Synthetic fields are designed with a pad or rubber infill to absorb any falls, especially on athletic fields. These pads are built for shock absorbency to cushion falls and limit injury potential. If the field is too hard, injury risk goes up. Since this layer is designed to protect people on the field, it’s important to make sure it is performing at its top level by GMAX Testing.
GMAX Testing involves using a specialized machine that will test the shock absorbency of your field using a 20-lb hammer dropped from two feet in the air. The hammer has an accelerometer built in that measures the velocity and deceleration of the hammer during its fall and impact on the surface. The fast the hammer stops, the harder the surface is, measured in units called gravities. The test is meant to simulate the impact of a head on your field’s surface.
