Fives Futbol by Synsport

FIVES FUTBOL

Size: Four five-a-side pitches – each 40 x 20m, One seven-a-side pitch – 50 x 30m Location: Pinehurst, Cape Town Cost: R3.5 million Client: Garden Cities

Q: Who was the client? And how do you usually

get sourced for this type of specialised work?

A: The client for this particular project, with a site that boasts picturesque views of Table Mountain, was Garden Cities. Synsport has a well-known reputation for building these sorts of facilities and because of that, are often asked to provide quotations for these types of developments. Sometimes we are involved with the design of the facility from the outset and other times we are sent plans and requested to provide a quotation. This is a fairly niche industry with only a few companies who truly have proper experience in executing these works.

In terms of this particular project, a construction drawing was presented by Garden Cities in order for Synsport to price. Five-a-side soccer or Futsal court sizes can vary quite a bit depending on the level of the game and available space on a particular site. At the Fives Futbol Pinehurst site, we were requested to build four five-aside pitches and one larger seven-a-side court. Typically, Futsal minimum and maximum field dimensions are 20 - 25m in width, and 38 - 42m in length.

The turf installed was the GreenFields ® Slide Max 40 Football Turf."

Installation should not be taken lightly and each site does possess its own difficulties in terms of access, ground conditions and existing levels on the ground. The direction of the sun and wind do not play a major factor in the set out of these courts but where the site allows it, one should take cognisance of these factors. Q: What work needed to be done to the site

prior to the installation (such as excavation, etc)?

earthworks company to clear the land and level it to the correct height and falls. The ground below the facility has a high clay content and therefore the engineer on the project requested that a sand layer be installed on top of the clay rich ground prior to any other layerworks.

Clay onsite is not ideal, as it expands and contracts when it becomes wet and then dries out again, this can be very damaging to structure build on top of this unstable ground and so, the sand layer helps mitigate this movement. Q: How many team members does it take to

complete an installation of this size? Is there a specialised skill each worker needs to have for these types of installations?

A: The team usually consists of six to eight people per site. Other contractors responsible for the bulk earthworks and building of the clubhouse were also a team of about 10. Machinery was used where possible to limit the need for manual labour. These teams are made up of two to three highlyskilled workers who manage another two or three semi-skilled workers and two or three labourers.

The turf installed was the GreenFields® Slide Max 40 Football Turf. Let’s Talk Turf!

GreenFields ® Slide Max XQ™ fibres have been designed in the shape of a diamond. With 365 microns, GreenFields ® Slide Max XQ™ can withstand frequent use for many years. This system provides the ultimate combination of advanced performance and durability with a natural visual appeal.

Many synthetic turf pitches – especially public and small playing surfaces – are exposed to constant wear and get little maintenance. Because of this, XQ™ technology, developed by TenCate, is a breakthrough in polymer processing. It provides turf fibres with unprecedented split resistance. Designed as diamondshaped fibres with a ribbed surface, GreenFields ® Slide Max XQ™ is the most advanced, ultra-durable turf fibre with high resilience and increased comfort and safety.

PLAYING CHARACTERISTICS

• High comfort and safety • High resilience • Natural look (duotone) • Fibres especially developed to withstand frequent use

Q:Once the field is in place, is there a specific

company you work with that bring it up to safety code?

A: More often than not, an engineer will be involved in these types of builds, ensuring the design meets the required safety specifications prior to construction and throughout the process. When it comes to balustrading and safety around the pitch, Synsport has their own inhouse steel department that manufactures and installs all of the fencing and the goals according to the specifications given to us by the engineer. Should Synsport be involved from the design phase, we work closely with our preferred engineers to ensure we are meeting the required safety standards. Q: Are there considerations and codes set out

by FIFAor the FIH for these specific fields?

A:Organisations like FIFA and the FIH do offer guidelines for these types of facilities but considering they are mostly used for social sport, clients often build these facilities according to the available space and budget.

Q: What type of maintenance plan is in place on

this site?

A: Maintenance on this type of a site is far less than that of natural turf. The tenants (Fives Futbol) carry out regular cleaning of the surfaces and inspections for any damage. Synsport usually conducts around two maintenance runs per year, which include the brushing and rejuvenating of the yarn with specialised machinery, as well as any basic repairs that may be necessary. Q: Equipment required for the build? A: The laying of the synthetic turf requires specific tools such as specialised knives, glue-spreading tools, turf stretchers and knee kickers. Synsport is lucky enough to own an SMG Sandmatic which dumps, levels and brushes in sand and rubber infill automatically, requiring very little labour and offering a consistent finish the by-hand installation cannot achieve. SMG are world leaders in synthetic turf installation equipment and is Synsport’s preferred brand for these sorts of tools.

Overall, these types of project are fantastic to work on and in this instance, Synsport has offered the client a neat, well-made set of pitches with top quality turf technology to host some epic tournaments.

Fives Futbol court at the Grand Parade