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/73468
Facility&Operations | ByMary Helen Sprecher >> Photo credit: Medallion Athletic Products, Mooresville, NC around it) have any problems, such as drainage issues? Make sure you note those. • Field use: What types of sports is the field hosting, how often and at what levels? Any other uses (graduations, festivals, march- ing band practice, etc.) should also be noted. • Weather: According to Norris Legue of • Problems: Does the field (or the area Overseeing synthetic turf installations T For those whose experience pertains mainly to field management, that can be a daunting task. Sure, you know how a field is built—base, sub-base, drainage, surface, infill and so forth—and how it's main- tained, but how can that really help you work with the pros who will be doing the install? Easy, say those in the industry: bring all HERE'S A NEW FIELD going in. And you've just been informed you're responsible for supervision, oversight and all the rest of the management. your knowledge to the table, and be ready to share it. "Be available," says Jeff Emanuel of Nemaha Landscape Construction, Inc. in Lincoln, NE. "Communication and logis- tics beforehand makes everything go smoothly when the job gets started. That should be the number-one priority. The field manager is a great resource to catch things before and at the time of install to make sure final build-out meets the field manager's and the owner's need." 24 SportsTurf | July 2012 have an advantage, whether or not you're aware of it. You're on site every day, or just about every day. You know things about the use of the field, the problems it might have experienced in the past, and lots of other information that are invisible to the contractor, who is just looking at the sur- face. So here are some pieces of the puzzle you can put down on paper: • The field itself: List everything you Coming into the project, you already know about when the field was built, who did the construction originally, what sur- face it is, and any changes that have been made to it over the years. List its regular maintenance program and types of equip- ment used. Synthetic Surfaces, Inc. in Scotch Plains, NJ the weather can impact a new field greatly, and anyone charged with supervising installa- tion should have a good grasp on it: "No two outdoor installations are the same," says Legue. "Hot, cold, damp, dry, wind, passing clouds and rain are all factors that quickly get people into trouble. Also, outdoor installa- tions under variable conditions are a different world than indoor installation under stable environmental conditions." Something the field manager can do to keep the lines of communication open, says Emanuel, is to "attend regularly scheduled meetings to stay up to date and in the loop. Be approachable and get to know the install foreman. A good foreman will respect a re- ciprocal relationship." struction documents, and also on the field it- self. Sometimes, things look good on paper, but don't work in real life. And in many cases, the field manager is the person who will know immediately whether something will or will not be effective. "Be honest," says Emanuel. "If the field manager doesn't like something, that needs to be brought to the builder's attention so they can discuss and remedy issues before the task or project is past the point of no return." Many field managers, because they're skilled in maintenance, want to chip in and help with the construction as well. Emanuel cautions against that. Both sides need to keep an eye on the construction documents, and also on the field itself. Sometimes, things look good on paper, but don't work in real life. >> Photo credit: Rettler Corporation, Stevens Point, WI Both sides need to keep an eye on the con- www.sportsturfonline.com