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/338693
www.stma.org July 2014 | SportsTurf 35 their anchors in the grade beam. The furnace and inflation equip- ment are connected to the duct work for the dome, which is either a fabric connection through the side of the dome or underground ducts from the equipment pad to floor grates inside the dome. Flip the switch to the inflation equipment and 1 to 2 hours later the dome is fully inflated. The rest of the installation process includes placing and connect- ing all of the entrance and exit components to their fabric curtains on the dome, and installing the insulation material, interior lighting system, and divider netting or curtains. All in all, the initial installa- tion process usually takes anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the size and complexity of the air structure package. Seasonal domes that are taken down in the spring and reinstalled in the fall basically go through the reverse of the process outlined above every spring and then repeat the process every fall. Of course, the seasonal ups and downs are more efficient than the initial instal- lation, taking about a third of the time. The furnace and inflation equipment typically stays in place while the dome sections and the other attached components are stored away for the summer months. The cost associated with these seasonal take downs and reinstalla- tions can add up for large full-field structures, given the man power and rental equipment required to accomplish the task. Operating and maintenance Operating costs for an air-supported structure include electri- cal costs for the inflation equipment and the interior lighting system, and heat fuel costs for the furnace. Although air struc- tures have a lower capital cost than traditional buildings and have the unique ability to be removed and reinstalled seasonally, they do require a slightly higher operating budget for utilities than other buildings that can be better insulated and don't require an electric fan for inflation. That being said, significant improvements have been made in the way of insulating the fabric membrane of an air structure with further innovations to this technology on the horizon. A very important maintenance consideration is snow clear- ance around the perimeter of the dome. Because an air-supported structure is designed to shed the snow off the fabric membrane, the snow accumulates around the perimeter once it does. It's extremely important that the snow gets cleared away from the fabric mem- brane so it doesn't jeopardize the structural integrity of the dome. Other maintenance required includes regular checks on the backup inflation equipment to ensure a seamless transition in the event of a power failure, as well as regular maintenance for all mechanical equipment associated with the air structure. ■ The Patent Pending Nordic Plow attaches to most Zero Turn Mowers, ATV's, UTV's, and Golf Carts. Now introducing plows for John Deere's 1200a, 1200 Hydro, 2500, Gators and Toro's 3150, 3040, 5040, Groundsmaster and Workman units. The lightweight, rounded edge blade is made of heavy duty composite material, perfect for: • clearing snow and water from stadium grass, tarps and artificial turf • clearing aerated plugs from greens and tee boxes • leveling ball fields and volleyball courts • clearing snow on paver bricks, gravel paths and walkways