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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/R12190/01
Title: Development of a Biomechanically Validated Testing Procedure For the Characterisation of Sport Surfaces
Principal Investigator: Nicol, Professor A
Other Investigators:
Walker, Dr C
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
E R D C Group Ltd (The) Heydour Contract Services Ltd Scottish Football Association
Scottish Hockey Union Scottish Rugby Union Plc Scottish Sports Council The
South West Recreational Industries Inc Sports Labs Ltd.
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Organisation: University of Strathclyde
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 June 2001 Ends: 31 August 2004 Value (£): 210,884
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Design & Testing Technology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Construction Sports and Recreation
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The increase in media exposure of football, rugby and hockey has resulted in more frequent use of professional pitches and more youngsters seeing the need to train harder in order to become successful professional players. The natural turf on existing sports grounds cannot keep pace with the increased usage and there is a drive for the use of artificial turfs for wider access which is also independent of weather conditions. Unfortunately, artificial turfs are not acceptable to competitive players in terms of biomechanical interaction between player and surface. This project will therefore investigate the interaction between player and sport surface and will derive critical characteristics (force, moment, acceleration etc.) of this interaction. Such data will be incorporated into the design and construction of a test rig which will mimic these biomechanical interactions. The test rig will then be used to measure the 3-dimensional compliance of artificial and natural turfs and will generate characteristics of these turfs in relation to a specifically selected range of sports manoeuvres. The differences between natural and artificial turf characteristics will then be analysed and the parameters of greatest importance will be incorporated into new procedures for the testing of current and future artificial surfaces.
Key Findings
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.strath.ac.uk