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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/32290
Facility&Operations that can be used to warm and extend the life of the field in the Fall, or speed up dor- mancy in the Spring. Almond recounts another side benefit of the SubAir system. “I remember watching Bill Deacon, head groundskeeper for the New York Mets, use the SubAir system at Citi Field to literally lift the tarp off of the ground and move the water after a heavy rain. Those tarps can get re- ally heavy when covered with water and this is a great way to help.” Almond noted, “This is a tough downtown location with poor (air) circulation, bad weather and lots of rain.” 30 SportsTurf | June 2011 The site was a former railroad yard with existing soil that was very compacted and contaminated with debris... Because of the unique site requirements, careful attention was paid to the infield, warning track and mound clay material se- lection. For the infield mix, Almond collab- orated with Stabilizer Solutions, Inc., a soil technology company, to help design and source a regional stabilized infield mix for TD Ameritrade Park. The re- sulting “Pro Red” mix is a se- lected blend of 40% silt and clay content, with a silt-to- clay ratio (SCR) near 1, and the remainder composed of sand particles derived from a crushed and screened aggre- gate. The mix contains the Sta- bilizer organic amendment to maintain moisture levels longer, while keep- ing the playing surface stable during rain events. The company relied on a local dealer, Golf and Sport Solutions of La Salle, CO, to meet its strict specifications and blending procedures to produce this mix closer to Omaha. The infield mix was designed with a 0.75% slope to aid in surface drainage. Al- mond chose to use a crushed volcanic rock for the warning track because of its appear- ance and crunchy feel, and to use the Stabi- lizer because it really knocks the dust down and holds moisture. The warning track was designed with a 1.25-1.5 percent slope in certain areas. The mound was designed to be portable, because of additional field use such as concerts, football and soccer games. www.sportsturfonline.com