Turf WarsTurf WarsReal Grass vs. Artificial TurfReal Grass vs. Artificial Turf

EGR 403H – Winter 2010Team 7

Phillip Allen, Juan Castillo, Geoffrey Cheung

Overview

• School Sports Field– Main use: Football– Other uses: Soccer, Band, PE, etc.

• Size of field: Football regulation size– 75,000 square feet

• Two types of “grass” to choose:– Real– Artificial

• Fixed Output Situation

Considerations

Real Grass•Less Expensive to Install•Softer/Cooler•Frequent Watering•Less Durable•More Variables to Consider

Artificial Turf•Higher Installation Cost•Less Regular Maintenance•Infrequent Watering•Always Green•Stronger than Regular Grass

Cash Flow – Real Grass

• Initial Cost: $525,000• Maintenance: $18,238• Repair: $20,570• Renovation (every 10 years): $93,750• Field Usage Sold: $56,250

Cash Flow – Artificial Turf

• Initial Cost: $750,000• Maintenance: $7,500• Repair: $10,000• Renovation (every 10 years): $450,000• Field Usage Sold: $210,000

Cash Flow Comparison-Notice Spikes In Artificial Turf

-Which Will Have A Lower EUAC???

-Fixed Output

-Real Grass Has a Higher Maintenance Cost

What We Found

Analysis Period (years) EUAC Real Grass EUAC Artificial Turf Winner

10 $84,399.66 ($29,852.53) Artificial

20 $62,383.38 ($61,304.36) Artificial

Sensitivity Analysis – Cost of Water

-Lines Intersect at $.005

-Water Price Likely to Increase

Sensitivity Analysis - Maintenance

-Artificial Turf Has A Set Maintenance Cost

-Intersect At $45000-Reasonable Scenario

Sensitivity Analysis - Income

-Real Grass Capped Around 50K

-Likely Scenario

-Intersect At: Income - $85000 EUAC $90646

-District Regulations Vary

Conclusion

• Artificial Turf Has An Advantage IF:– Field time can be sold– Field is heavily used– Price of water increases

• Real Grass Is Still a Viable Option

• Based upon our Equivalent Uniform Annual Cost Analysis, Artificial Turf has an Economic Advantage over Real Grass in Given Conditions.

Sources• General Information/Viewpoints:

http://www.wickedlocal.com (and others)• Real Grass and Turf General Information: http://

turf.uark.edu/ http://www.artificialgrasssc.com • Field Maintenance/Painting:

http://www.athleticfieldmarker.com/• Artificial Turf Supplier and General Information:

http://www.astroturf.com/• Sports Turf Manager Association:

http://www.stma.org/• Cost of Water and General Water Information:

http://www.calwaterassn.com