How synthetic multi-sport surfaces transform school grounds to foster a healthier tomorrow

Beyond academic excellence, encouraging sports and recreation in primary schools is high on the curriculum. A well-rounded education is incomplete without fostering physical fitness, teamwork, and the values of discipline and perseverance from a young age. Sport teaches strategy and planning, being a team player, and coping with winning and losing. Through sports, children develop crucial life skills such as leadership, communication, and resilience. 

Within this context, synthetic multi-sport surfaces for school grounds play an important role in redefining the way schools nurture the potential of their students.

TigerTurf is one of the largest synthetic turf manufacturers worldwide with its headquarters and factory in Auckland, New Zealand. Since 1981, the company has been building, supplying, installing and maintaining multi-sports courts, bowling greens, tennis courts, hockey pitches, football fields and school campuses.

Learn more about TigerTurf’s multi-sports synthetic turf

For Melbourne-based Keilor Heights Primary School, TigerTurf completed the construction of a 3000sqm versatile multisport surface that incorporates soccer line marking, shot put practice areas, a running track, a cricket pitch, a rounders diamond, a long and triple jump laneway and a sand pit.

This project is located in an area known for highly reactive soil conditions and required specialised geotechnical engineers to ensure the design of the pavement would achieve a durable and high-quality result. The process involved lime and cement stabilisation of the subgrade, then a “capping” layer, which is a bridging layer composed of a soil type with specific bridging properties. 

Next, the project team installed a crushed rock layer, which was compacted and trimmed to meet the exact standards. As this is the layer that the synthetic turf sits on, it is imperative to achieve a superior-quality finish. TigerTurf also constructed the surrounding concrete spoon drain and the functional stormwater drainage network to manage stormwater on and around the field.

The final surfacing, TigerTurf’s Endurance Play, is one of the most durable yarns on the market for education projects and is perfect for versatile multisport areas. It is designed for flat-soled running shoes unlike other surfaces, which can only be used with studded boots. 

The long and triple jump runway features Tournament 1000 with a sand pit at the end. Tournament 1000 is a medium pile, sand-filled, fibrillated surface that is hard-wearing and long-lasting. 

TigerTurf managed and built this project in 11 months in cooperation with Reliance Constructions.

View more of TigerTurf’s projects

Quality and creativity were high on the wishlist of the Holy Trinity Primary School for its new oval. The brief included creating areas for structured PE classes as well as general play for recess and lunchtime. The school even asked its students to join the discussions regarding the final design.  

The biggest challenge of this project was the site conditions with the site being wet, muddy and overgrown with grass. TigerTurf solved this issue by building a substantial base platform that included a 200mm capping layer to mitigate the amount of moisture infiltrating into the reactive base beneath. 

On top, they laid the highly durable TigerTurf Endurance Play surface, including soccer, futsal, AFL and softball fields in vibrant colours. The sweeping border outside the main playing field features a bright medley of lively colours in TigerTurf Tournament with a superb red and blue running track encircling the perimeter of the oval.

This low-maintenance multi-sports ground not only became a versatile sports field and playground that inspires creativity but also functions as a space for assemblies, meetings, drama performances and al fresco classes. It is furthermore the main entryway to the school grounds. 

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