the project; "Tropicana Field became the first professional sport home to install FieldTurf in March of 2000. Considering the fact that FieldTurf does not roll up and is considered a permanent installation, we had to find a floor system that would support thousands of people, stand up to the weight and pounds per square inch, pressure of forklifts, staging, trucks, etc.and not allow any liquid to penetrate the turf."
He continued; "We worked for several months with two companies to help test and modify such a product. Terracover® emerged as the product of choice and we recently ordered about 90,000 square feet. We plan on using the Terracoverr system for concerts, boat shows, trade shows and anything else that will require us to save our field".
Terracoverr... whether over ice or synthetic fields like the one at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, Florida, is the clear choice for performance.
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"Terracover® emerged as the product of choice... We plan on using the Terracover® system for concerts, boat shows, trade shows and anything else that will require us to save our field..."
Rick Nafe, VP of Operations/Facilities for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field
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Terraflor® joins the family
Terraplas plc, the internationally renowned UK flooring manufacturer will be exhibiting at IAAM again this year and as well as showing their Terraplas® turf protection system and Terracover® ice and synthetic grass cover system they will be holding the international launch of their exciting new product Terraflorr.
Terraflor® has been specifically designed for the rental market for use as walkways, inside marquees, patio areas, temporary kitchens, in fact any situation that requires a quality, temporary floor.
It has many of the unique features of Terraplas® in that it protects grass without damage, is easy and light to handle, the whole system is interlocking, it's also easy to clean, and provides an attractive and extremely safe surface over grass, tarmac, concrete, earth, sand, snow, etc.
Terraflor® joins the Terraplas® family of flooring solutions and is set to revolutionise the rental industry with its extremely attractive pricing!
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