Natural vs. Synthetic Turf

Artifcial grass is an investment and the return on this investment can be evaluated by two key measures; increased usages and lower cost in the long term when compared with natural grass. Look at the numbers to see how SmartGrass, on a cost per event basis, can mean big savings. First, here’s the bottom line for the hypothetical example detailed below.

  Natural Grass Synthetic Turf
Cost per event
$924.34
$66.32
Number of events
1,520
15,380

Now, let’s look at the details. Our hypothetical example considers the costs for a 78,000 square foot field suitable for both football and soccer, over a 20 year period.

 
Natural Grass
Synthetic Turf
Initial cost & Periodic (re-sodding or installation)
$150,000
$375,000
Porous dynamic base installation
N/A
$200,000
Annual maintenance costs
$40,300
$3,500
Annual number of events
76
769 (minimum)
Turf fabric replacement after 10 years
N/A
$375,000
Additional resoddings over 20 year period
$450,000
N/A
Total 20 year cost in 2001 dollars
$1,405,000
$1,020,000.00
Over the lifetime of the field; the costs and usage experience can be summarized as follows:

Total Costs: After about five years, the total costs maintenance and resodding natural grass equals or exceeds the total cost of an artificial grass field:

Cumulative Costs of Artificial and Natural Grass Fields

Years 1 5 10 15 20
Artificial Grass $ 578,500 $ 592,500 $ 610,000 $1,002,500 $1,020,000
Annual Resodding $ 190,300 $ 951,500 $ 1,903,000 $2,854,500 $3,806,000
Resodding every three years $ 190,300 $ 501,500 $ 1,003,000 $1,354,500 $1,856,000

The artificial grass can be used 7 to 10 times as often as a natural grass field:

Cumulative Number of Uses

Years 1 5 10 15 20

Artificial Grass 769 3,845 7,690 11,535 15,380

Annual Resodding 76 380 760 1,140 1,520

Resodding every three years 76 380 760 1,140 1,520

The artificial grass becomes an attractive solution as it is not only more practical but also less costly financially

APPENDIX

LIFE CYCLE COST ANALYSIS:

SYNTHETIC VS NATURAL TURF

ASSUMPTIONS:

SYNTHETIC TURF

  1. INITIAL cost to install synthetic turf (no asphalt required): for 78,000 sq. ft. (suitable for soccer as well as football): $375,000.00
  2. Estimated cost to install porous dynamic base [including engineering, demolition, stabilization, materials and placement, including sod as necessary -- $200,000.00
  3. Annual Maintenance Costs for Synthetic Turf -- $3500.00 (Including Prorated Cost of a Sweeper; 30 Sweepings of the Turf; Miscellaneous Repairs)
  4. Annual Minimum Number of Events to be Used on the Synthetic Turf Field
Football Games = 20 Soccer Games (m/w) = 45
Intramural/ P.E./classes = 160 Soccer Practice = 200
Football Practice = 90 Graduation = 2
Football Playoff = 2 Misc. (Community Use) = 100
Playoff Football (Rental) = 20 Field Hockey = 60
Band Practice = 10 Lacrosse = 50

TOTAL = 769
  1. Total Minimum Twenty-year Life Cycle Number of Events — 15,380
  2. Expected Minimum Life Cycle of Synthetic Turf — 10 years
  3. Cost for Replacement of synthetic turf after ten years (fabric only) $375,000.00
  4. Total life cycle cost (over 20 years in 2001$) = $1,020,000.00

GRASS

  1. Estimated cost for resodding new natural grass field (excluding excavation, irrigation system, drainage, etc.): $150,000.00
  2. Annual (estimated) maintenance costs for a suitable athletic-caliber natural grass field at football stadium–
  • Overseeding = $600.00
  • Fertilizer = $8000.00
  • Wetting agents = $1200.00
  • Weed treatment = $500.00
  • Mowing/maintenance/watering/equipment (estimate) = $30,000.00

TOTAL = $40,300.00

  1. Annual number of events to be held on the natural grass field a Stadium

Varsity Football = 12

    		 Soccer = 2
      Varsity Practice = 20 Graduation = 2
      Playoff = 2  
      Band/Dance/P.E. = 15

      TOTAL = 76

      1. Total number of events = 1520 (over twenty years)
      2. Additional resodding costs over 20 year life cycle: $450,000.00 (3.0 additional resoddings over 20 years)
      3. Total life cycle cost (over 20 years): $1,405,000.00

      LIFE CYCLE COST COMPARISON

      NATURAL VS. SYNTHETIC

      FORMULA I (TOTAL LIFE CYCLE COST):
      cost of initial + [cost of annual X 20 yrs] + cost of turf= LIFE CYCLE COST
      installation??maintenance?? replacement??(Synthetic)

      vs.

      cost of initial + [cost of annual X 20 yrs] + cost of = LIFE CYCLE COST
      installation??maintenance?? resodding??(Grass)

      FORMULA II (PER USE COST):
      cost of + cost of annual maintenance X 20 yrs / # events = PER USE COST
      installations???????per yr X 20

      TOTAL LIFE CYCLE COSTS

      SYNTHETIC TURF
      575,000 + (3500 X 20) + 375,000 = $1,020,000.00

      NATURAL GRASS
      150,000 + (40,300 X 20) + 450,000 = $1,405,000.00

      PER USE COSTS

      SYNTHETIC TURF
      1,020,00/ 15,380 = ???$66.32 COST PER EVENT / USE

      NATURAL GRASS
      1,405,000 / 1,520 =???$924.34 COST PER EVENT / USE

       

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