AvTurf for Airport Safety

FOD (Foreign Object Debris)

AvTurf provides airport operators the ability to easily identify and remove FOD from the artificial turf installation areas. The installation area becomes sterile of possible FOD created from the natural ground cover or paved surfaces subject to jet blast.

Erosion

Installing AvTurf will help stabilize runway and taxiway shoulders to prevent erosion of natural ground cover in these areas. This artificial turf system is resistant to erosion created by jet blast and therefore creates a stable area free of rutting.

Visual Recognition

AvTurf significantly enhances the visual delineation for aircraft pilots and airport ground crew. This artificial turf system can be used in numerous applications to help with airport marking. This significantly increases safety by covering non-movement hard surface areas such as painted infield islands and decommissioned high speed exits or taxiways in lieu of painted yellow X’s. Artificial Turf was also included in a study conducted by the FAA that shows artificial turf used to narrow the appearance of taxiways to prevent pilots from inadvertently landing on wide taxiways.

Incursions

Installing artificial turf on airport property minimizes the need for equipment or personnel to be in or around runway/taxiway safety areas. AvTurf safely decreases the potential for incursions and vehicle/pedestrian deviations (VPD’s).

ARFF Response

Covering infield islands with artificial turf will create a more stable area that will allow emergency response equipment to traverse over these areas during all types of weather and ultimately reduce response times to airport incidents.

Bird strikes cost the aviation industry $1.2 billion USD per year. With this in mind, reported bird strikes from April 2010 to April 2011 were up 48 percent from the previous year. AvTurf creates an environment free of food, water, and shelter for birds. Installing artificial turf alongside runways and taxiways will drive birds further away from these critical areas and reduce the potential for bird strikes on or near the airport property. Eliminating the need to mow the natural grass surface will also significantly reduce the presence of birds such as the cattle egrets that accumulate the large numbers while airport operators mow their natural ground cover.

Drainage

AvTurf is an artificial turf system that allows water to drain through natural percolation. The sand infill is a natural filter that can drain approximately 60 gallons of water per square foot per hour.

Wildlife Management

AvTurf non-lethally mitigates wildlife around the installations areas. Removing food, water and shelter for all species is the key to driving away wildlife from the targeted areas. Burrowing species cannot penetrate the synthetic turf backing and are forced to move away from the installation area.