Scrap Tires | Scrap Tire News | Archived Article

Field hockey players at the recent Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba had a cushion of crumb rubber under their feet, and they loved it. Their field, or pitch, was constructed in part with rubber crumb from 33,000 scrap tires.

The venue chosen for the field hockey competition at the Games was the football field at Kildonan East Collegiate, the home of the Winnipeg Minor Football League's East Side Eagles. The standard sod-covered field was completely reconstructed to international standards for field hockey for the Pan Am Games. An integral part of the reconstruction was a layer of crumb rubber which serves as the base for the AstroTurf covering. The total cost of the project was about $1 million.

The Manitoba Tire Stewardship Board, the agency responsible for scrap tire recycling in Manitoba, supplied the rubber crumb to the project.

"The Tire Stewardship Board is pleased to have been part of this project," says Bill Harper, the Board's General Manager. "This technology has been used on football fields in the Unites States, but to the best of our knowledge, this is the first field of its kind in Canada. It's an excellent example of the value of scrap tires as a resource," Harper said.

Next, about two inches of the rubber crumb was applied in two layers much like asphalt is applied to a road surface. The crumb was mixed with a binding agent to hold the particles together while still retaining the permeability of the rubber layer. The crumb was produced by shredding and granulating 33,000 scrap tires. About 350,000 pounds of 1/8" diameter crumb rubber was produced. Finally, the AstroTurf Surface was installed over the rubber and fastened along the edges of the 112,400 square foot field. "Everybody loved the field!" says Ian Brown, President of the East Side Eagles Football Club and Pan Am Games volunteer. "One of the U.S. field hockey coaches even said it was the best they had ever played on."

Pam Homenick, Executive Director of Field Hockey Manitoba, agrees with Brown. "I know that both Canadian team coaches were very pleased with the field, and an under-21 team visiting from England in July commented on the difference in ball control they experienced on this field versus conventional sod. Now that the Pan Am Games are over, the field will be used by Winnipeg Minor Football and Field Hockey Manitoba for many years to come. "

Benefits of Rubber-Based Turf
- more cushioning - easier on player's legs
- firmer field surface - ball rolls better
- lower crown - ball rolls more true
- smooth, even surface - better ball control