Consultancy
With the increasing need for the provision of high quality natural sports surfaces, Cranfield University has been approached by a number of leading sports organisations to carry out a range of research and consultancy activities. The Centre for Sports Surface Technology provides a full advisory service relating to survey, specification, design, construction and management of a range of sports surfaces.
Recent clients include:
- Racecourse Association Ltd
- The Institute of Groundsmanship
- The Turfgrass Growers Association
- The England and Wales Cricket Board
- The Football Foundation
- Milton Keynes Council
- Major sporting goods brands
- National sports governing bodies.
Cranfield University’s Centre for Sports Surface Technology has experience in working with organisations to develop practical but scientifically robust solutions for the sports surface industry. We have unique expertise and facilities that can help your sport or business. This includes laboratory testing for mechanical, chemical, physical and biological behaviour of natural and synthetic turf surfaces and environmental expertise for the development of more sustainable surfaces.
Examples of projects that have made real impact on the sports surface industry include:
• Guidelines for Rolling in Cricket, developed with the England and Wales Cricket Board. These guidelines have been downloaded by over a 1000 cricket clubs worldwide in under a year, have been presented to cricket organisations in the UK, Australia and New Zealand and were awarded the ‘Innovation in Grounds Maintenance’ award at the 2009 Institute of Groundsmanship Industry Awards in recognition of their impact for sport.
• Guidelines for the Maintenance of Synthetic Turf the outcome of a project funded by the Institute of Groundsmanship that provides guidelines for those maintaining synthetic turf and has been adopted as an industry standard approach.
• Recommendations for the improved use of water on racecourses for the British Horse Racing Authority, which can be downloaded from their website: www.britishhorseracing.com.
For all these projects, Cranfield was able to access funding from the UK Government to help reduce costs for the companies involved and increase the impact of the research.
We also apply our expertise in sports surface behaviour to short-term contract research for organisations such as sports goods manufacturers, agrochemical suppliers and materials suppliers, such as a recent three month project for Boughton Loam and Turf Management Ltd to develop new products for their loam and topdressing markets.
“We approached Cranfield as we needed their advice and expertise in developing a range of new, high quality products for our expanding business. Their unique expertise in soil and sports surface science was invaluable in ensuring our products were developed to the highest standard, cost effectively.
We are confident that we can help your sport or business with our approach to our peer-reviewed, internationally published and recognised research, which does not just sit on the shelf, but provides real impact for our industrial partners and collaborators.
If you are interested in getting involved with the research programme at Cranfield’s Centre for Sports Surface Technology, or would like to find out how we can help your business, then please contact Dr Iain James
