How the FPI is Simplifying the Way We Purchase Artificial Turf
Over the past two decades, thousands of collegiate institutions, high schools and municipalities have opted to convert their natural surfaces to FieldTurf’s artificial turf systems, with many stadiums now installing second - or third-generation surfaces. An increasing amount of artificial turf projects are requesting a new criteria: a minimum Fiber Performance Index (FPI) score — an independent ranking that is increasingly becoming one of the most desirable turf specifications available.
Responding to the needs of architects, facility owners and venue operators, the Fiber Performance Index was introduced. The higher the FPI score, the higher performance the fiber.
FPI has become a standard requirement in numerous turf projects, with many venues requiring FPI in their specifications, specifically the University of Utah, the University of Regina and the University of Southern Mississippi.
HOW DOES THE FPI WORK?
Considered the first true measurement of fiber quality, FPI establishes a rating for turf fiber and helps facility operators, as well as coaches, players, parents and fans, better understand and weigh the qualities of an individual product’s turf fibers.
FPI focuses on three key factors, durability, resilience and softness. These key aspects are measured by four specific tests:
Tear: Measures a fiber’s cross tenacity for durability
Recovery: Measures fiber resilience after an exhaustive 6,000-cycle compression test
UV: Measures a fiber’s resistance to UV exposure
Feel: Measures a fiber’s softness using an innovative method from the consumer goods industry
Turf fibers are measured after undergoing this battery of tests and is then assigned a grade based on a scale of 1 to 100 in each category. The result is a final Fiber Performance Index number, which describes the overall fiber quality. The higher the number, the better.
The best way to ensure that your field contains a high-performance fiber is to specify an FPI score.
Remember: The choice of fiber is only one of many important decisions that must be made when installing an artificial turf field. As significant as FPI is, other components of the turf system — such as infill, backing, drainage and construction — are equally important.