Artificial Grass and Airline Safety

Artificial grass and airline safety are not terms that one would usually consider related in any way. The aviation industry is taking major steps to increase passenger safety and save money by installing artificial grass on airport runway fields. FOD, foreign object debris, is a major concern in the airline industry. U.S. civil aircraft reported over 5,900 bird strikes in 2003, but an estimated 80% of bird strikes to U.S. civil aircraft go unreported.

In addition to bird striks, at smaller, rural airports deer and coyote are the most commonly struck mammals by aircraft. FOD causes major damage to aircrafts, and thus potentially harms passengers.  Airlines spend millions of dollars on aircraft maintenance caused by FOD and millions more trying to prevent it.  Many airports have Wildlife Hazard Management Plans in place to minimize wildlife populations on and around the airport that pose a threat to aviation safety.

So, how can artificial turf help in FOD control? To begin, artificial turf does not support food, water or shelter – which wildlife depends on and builds their habitats around. A Wildlife Management Plan works on habitat modification to change the environment to make it less attractive or accessible to the problem wildlife. Any steps that are taken to reduce these elements will result in a reduction of the wildlife population at the airport.  An FAA Advisory Circular states, “Land use practices that attract or sustain hazardous wildlife populations near the airport can significantly increase the potential for wildlife-aircraft collision.

Artificial grass specifically addresses these needs. The artificial grass industry has  taken steps to prove that the artificial turf products are up to the task and tested their products with the FAA. The artificial turfs were put through rigorous testing and all of the tests were successful.

To ensure that artificial grass would not contribute to the FOD problem, the artificial grass was tested to insure that it integrity would remain intact. The tested artificial grass successfully remained intact and did not lift or break off. The method of installation is an important part of that success.

The artificial grass is anchored to a recycled plastic curbing at its perimeter. This curbing is anchored with steel rebar and notched recessions. The artificial grass is glued to this recession and secured with sod staples. The other end of the artificial grass is buried in a deep trench and backfilled. In-fill is then added, which acts as ballast and firmly roots the artificial grass in its place.

A major benefit of replacing natural sod with artificial turf is that it does no harm to the habitat  - wildlife simply finds a new habitat out of harm’s way. Also, artificial grass is permeable - allowing for water drainage and helps to prevent slick runways. Not only does artificial grass save millions of dollars on aircraft repair it also replaces natural vegetation which normally would require maintenance and irrigation. Artificial grass actually requires less maintenance than concrete alternatives, and serves as a natural contrast to the runways providing a clear landing target. Artificial grass is evergreen all seasons and adds to the airports aesthetic appeal.