SportsTurf

September 2013

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.

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Irrigation&Drainage bottom of the trench typically are lined with a suitable drainage filter fabric. Normally a French drain does not include a pipe; however, the inclusion of a pipe makes this type of drainage system more efficient. A subdrain is similar to a French drain but it does not extend to the surface and always includes a perforated pipe. In the construction of a subdrain, the trench is sometimes wrapped with a suitable drainage filter fabric. In some conditions, however, the use of a prewrapped perforated pipe might be preferred by the design professional. Some design professionals prefer to keep the drainage filter fabric as a material separator to keep the natural subgrade soils from the drainage stone only. In this case, the fabric is placed on the subgrade and the drainage pipe is free floating in the clean stone drainage trench. A relatively new variation of both the French drain and the subdrain uses a geocomposite drainage material. This material facilitates the construction of subsurface drainage with a much smaller trench or profile. Geocomposite drainage material is available in various sizes, depending on the amount of water to be handled and the rate of flow desired. The geocomposite is inserted in the trench where its unique shape allows for unobstructed water flow in a narrow trench. In some cases the design will incorporate a geocomposite or molded plastic drainage material directly under the synthetic turf or under a thin layer of drainage stone. In these two scenarios, the geocomposite is basically a substitute for a more substantial layer of drainage stone. The geocomposite is typically covered by a non-woven filter fabric to prevent soil and other small particles from clogging the drainage medium. Another variation of the French drain, called a footing drain, is used behind a retaining wall or other structure where removal of ground water is prudent. Any of these French drain or subdrain systems will terminate in a storm sewer connection or carry the water to an area of the site where it can be stored for reuse or dispersed in a responsible manner. These will be discussed in a subsequent article. n Mary Helen Sprecher wrote this article on behalf of the American Sports Builders Association. Available at no charge is a listing of all publications offered by the ASBA, as well as their Membership Directory. Call 866-501-2722 or see www.sportsbuilders.org. STMA in action STMA Sourcebook relaunching with improved functionality, competitive pricing EFFECTIVE LATE AUGUST 2013, the Sports Turf Managers Association Sourcebook, the premier online resource connecting sports turf professionals with the most relevant industry products and services, will feature a new look and enhanced functionality for 2013. Created jointly by STMA and Green Media (publisher of SportsTurf magazine), the reengineered STMA Sourcebook improves upon past efforts by connecting association members with the most comprehensive, relevant selection of manufacturers and suppliers in the industry. In addition to its already completed work reconstructing the Sourcebook's infrastructure and improving search functionalities, Green Media will assume all database maintenance, information integrity, and online advertising responsibilities related to the site moving forward. Benefits of this reorganization include an increased emphasis on participating commercial companies, comprehensive turnkey solutions that will include concurrent SportsTurf 32 SportsTurf | September 2013 magazine print and online advertising packages, and more varied pricing structures. The STMA Sourcebook eliminates the hassle of lengthy search engine efforts by providing indepth information about products and services specific to the sports turf industry. Users of the STMA Sourcebook can find vendors and their products using the search function or relevant category headings, and then refine the search by keyword and/or geographic location. Incorporating detailed lists of relevant companies, the STMA Sourcebook ensures the directory is populated with manufacturers and suppliers that cater to the sports turf industry (thereby eliminating the unwanted and unrelated results common with standard search engines). As a new added Sourcebook member benefit, all STMA commercial company members will receive priority placement and appear first in search results. Manufacturers and suppliers benefit from the STMA Sourcebook by being part of an online community that allows advertisers to connect directly to their target audience. The STMA Sourcebook provides advertisers with a wealth of listing and enhancement choices, including the Product Showcase, priority and premium placement options, banner advertising, page peels, video, enhanced keyword search functionality, and much more. The STMA Sourcebook is available via the STMA website (www.STMA.org) or directly at www.STMAsourcebook.com. n www.sportsturfonline.com

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