FAA examined several characteristics associated with airside applications of
synthetic turf, including flammability field tests, which were performed in
full wind conditions at Chicago Midway Airport on October 12, 2000. Plywood
construction test boxes were filled with turf samples atop a dry sand base and
a rock sub-base. Based on what could be expected as fuel spills, aviation grade
Jet-A fuel, vehicle-grade diesel, and vehicle-grade unleaded gasoline were
poured over nearly half of the sample surfaces. When ignited, the fibers melted
away from the flame, thereby limiting the spread of the flame. Even with the
force of a 16-knot wind, the flame did not spread beyond the fuel-soaked
fibers.
Toxic gas sampling and analytical procedures were performed by Bodycote Testing
Group and confirmed that AvTurf’s CA 1201 synthetic turf system is in
compliance with Standards Council of Canada M-7 technical specification
requirements.
Commercial Testing Company measured the critical radiant flux at flame-out of
AvTurf as a horizontally-mounted, floor-covering system that duplicates or
simulates accepted synthetic turf installation practices. This test was
conducted using the ASTM fire test respond standard E 648-06, “Critical Radiant
Flux of Floor – Covering Systems Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source.” The
result of the test proved that artificial turf will not propagate flame and
will eventually self extinguish when the fuel source is exhausted.
AvTurf’s fire resistance was rated “excellent” in October 2002 when tested in
cooperation with the Airside Facilities Engineering Team at the Greater Toronto
Airports Authority. A 150-square-foot test plot of AvTurf was saturated with
four test fuels and ignited to simulate a large-scale fuel spill. Each of the
test fuels would not burn without effort and expired (self-extinguishment) as a
function of fuel volume only. It should also be noted that artificial turf can
be extinguished with conventional ARFF methods.
