A 23,000 square-foot track made of artificial turf was installed around the playing surface of the 49ers home stadium last month.
Levi's® Stadium, the multi-use venue which has Taylor Swift and Grateful Dead concerts planned for the summer, will now have turf around the playing surface to satisfy the needs of the building and maintain the playing surface's integrity. Turf tracks have been a commonplace around NFL stadiums and international soccer venues. The usage of a turf track will minimize the wear and tear of the most heavily trafficked areas of the field.
The installation of a turf track will reduce costs, water use (20 percent) and waste. The turf will also decrease the amount of natural grass required when the playing field needs to be re-sodded.
Unlike most other venues featuring some form of manufactured track around a natural grass playing surface, the new track around Levi's® Stadium is a playable surface that transitions smoothly from the grass field. The stadium has means for testing the density of natural grass and artificial turf and that measurement is essentially identical for the new installation at Levi's® Stadium.
In addition to announcing the turf track, the club shared its plans for handling the playing surface in 2015.
Over the next year, the stadium is expected to be re-sodded (either completely or in-part) more than six times. According to the club, most NFL venues are re-sodded three to four times per year.
Due to the number of events hosted at Levi's® Stadium, the sod changes will be made to insure a consistent playing environment throughout the year.
The new-look field was showcased successfully two weeks ago during a San Jose Earthquakes game against Orlando City SC.
Take a look at the turf in action.
