Article code: 101-064
http://www.panstadia.com (also www.piqr.com and www.panstadia.co.uk) 
PanStadia International Quarterly Report: Volume 10 No. 1, August 2003.

[TURF & FLOORING PROTECTION]

THE PERFECT PARTNERSHIP

The Terracover® system is currently being used 
in numerous facilities across the US with 
the new-generation of artificial fields. 
This enables stadia to have the very finest 
in artificial turf and still be multi-purpose. 

The Georgia Dome is the largest cable-supported, domed stadium in the world. The state of Georgia owns the facility, and it is operated by the ‘Georgia World Congress Center Authority’ (GWCCA).

Combined with the adjacent Georgia World Congress Center and Centennial Olympic Park in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the three facilities make one of the largest sports, entertainment and convention complexes in the world.

In April 2003 the Georgia Dome decided to replace its existing turf. A special artificial turf review committee, in coordination with the ‘Atlanta Falcons’ and other sports and entertainment customers who call the Dome ‘home’, chose FieldTurf® after more than four months of research and study. The GWCCA were aware that FieldTurf® was being used in Detroit’s Ford Field, Florida’s Tropicana Field and Giants Stadium in New York. 

These facilities are not just homes of sport, they are also major entertainment centres, just like the Georgia Dome, so FieldTurf® was obviously the preferred choice. (For further details on the FieldTurf® system at Georgia Dome, please refer to p60, the article entitled ‘Top Honours’.)

When the Georgia Dome had its previous turf they were able to roll it up, leaving a concrete floor available for all types of entertainment. However, FieldTurf is a permanent fixture, so to ‘roll it up’ was no longer an option. This became a serious consideration as to how the Georgia Dome could use FieldTurf® and still be a multi-purpose entertainment centre, catering for varied and numerous events.

Problem Solved
The FieldTurf people answered this problem by introducing Terracover®, a flooring system designed to protect the latest generation of artificial fields. Terracover® is manufactured in Great Britain by Terraplas Plc, manufacturers of the world-renowned Terraplas® natural turf protection system.

The FieldTurf company had excellent knowledge of the Terracover® product, having seen it in action at both Ford Field and Tropicana Field, and Terraplas® at the Giants Stadium. In fact they had already witnessed the removal of Terracover® after it had been down on the FieldTurf® for a continuous period of four months at Tropicana Field.

FieldTurf® therefore had no hesitation in recommending Terracover® to the Georgia Dome, thereby solving their problem of how to have ‘one of the best playing surfaces in the NFL’ and still be a major entertainment centre.