SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/791889
www.stma.org March 2017 | SportsTurf 35 866-808-0991 hydraway.net/stma Natural Grass Fields Synthetic Turf Golf Courses • High Compressive Strength 11,400 PSF • High flow rates 80% more available open space 70% In-flow Rate " As one of the longest running and most prevalent synthetic turf designers in the Chicago area, we are familiar with all brands of flatdrains. In addition, we also utilize flatdrains for natural grass drainage. We are very impressed with the Hydraway product line for both synthetic turf and natural grass drainage applications. We have found it to possess much better drainage parameters AND to be much more economical than other flatdrain products. " — Jason E. Green, PE W-T Civil Engineering, LLC. IndustRy's Fastest dRaInage system diseased or dead areas, the operator can feather back the speed and produce as many as 48 holes per square foot for rapid seed bed prep in a single pass." Wolf said that his crews are now able to cover more ground in less time with their Billy Goat AE1300H aerator than they could using a combination of walk and pull behind aerators. "The reciprocating aerator is fast, and we can keep the tines in the ground while turning without damaging the turf," he says. "We're able to aerate in reverse, which is especially handy in confined areas. These benefits combined have allowed us to tighten up our typical spacing by almost three times as many holes per square foot without adding any extra time to the job." HOLE DEPTH Traditional aerators rely on soil moisture to achieve maximum plug depth. The design of the reciprocating aerators is powerful enough to drive the tines deeper even in dry soil conditions. That means no longer have to plan aerating schedules around the weather. Also, the front end of these units is light and has been designed to bounce when a tine hits hard objects like a rock. This feature, along with the Flextech arms on the AE1300H, help to absorb and dissipate impacts for increased arm and frame durability. As a result, there is a reduced chance of damaging the machine when contact is made with a solid object. Wolf says there are a few event lawns on Penn State's campus that see a lot of activity. "Before an event, during and after an event; our event lawns get used a lot," says Wolf. "Utility vehicles will drive over them to bring in equipment for the event. During the event, there are always a lot of people in attendance, and then afterward, everything needs to be cleaned up again. We make it a habit to aerate after most events held in those areas. A lush green lawn is important for a successful event, and aerating helps make that happen." New reciprocating aerators come standard with ejection tines, and have the option of using solid tines for sports fields or traffic areas where cores are not practical.