Working Knowledge: Grass vs. Plastic; January 2007; Scientific American Magazine; by Mark Fischetti; 2 Page(s)

Tough competition is under way in sports stadiums--between grass fields and artificial turf.

Athletes have always torn up grass fields, especially during rainy, cold or dry spells. To fight back, installers have devised substructures that quickly drain excess water to keep soil firm and even pump in warm air to help roots thrive. Synthetics sprouted in the late 1960s after installation in the Houston Astrodome. The AstroTurf brand, named for the venue, remained synonymous with "artificial turf" for 30 years, even though players said it felt hard underfoot and complained of rug burns when they hit the deck. In the past decade a new generation of products from companies such as FieldTurf has overtaken the brand and been adopted widely. These products boast softer tufts and more consistent footing from "infills" of rubber granules or rubber and sand between the "grass" blades.