Shi, Yuan 
ORCID: 0000-0003-4011-8735 and Jim, CY
(2022)
Developing a thermal suitability index to assess artificial turf applications for various site-weather and user-activity scenarios.
Landscape and Urban Planning, 217.
p. 104276.
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LANDUP-2022-Developing a thermal suitability index to assess artificial turf.pdf - Author Accepted Manuscript Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Lawns are highly recognized and indispensable elements in the urban landscape. Due to water-saving, low maintenance cost, and avoided health-environmental impacts of agrochemical usage, artificial turf (AT) has increasingly replaced some natural turf (NT) sports fields and recreational lawns. It remains controversial whether AT is a healthy alternative to NT. We asked the research question, “Where and for whom the AT is (or isn't) suitable regarding user thermal sensation partaking various activities?” We established a field experiment at adjoining AT and NT fields in humid-tropical Hong Kong. Detailed microclimatic data were recorded under sunny, cloudy and overcast weather conditions to calculate the modified physiological equivalent temperature (mPET) as a thermal comfort index. Activities covering a range of metabolic rates were selected to evaluate user thermal sensation. AT experienced considerably raised ground surface temperatures on sunny days with a consequential increase in near-ground ambient air temperatures and the environs. The inter-turf temperature difference was somewhat subdued under cloudy and overcast weather. A regression model allowed the successful development of a nine-point thermal suitability index (TSI) to assess AT applications and provide a simple rule-of-thumb for design practice. To avoid undue heat stress, AT use can only be recommended for certain site-weather and user-activity scenarios. The TSI can be applied to other climatic zones by gleaning on-site microclimatic data and enlisting the proposed regression-modelling method. A comprehensive AT assessment scheme can be developed by incorporating the TSI to inform future AT installation and use decisions.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Divisions: | Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Environmental Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Jul 2022 10:11 |
| Last Modified: | 11 Apr 2023 01:30 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104276 |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3159248 |
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