Artificial turf from stadium ends up in Leeward landfill

QUESTION: Whatever happened to the old turf that was replaced recently at Aloha Stadium?

ANSWER: The old artificial turf at Aloha Stadium, which cost about $1.3 million in 2003, was taken to the Waimanalo Gulch landfill and buried, according to Patrick Laughlin, a partner at CO-HA Builders Inc., doing business as Applied Surfacing Technology, which handled the turf removal and installation.

"The old turf was getting hard," Laughlin said.

So is the turnover and sales competition in the artificial turf war.

With millions of dollars resting on players and sporting events, professional and college officials want facilities to be in good playing condition.

In less time than the careers of a number of professional football players, today’s touted turf becomes tomorrow’s landfill mound.

University of Hawaii and National Football League officials worried about the wear on the previous field.

In the past 10 years, the Aloha Stadium playing turf, now known as Hawaiian Airlines Field, has had Astroturf, FieldTurf and, now, UBU Speed Series S5-M.

Laughlin said besides taking out the drainage and turf, the removal of the FieldTurf involved hauling away 400,000 to 500,000 pounds of fill, including sand and rubber granules, in about a dozen tractor-trailer trucks.

The sand and the rubber granules kept the artificial grass blades standing up.

Stadium Deputy Director Lois Manin said none of the FieldTurf carpet, about 8 years old, was donated because of liability problems.

Manin said removing the old turf and replacing it took about three months and was completed in July.

She said the synthetic turf covers more area.

"It looks beautiful," she said.

The technology involved in developing artificial turf is constantly rising, sports observers said.

So is the price. The new turf cost about $1.76 million.

Laughlin said with 11⁄2-inch blades, the new turf provides more padding and durability, including an eight-year warranty from an insurance company.

Stadium officials said the new field has already helped to attract ESPN’s Hawaiian Islands Invitational soccer tournament on Feb. 23 and 25. The event will feature the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer and professional teams from Japan, South Korea and Australia.

The booking represents a turnaround in attitudes toward the stadium, which in 2008 was criticized for being too fast a field at the Pan Pacific Championships.

Stadium officials hope the televised ESPN event featuring the new turf will attract more international sporting events.

It’s a quick surgery for the 36-year-old stadium, as state officials ponder its future.

This update was written by Star-Advertiser reporter Gary T. Kubota. Suggest a topic for “Whatever Happened To …” by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4747; or email cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.