Base for turf system

An artificial turf assembly comprising:

• an artificial turf carpet;
• and
• a turf underlayment layer comprised of an assembly of panels, the panels including a core having a top side, a bottom side, and drainage holes extending through the core, the top side including a plurality of drainage channels, the bottom side having a plurality of projections defining bottom side drainage channels, the top side configured to support the artificial turf carpet and one or more of the bottom side drainage channels extending across the bottom side in fluid communication with one or more of bottom side drainage channels of adjacent panels, and wherein the panels are made from a plurality of expanded polyolefin beads, the plurality of expanded polyolefin beads bonded together by at least one of pressure and heat to produce a substantially water-impervious surface.

A artificial turf assembly comprising:

• an artificial turf carpet;
• and
• a turf underlayment layer comprised of an assembly of panels, each of the panels formed from a plurality of expanded polyolefin beads, the plurality of expanded polyolefin beads bonded together by at least one of pressure and heat to produce a substantially water-impervious surface, the panels including a core having a top side and a bottom side, a plurality of projections extending from the top side and defining drainage channels across the top side, the panels including at least one panel interlock configured as one of a male or female jigsaw puzzle piece joint, or a dovetail recess, or a dovetail projection positioned on a perimeter edge of the panels that engage a mating male or female jigsaw puzzle piece joint, or a dovetail recess, or a dovetail projection on an adjacent panel of the assembly of panels, the panel interlock creating a spaced apart relationship between adjacent panels to accommodate one of vertical drainage or thermal expansion.

An artificial turf assembly comprising:

• an artificial turf carpet having a backing layer and a plurality of fibers tufted onto the backing layer;
• a turf underlayment layer comprised of an assembly of panels, each of the panels formed from a plurality of expanded polyolefin beads, the plurality of expanded polyolefin beads bonded together by at least one of pressure and heat to produce a substantially water-impervious surface, the panels including a core having a top side and a bottom side, a plurality of projections extending from the top side and defining drainage channels across the top side, wherein at least one of the plurality of projections or the drainage channels has a textured surface configured as one of bumps, or raised nibs, or dots.