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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FieldScience adjustable. With the dual plane laser, both the X axis and the Y axis are adjustable. So, in the example, if you want a 1% slope (downhill) from home plate to first base you can set the X axis at -1% and if you want a .75% slope (uphill) to the pitching area you can set the Y axis at +.75. The cone laser creates a conical grade. This transmitter has the ability to bend the laser beam either up or down with the trans- mitter always being positioned at the center of the cone. A conical grade is used when an infield is graded from a central location be- tween the bases out in all directions, typically Laser grading is a combination of technol- ogy and operator ability. Never take for granted that because an infield is laser graded that it is graded effectively. have totally different meanings. The term "level" means that all points within a defined area are at the same eleva- tion, such as the elevations of the water sur- face on a calm lake. Flat just means flat. A flat surface can extend uphill or downhill, side to side or both. I once made the mistake of saying that topdressing helps to level a soccer field. We all know a soccer field can- not be level. Smooth yes, flat yes, level no. Many, if not all lasers have a sight, typi- cally on the top of the laser. With it, you can sight along a straight line to establish the X axis. An example would be to set the transit up directly above the apex of home plate and site down a foul line to the foul pole. This line would typically be consid- ered the X axis. With a single plane laser 20 SportsTurf | February 2012 this line (axis) would have to be level. If you want a certain slope perpendicular to the foul line such as toward the dugouts, you could adjust the Y axis to whatever percent slope you want. Since the laser beam travels 360 degrees in a complete circle, you could mark the proposed elevation at the front of the dugout and also mark an elevation for the pitching area as long as the same slope is desired in both directions. If a different de- gree of slope is desired, you could readjust the Y axis in either direction. The downhill side of the axis is negative (-)Y and the up- hill side of the axis is positive (+)Y. The only difference between a single plane laser and a dual plane laser is that with a single plane laser, only the Y axis is creating a grading plan with all the bases at the same relative elevation. With many cone lasers adjusting the X and Y axis can tilt the cone forward, backward, left or right. Ad- justments like this may be necessary to match existing perimeter grades. One very important fact to keep in mind is that regardless of how accurately the operator can grade an infield, it is still at the operator's discretion how to set up the laser and how to tie into the existing el- evations surrounding the infield. Laser grading is a combination of technology and operator ability. Never take for granted that because an infield is laser graded that it is graded effectively. Of these four types of lasers, due to their versatility, only the dual plane laser or the cone laser is normally used in combination with automated blade control equipment. Typical laser grading equipment can ei- ther be a single mast or dual mast system. A single mast system is the least expensive and has a single receiver typically mounted in the center of the blade. The receiver con- trols the blade by either lifting the entire blade or lowering the entire blade. A dual mast system is more expensive and has two receivers with one receiver www.sportsturfonline.com