Ten Steps to a Successful Sports Field Construction Project
Okay, your school is committed to improving its athletic facilities, and you have decided to move ahead with a renovation project, or perhaps construct a new sports field or complex. How do you begin?
There are several preparations that facility managers can make to ensure the success of any athletic field project - and the long-term viability of your facility.
1. Understand your needs.
First, determine how much traffic you expect your field to bear. Consider not only games and team practices, but also the contributions of physical education classes, marching band rehearsals, graduations, and any other events that may add foot or equipment traffic to your field. Underestimating your usage may lead to poor judgment when drafting specifications for rootzone preparations or maintenance schedules.
2. Study your site to be sure your needs and expectations match your field's capabilities.
Now that you know what your needs are, you need to determine whether your site can handle the field of your dreams. Because soil physics and the movement of water are very site-specific - especially in glacier-carved New England - sports fields require a site-specific approach to construction and maintenance. A careful agronomic study of your soil will lend invaluable information to this stage of your project, allowing you to hone your specifications and focus your resources to get the job done right.
3. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of field construction.
Because they are the least expensive kind of field to build, native-soil fields account for the vast majority of sports fields being constructed today. Limited by local drainage patterns and the composition of on-site topsoil, native-soil fields also require diligent maintenance to ensure long-term success. If your agronomic analysis shows that your site cannot support your expected traffic, then you may need to build a modified native-soil field and add soil amendments or take additional steps during subgrade construction and rootzone preparation. You may want to consider a sand-based field if your needs are considerable.
4. Diagnose your problems.
If you are renovating an existing field, determine your problem areas. Your field may have inadequate surface drainage, reducing playing time. Your turf may have inferior grass species or weed encroachment, leading to poor traction and player injury. Your grade may need improvement. Problem areas can also include infrastructure and staffing; you may have not have enough personnel to properly manage the field, for instance, or the right kind of equipment to perform regular maintenance.
5. Assemble the best team possible.
Your project team should start with coaches, facility managers, maintenance staff, purchasing officers, athletes, and other end users. Solicit the input of everyone with a vested interest in your facility. Then, assemble a team of consultants, landscape architects, soil scientists, and contractors that specialize in sports fields. Check their references and experience going back five years - make sure their fields have performed to expectations. Keep an eye on the long term when qualifying your construction team (i.e., you want your field built right the first time).
6. Develop specifications that work for your field.
With one eye on your performance expectations for your field and another on your site's physical capabilities, you can develop a set of specifications that accomplishes your goals. The specs should address subgrade preparation, soil amendments (if any), drainage improvements, irrigation systems, grading tolerances, seeding or sodding guidelines, fertilization, and other maintenance practices. Be sure that acceptable materials for your field (i.e., sand, gravel, topsoil, sod, etc.) are available within a reasonable shipping distance to your site and that they are specified with precision. There are many different size gradations of sand, for instance; only one is most appropriate for your rootzone. Being as specific as possible with your field specifications nets the highest-quality results and avoids costly mistakes.
7. Develop a construction schedule.
Your schedule of events should outline a timetable for design, all phases of construction, grow-in, future maintenance, and any bidding cycles on materials and services. Allocate one year for a seeded field project. If you need opening day to come sooner, plan on a sodded field.
8. Keep your sports field project separate from other construction activities.
Sometimes a sports field construction project will be packaged with the building of a school or other institutional improvements. This is a bad idea, in general. The materials, construction processes, and contractors associated with sports field development are not the same as those involved in the construction of buildings and other infrastructure. Preparing the subgrade, irrigation system, rootzone composition, final grade and grow-in are highly specialized tasks best left to sports field specialists. Bid packages for athletic field services and materials should be kept separate from other general contracting related to your campus development.
9. Make sure funding is adequate and secure.
Simply, be sure you can afford to build the field that meets your needs - or adjust your expectations and specifications accordingly. Determining your budget early will allow time for any necessary fundraising efforts. Funding for your sports field construction should be completely separate from funding for other facilities. You don't want to have to decide between a press box and topsoil, for instance. When that happens, the press box often wins - much to the detriment of your athletes.
10. Maintain, maintain, maintain.
Maintenance begins on paper, where soil and nutrient analysis are translated into specifications for field care after construction. Maintenance is accomplished in the field, and demands timely and knowledgeable service during the grow-in and beyond. If you retain outside assistance to supplement the efforts of your grounds crew, be sure to select a vendor with proven experience in the maintenance of high-performance sports fields. You have expended a lot of time and resources to build your field of dreams. Make the right choices to keep it that way.
This article is courtesy of Championship Turf Surfaces, www.turfchamps.com .
Sidebar
Athletic Field Painting Strategies
By Mike Andresen and Mark Hall
A couple key elements of field preparation include starting out with an outstanding turf surface (i.e., healthy grass and a level surface), exceptional application of paint, sharp graphic design including hierarchy of lines, visual balance, font, and scale.
When preparing to paint the field, areas to consider are:
* Who the customer is
* Input from athletes
* Fans in the stands (home and away?)
* Whether there will be TV coverage
* Time of day of the event
* How close the fans are to the field
* Fan viewing angles
For example, at a high school football field with a high crown and low bleachers, you will have viewing problems to the opposite side of the field. For a mid-field stencil, you may decide to put the majority of the emblem on the home side half of the field.
Paint
Acrylic latex paint is always an important consideration in field marking operations. In most cases, you should use water-based paint specific for turf usage. The paint should have a flat finish.
White will be the predominate color, except in snow conditions where blue and red have been used. Titanium oxide is a common ingreditate in paint that acts as a brightener for white. Also the grinding of the solids in the paint will have an effect on the mixing and striping operations. The finer the grind (more expensive paint), the less settling will occur over time. Don't over-paint when it is unnecessary. Consider current line conditions and the weather to vary your paint ratio to water. Put the paint on the leaf tissue (not on the ground); this may require you to reduce the pressure of the paint striper. Although most latex paint is labeled to cover 300 square feet, our experience with diluted field paint indicates that 5 gallons of diluted paint will cover 1,000 linear feet at a 4-inch width. Thus, for a standard football field with 5 yard lines and 4 sets of hash marks (approximately 4,600 linear feet), you will use close to 25 gallons.
Season Preparations
Prior to your first sporting event, there are several activities you should complete. You want all the problems with equipment and supplies resolved prior to the week of your first event. String out all lines, hash marks, and sideline numbers in anticipation of scrimmages and rehearsals/walk-through. Depending on staff resources, try to begin painting logos-use one day to layout the center logo, one day to paint the border and details of the center logo, one day for the layout of each other logo, one day to paint all colors on smaller logos, and one day to paint all white with a basecoat. Planning these activities will minimize the switching of colors used in your field marking equipment as well as providing sufficient time to resolve problems with equipment, paint, tools, and weather.
Early season game week schedule has its own special requirements. Your schedule must be flexible to allow for rain and team usage (possible marching band usage, as well). If at all possible, mow the entire field 1/4 to 1/2 inch lower than the normal on your paint day. Mowing early in the day allows for the grass to dry prior to field painting. Paint the entire field with logos two days before the event.
Tools
Tools are an important resource when conducting field painting operations. Varying lengths of string should be used for field marking. We recommend a #21 nylon twine (or braided #18) to prevent early failure from molding because of wet string winding. Two to four lengths of 400 foot twine (alignment for side line, hash marks, and number stencils) as well as four 200-foot strings for yardage lines should be considered. This allows for movement of string with one or two people while the paint striping is taking place. You should have each length of string on its own spool. Use at least six inch colored nails (orange, pink or white) so they are not easily lost (safety is the utmost).
Mike Andresen is a Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM) with Iowa State University . Mark Hall is general manager for Tru Mark Athletic Field Marker, www.athleticfieldmarker.com .
Product Roundup
Brite Striper from Pioneer
When you combine the airless technology of the Brite Striper 2500 and the value of this field marking paint, Brite Stripe, you get Pioneer's one-two punch. The airless technology of the Brite Striper 2500 gives professional results at an affordable price. It has adjustable PSI from 0 to 2500 that delivers crisp, bright lines that last. The Brite Striper 2500 is convenient for painting stencils, freehand graphics and team logos and is ideal for grass, artificial turf and pavement applications. Brite Stripe can be easily applied and is ready for play in less than one hour. Brite Stripe can be used on a variety of natural turf athletic surfaces and comes in a variety of standard and custom colors.
www.pioneerathletics.com
Eco-Liner II from Newstripe
Newstripe has announced the improved Eco-Liner II gasoline powered field-marker, now with the Qwik-Set trigger, hands-free spray trigger. Qwik-Set now offers you the convenience of activating the spray trigger just once without having to continually squeeze the trigger while striping. Qwik-Set reduces hand strain and the fatigue associated with extended striping. A quick second squeeze of the trigger stops the spray. Eco-Liner II incorporates a direct drive industrial-grade diaphragm pump coupled to a 3.5-hp engine providing paint pressure up to 60 psi.
www.newstripe.com
Electra Tarp
Electra Tarp has been providing protective field coverings to major universities, high schools, churches, and commercial facilities throughout the country for 33 years. The company's athletic mound and plate covers, as well as field covers and football sideline tarps, protect competition fields and surrounding areas. Electra Tarp offers numerous sizes and weights to fit specific needs. Mound and plate covers are grommetted every two feet for secure and easy installation. They stop erosion when watering and minimize the amount of infield maintenance for these critical areas. All covers are custom fabricated to a school's specific needs.
www.electratarp.com
SAF DEK by Pathway Surfaces
Pathway Surfaces, Inc. developed SAF DEK's rubberized, poured-in-place, recreational safety surface more than 20 years ago. SAF DEK is designed to meet the latest CPSC guidelines and ASTM F1292 standard test requirements, offering maximum performance with minimal liability. SAF DEK is mixed and applied on site, providing a customized seamless and porous system to meet a school's unique project specifications. Because it is composed of at least 75% recycled rubber, SAF DEK is gentle on the environment, as well as on knees and elbows. The factory-installed product has a multi-year warranty designed to protect a school's investment. www.safdek.com
Nova Sports USA
Nova Sports USA manufactures premium 100% acrylic sports coatings for tennis, basketball, inline skating and track. The company supplies top contractors with high-quality, all-weather surfaces. The products are specially formulated to feature vibrant colors with texture that will last the life of the coating. The company has an experienced team to assist with any project. Nova Sports U.S.A. also manufactures extra-tough acrylic sports surfacing for playgrounds, shuffleboard surfaces, jogging surfaces, and other sports surfaces that require a sports surface that won't mark easily and will stand up to a tougher use.
www.novasports.com
Beacon's Cocoa Mat Drag
Cocoa Mat Drag allows schools get a highly professional finish without displacing soil. Unlike steel mat drags, the Beacon Cocoa Mat Drag rarely leaves a pile of material to disperse after picking up the drag. The 6' x 4' drag is available with or without the Beacon Leveling Bar to drag an infield with a tractor. The 6' x 2' hand drag is great for in-game between-inning manicuring, and the 4' x 2' hand Cocoa Drag is good for smoothing baselines, cutouts, mounds and home plate areas. No matter the area, there is a Cocoa Mat Drag for almost any job. www.BeaconAthletics.com
ACO SPORT
Standing water not only causes game delays but also shortens a track's life, particularly in freeze-thaw climates. An effective drainage system primarily removes rainfall, but can be used as a barrier to isolate the track to prevent damage and debris build-up on the surface, caused by contaminated run-off from bleachers or in-field areas. Channel drains, which if positioned on both sides of the running track, create a barrier to ensure only rainwater comes in contact with the track and that it is quickly removed, thus maximizing performance. ACO SPORT offers a range of track drainage systems, featuring straight and radiused channels with a variety of covers to meet the design requirements of any athletic facility.
www.acousa.com
Zeager's RecGrass
Zeager's RecGrass recreational surface is a natural-looking and soft, synthetic grass that provides a very low-maintenance, reasonably priced safety surface for play areas. Like all of Zeager's playground surfaces, RecGrass is third-party certified and meets ADA , ASTM, CPSC, and CSA requirements for playground surfaces. Customers may choose from a heavy-duty low-pile RecGrass or a softer high-pile RecGrass. Children love the green grass look and cool feel all year long. There are no puddles or messy infill materials on this grass because the RecBase underneath provides excellent drainage and fall protection.
www.zeager.com
Alpine's TopMaker 200
The Field TopMaker 200 is designed to strip and remove the top layers of sod and soil to a 2-inch depth. It can be set for both deep cuts and close shaves. The Field TopMaker 200 follows the existing grade of the field precisely, eliminating the need for regarding on an already properly graded field. This is an advantage in situations when renovation time is limited. The Field TopMaker 200 removes infield lips and allows turf to regenerate. The optional Verticut Rotor allows a vertical mow and conveys directly into vehicles to be hauled away. www.alpineservices.com
Player's Choice from Challenger Industries
Players' Choice is a high pile, in-filled synthetic turf system manufactured by Challenger Industries and designed for the high-performance athletic field market. Challenger uses the latest technology fibers to create a surface that simulates natural turf perfectly. These fibers are tufted into a variety of pile heights and densities to meet the desired performance characteristics. The company uses double-layered primary for added dimensional stability and tuft retention. Urethane coatings are offered as a secondary backing to provide yet more stability, tuft retention and overall product durability. Product construction varies depending on the intended use, intensity of play, and indoor use vs. outdoor use.
www.challengerind.com
FieldTurf
Stable, firm, not spongy, non-abrasive and uniform in traction, the FieldTurf system is engineered to play and feel like natural grass. On FieldTurf, players perform with confidence - and never experience the accelerated fatigue and muscle/joint stress associated with lightweight, rubber-filled systems. Like blades of natural grass, FieldTurf's fibers are soft and easy to slide on. They are surrounded and stabilized by FieldTurf's patented, heavy fill, the "artificial earth" that sets FieldTurf apart. Composed of smooth, rounded silica sand and cryogenically frozen and smashed rubber particles, FieldTurf's patented infill is engineered to stay "in suspension," providing years of proper biomechanics, shock absorbency and durability.
www.fieldturf.com
Tru Mark Athletic Field Marker
Tru Mark Athletic Field Marker has introduced two field marking and construction-quality string winders. Both come standard with a steel post for a cordless drill and a free wheeling handle (holds 500 feet plus of twine). The "heavy-duty" all steel and ball-bearing model with plastic manual reel-in handle can be posted in the ground. The "light weight" model features a sturdy plastic frame reel. The automated string winder saves time and reduces fatigue.
www.AthleticFieldMarker.com
