MetLife stadium, host of Super Bowl XLVIII and home to the NY Giants and NY Jets, recently acquired a turnkey outdoor temporary flooring system from Matrax, Inc. to cover the synthetic turf during non-football events. Since opening in April 2010, MetLife stadium has hosted large musical acts to include Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles, and Kenny Chesney. Facility Operations Manager Alan Kashian has extensive experience with various turf protection products. During the acquisition process, Mr. Kashian said, “The Matrax 4×4 translucent system is the only temporary flooring product we will use in our stadium.”
The primary purpose of the Matrax field covering system is to protect the synthetic turf, support heavy vehicular traffic during the construction of the stages and lighting systems, and provide a safe surface for the general public during the event. Other systems that MetLife had used in the past did not meet their performance expectations as these products were poorly designed and could not support fully loaded 40-foot tractor trailers weighing 40,000 lbs. Previously, the trailers had to be unloaded in the parking lot and components of the stage shuttled in on smaller, lighter duty vehicles. This process was costly and time consuming. Furthermore, one of the previous systems caused damage to the synthetic turf it was intended to protect.
Where other field covering systems are designed from a flooring perspective, Matrax was engineered with temporary road building and heavy vehicular traffic in mind. It was also designed to be easily installed, stored, and transported. Moreover, the Matrax system has translucent properties that permit light to penetrate to the surface below, thus allowing natural grass to say alive for up to 7 days while covered, thereby eliminating the need for sod replacement. While it transmits light, it does not transfer heat from the surface to the underside.
“The Matrax 4×4 mat system provides a durable, light-weight, multi-purpose interlocking working surface offering ground protection by utilizing HDPE and polypropylene mats. The Matrax 4×4 is a mat system well-suited to serve a wide variety of applications worldwide,” said Ron Houghton, President, Partners Oilfield.
Matrax has become the system of choice by many industry professionals and has been successfully installed in other notable venues including: Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, M&T Bank Stadium, Gillette Stadium and on the National Mall in Washington, DC. It has also been used internationally in Italy, Japan, Canada, and the UK.