Building Sports Fields on a Restricted Budget

James C. Thomas, David R. Chalmers and James A. McAfee Natural grass sports fields can be broadly grouped into three categories based on the type of soil used for their construction: 1) native soil fields, 2) amended native soil fields, and 3) sand-based fields. Clearly, the sand based root zone system is preferred for high visibility and championship game fields where field conditions need to be nearly perfect at all times. However, except for their stadium fields, most school districts, municipalities and community organizations typically cannot afford the construction and maintenance costs of sand based fields and are forced to build native soil or amended native soil fields. Unfortunately, many of the existing native soils in the Gulf Coast region have clay or clay loam textures, are very susceptible to compaction and are very slow to drain. Poor irrigation water quality is another problem in this area. Compaction, poor drainage and poor water quality each contribute to poor field growth and recovery from traffic damage. However, if two or more of these conditions are in place, the fields may become unmanageable. These problems create a great deal of interest in ways to improve existing native soil conditions on sports fields often that do not live up to expectations. Soil Texture Influence Before one invests significant amounts of time, money and effort in renovating a native soil field, careful consideration should first be given to identify the exact reasons behind the decline in field performance. Very often specific soil properties will need to be modified and the effect of that soil modification will need to be precisely understood based on sound agronomic principles and appropriate laboratory analysis. Soil texture refers to a method of soil classification based on the amounts of sand, silt, and clay particles in the soil. Once the soil texture is known, one can get a good estimate of the coarseness or fitness of a soil. Knowing how fine or coarse a soil is also provides an indication of how rapidly water will enter and move through the soil and how wet it will stay after a rainfall or irrigation event. The rate at which water moves through a saturated soil is called the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) and is frequently referred to as the percolation rate. Coarse textured sandy soils typically have a high saturated hydraulic conductivity which indicates rapid water movement through these soils. In contrast, fine textured clay soils typically have very low saturated hydraulic conductivities and are poorly drained. Soil texture also impacts the amount of water a given soil retains. Fine textured soils have more individual soil particles and smaller pores which allows them to retain large amounts of water. In contrast, the coarser textured sandy soils have larger pores which drain quickly after a rainfall event. Thus, sandy soils retain much less water but are well aerated which constitutes a nearly ideal environment for root growth.

Washed and screened sands that have a high percentage of medium and coarse sand particles resist compaction, which helps to maintain their high saturated hydraulic conductivity and good aeration. After a small amount of settlement, each sand grain is resting on the one below and against the adjacent sand grains. Thus, the material cannot be compacted or compressed any further. Fine textured soils and sands with a wide spread in particle size distribution, on the other hand, contain a significant amount of very small particles. When subjected to traffic, these particles reorient themselves closer together and between larger particles leaving very little pore space between them. Therefore, the amount of settlement is greatest for a fine textured soil, and after compaction such soils have very little air-filled pore space. One advantage to having fine textured soils is that they frequently contain significant amounts of clay particles which have the ability to retain plant nutrients. Thus, fine textured soils are often thought to be more fertile soils. The Importance of Soil pH Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Those soils having pH values less than 7.0 are termed acidic and have free hydrogen ions in solution while those soils above pH 7 are called basic or alkaline. It is generally accepted that the pH range over which plant nutrients are most available for plant uptake is 6.5-7.0. The further away from this range in either direction, the less nutrients are available for plant growth. For instance, in an alkaline soil at pH 8.5 it is likely that iron and manganese may be largely transformed into plant unavailable forms in the soil and although present, they will not be in a form that the turfgrass roots can absorb. For acidic soils having low pH values, a lime addition can usually raise the pH to a nearly ideal level. For alkaline soils, the addition of some sulfur or sulfur containing fertilizers can help reduce the soil pH. However, caution must be used when dealing with calcareous soils. Calcareous soils contain large amounts of naturally occurring calcium carbonate (lime) which will rapidly neutralize acids. Therefore, it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve a long term pH reduction in these soils. Thus, management plans for turfgrass grown on high pH calcareous soils must be designed to compensate for the limited availability of certain nutrients. Sandy soils, on the other hand, retain few nutrients and exhibit wide fluctuations in pH in response to lime or sulfur additions. Should You Change The Soil You Have? From the above discussion, one may come to the conclusion that native soil fields are less costly to build and maintain. Certainly, the use of on-site soil avoids the cost to purchase and transport off-site soil materials. The higher cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the native soils will reduce the need for frequent fertilizer applications. How- ever, despite the above advantages there is a "down side" to the use of native soils. The primary problem is that native soils generally have poor internal drainage (low saturated hydraulic conductivity) and very high water retention, causing them to remain wet for an extended period of time after heavy rainfall or irrigation events during which time play on the fields must be restricted. If not restricted, the soil will become severely compacted resulting in reduced turf growth and poor turf quality. It is not uncommon for native soil

fields to have poor quality playing surfaces. They become very hard when dry and the soil may form large cracks if allowed to dry for an extended period of time. When wet, the soils become soft and are subject to the formation of ruts and footprints. These soil properties make it very difficult to create and maintain a smooth playing surface on native soil fields. In areas having poor quality irrigation water, salinity management and deep leaching of excess salts is very difficult due to the poor internal drainage of many fine textured native soils. In contrast, sports fields built with sand based root zones and subsurface drainage systems are designed to provide rapid drainage and minimize the potential for canceling games due to standing water or muddy soil conditions. Excess salts are more easily leached from sand based root zones, as well as many plant nutrients. As a result, sand based sports fields require more frequent applications of smaller amounts of fertilizers which results in higher labor costs. In return, sand based sports fields produce smoother, higher quality playing surfaces with increased player safety. Steps for Success in Sports Field Construction As you consider building new sports fields, the following steps are designed to provide information on how to make wise decisions and avoid many of the common pitfalls associated with working under the constriction of a low budget and unrealistically high expectations. Sports field construction on modest budgets requires careful diligence on your part each step of the way. Step 1 - Planning Work to construct a sports field must begin long before the day of groundbreaking. One must work closely with the architect (probably already chosen and employed) during the process of writing the material specifications and making the appropriate drawings. Many times, sports fields are built along with an addition to, or remodeling of, the existing physical school buildings. Because of this, the sports field constitutes only a small part of the overall project and often does not get the amount of attention to detail that it deserves. Furthermore, in many instances the architects drawing up plans and specifications work primarily with building construction and are often not familiar with the details and intricacies required for successful sports field construction. Thus, it is up to you to provide the architect with information on the type of soil you want, the depth of placement, the amount of drainage needed, the preferred type of irrigation system, the desired grass, planting method (seed sprig, sod ) and the required time needed for grow-in before play is allowed. Too many times the fields are completed when the weather is not suitable for turf establishment resulting in the need for establishing a temporary grass cover followed by re- planting in the next growing season. This results in added costs, labor and a longer time that the fields are "out of play". Always remember when working with grass sports fields that you are working with living plants and as such timing is critical. Each grass has its own ideal time for planting and the project activities must be scheduled to allow the grass to be planted when conditions are

favorable for establishment procedures and grow-in. Be sure to schedule in some time for project delays due to weather, equipment failures, etc. Specifications for seed purchase should include the use of "certified seed", the % pure live seed and the maximum acceptable amount of other (weed) seeds. Sod should be specified as to the variety, mowing height, depth of cut during harvest and the soil on which it was grown. Sprigs or sod should be weed free, disease free and have a low nematode count. It is a good idea to include a clause in the contract allowing you as the owners representative to visit the sod farm and approve the field to be harvested prior to the actual purchase and harvest. Buying good quality sod to start with will minimize management problems later after the field is established. Also, be sure that the specifications require that ALL the subcontractors for the sports field part of the work be pre- qualified and show documentation of previous experience in building similar types of athletic facilities. Allowing the general contractor to select the lowest bidder even though they have no previous experience in sports field construction is nearly a guarantee for failure. Step 2 - Drainage, Drainage, Drainage When the cost figures come in on a new sports field construction project and the budget has to be trimmed to fit the available funds, one of the first items to be eliminated is the subsurface drainage system. This is an unfortunate mistake that has led to the ruin of many playing fields. While sports fields can perform well with less than ideal amounts of subsurface drainage, they must have some drainage. Without drainage, fields that are built with more permeable, root zone soils placed over native clay textured sub-soils can fill up with water during periods of frequent rain or irrigation. Without subsurface drainage outlets turf roots become surrounded by water and eventually die. Secondly, without some sort of subsurface drainage it is very difficult if not impossible to leach excess salts from the root zone and it becomes only a matter of time until the salts accumulate to toxic levels. Thus, even if you can only get 2 or 4 subsurface drains in a field put them in because they will prevent the soil from remaining totally saturated and will provide a way to achieve at least a minimal amount of leaching from the root zone. Subsurface drainage does not have to be an "all or nothing" situation but more is definitely better than less. Good surface drainage is essential for removing excess rain- fall from sports fields. All fields should have a 0.5-1.096 surface slope. Football fields should be crowned down the center line (goalpost to goalpost) and should slope to- ward the side lines. An 8-12 inch crown is normally acceptable and has minimal impact on the playing characteristics of the fields or the players. This crown should be carefully maintained to prevent any flat spots or low spots from developing, particularly in the areas of heaviest traffic such as the center line of a football field or near the goal mouths of soccer fields. Good surface drainage will require careful placement of surface inlet boxes, sideline drains and associated storm drain lines to remove the run-off water. Careful calculations should be made of the amount of runoff from the field area for a given rainfall event so that the drainage system may be properly designed to handle the required water volume. Be sure

to include potential runoff from track areas, spectator areas or any other nearby locations that may drain toward the field. Step 3 - Plan for the Effects of Irrigation Water Quality Water quality has a major impact on both soil properties and turf growth and quality. Water carries with it a host of dissolved substances, mostly salts. Some of these salts such as calcium and magnesium are beneficial for soil while others like sodium and bicarbonate are harmful and actually damage soil structure and further reduce the amount of internal drainage. In high concentrations, other salts like chloride or bromide may become toxic to turfgrass. The exact composition of water varies depending on the water source, however, there is a general trend toward the use of lower quality water sources as the availability and cost of potable water becomes increasingly restrictive. Therefore, a water quality test should be performed prior to writing specifications for field construction. Special attention should be paid to concentrations of total salts, sodium, carbonates, bicarbonates, chloride, boron, and the sodium absorption ratio (SAK) of the water. Always re- member that any test data without proper interpretation is meaningless, so don't hesitate to seek the advice of appropriate experts on water quality issues as they relate to turfgrass. If "city water" is used for irrigation, the water quality information may already be available as a free service from the municipal water department as they are required to periodically test public drinking water for safety and health reasons. Be careful when evaluating these reports, since sodium and other important salts may not be measured if they are not specifically required by government regulations for the evaluation of drinking water. In Such cases, a separate water quality test should be run to provide the missing information. Step 4 - Soil Selection and/or Modification Given the need for internal drainage and resistance to compaction, soils with a high sand content are needed. Loam, clay loam, and clay textured soils are not well suited for sports fields and should be avoided. If possible, sandy soils containing less than 10% silt and 5% clay should be located for use in new construction. Samples of the existing or proposed soils should be submitted to a reputable accredited physical soil testing laboratory for evaluation of particle size distribution, saturated hydraulic conductivity and pore size distribution. After compaction, a soil for sports field use should have a minimum saturated hydraulic conductivity of 1 inch per hour to assure an adequate amount of internal drainage. It is also advisable that the soil have a minimum of 10% air-filled pore space to promote good turf root growth and overall health of the grass. If a locally available soil having these properties cannot be found, or if the existing soil does not meet these criteria, then it may be possible to amend the soil by the addition of a medium to coarse textured washed sand. The best sand to use as an additive and the optimum amount to add will depend on the exact materials available for use and will need to be determined on a case by case basis by a qualified physical soil testing laboratory. If you decide to go this route be aware that this is an "all or nothing" choice.

Either add the full amount of required sand, which is likely to be in the 50- 80% by volume range, or don't add any at all. Often adding only a little bit of sand can make soil conditions worse than not doing anything. Step 5 - Contractor Selection: Not All Contractors "Know the Ropes" Frequently, sports fields are built as part of an addition to, or remodeling of the existing school buildings. The overall project is typically awarded to a general contractor who hires the work out to subcontractors as needed. Unfortunately, there are not many contractors who specialize in building or renovating sports fields and thus the work often gets awarded to firms that primarily specialize in road construction since they typically have the necessary surveying and earth moving equipment. Unfortunately, the goal of having a grassed sports field is nearly opposite that of having a highly compacted road base. Furthermore, many of these companies lack the necessary experience and qualified personnel to properly fertilize, irrigate and manage turf during the grow-in phase. The combination of some or all of these factors often leads to a poor quality playing field that is not ready for use when needed. In addition, mistakes made during the construction and grow-in phases may have long lasting effects that make the field difficult and expensive to maintain in the future. Improved player safety and performance should also dictate selection of a qualified contractor capable of building the field to specification and within the allotted time frame. To help choose a qualified subcontractor, one should require that all subcontractors for this part of the work be pre-qualified by showing proof of previous experience in sports field construction in order to be able to bid on a particular sports field project. Step 6 - Irrigation System Design To have good quality playing fields ready for use at the start of the school year in late August or early September will require good turf growth through the summer months. Given the weather conditions in most of Texas, that will require supplemental irrigation of the turf through much of the typical hot and dry summer months. Dragging long lengths of hoses to run portable sprinklers is not an efficient use of labor nor does it provide uniform irrigation. Therefore, athletic field construction should include the installation of a suitable irrigation system. Work with your architect to select a qualified and licensed irrigation consultant to design and install an appropriate irrigation system for the sports fields being built. Ask for a system that will have a minimum water distribution uniformity of 60% and require that an irrigation audit be conducted at the completion of the job to document the actual uniformity. Be sure that the water supply system can provide the needed volume and pressure to properly operate the irrigation equipment without interfering with water use elsewhere. Also be sure that the application rate does not exceed the Ksat of the soil or you will waste water as runoff. Having an efficient, automated irrigation system will free your personnel to be able to attend to more important tasks and the increased uniformity will produce better quality grass fields with minimal amounts of wasted water.

Step 7 - Planting and Grow-In: The Home Stretch Turf grow-in on a sports field requires special skills and dedication which most general contractors do not have. Therefore, it is in your best interest to specify in the contract that the field will be turned over to the owner immediately after planting and that the fertilization, irrigation, mowing and other maintenance activities during the growing phase will be the owners responsibility. As the owner, you will of course have to work with the contractor to schedule your work activities around on-going work activities such as construction of the track or grand stands, however, this is a small price to pay to be sure that the field gets the proper attention that it needs. Instead of just spreading a bag of triple 13 fertilizer out each month, you can have a soil fertility test run and fertilize the grass properly. Similarly, you can irrigate the field frequently when the newly planted sprigs or seedlings require it and then back off of the irrigation schedule as the turf matures. Instead of mowing the turf once a week when the grass is ankle high, it can be cut more frequently to develop a dense stand of turf. Depending on local conditions and timing, you may also want or need to do a ore aerification prior to its first use, particularly if the field was solid sodded. Another side benefit of handling the grow-in as an in-house project is that it will reduce the construction cost and save dollars that can be better spent on installing an adequate subsurface drainage system, a better quality irrigation system, or a slightly deeper root zone. However, for this to work, someone already on the maintenance staff must possess the knowledge and experience to effectively manage the field during the grow-in phase. Summary With proper planning and care it is possible to build low cost sports fields for general use. While not having the quality of a high profile spectator type stadium field, low costs sports fields can de designed to provide acceptable natural turf playing surfaces for athletes of all ages and skill levels. Key ingredients to making good quality, low cost sports field that perform well include the following: 1. Early planning to insure that the design and specifications are correct and complete. 2. Insure adequate surface and subsurface drainage. 3. Know the quality of your irrigation water and how it may affect the soil and turf. 4. Careful soil and /or soil amendment selection. 5. Use a qualified and experienced contractor or sub-contractor for field construction. 6. Install a good quality automatic irrigation system with a high coefficient of uniformity. 7. Consider managing the turf grow-in as an in-house project using in-house expertise.

These 7 items listed above compose the complete recipe for successful construction of sports fields on restricted budgets. Follow each step of the recipe carefully to get the best fields possible for your time, efforts, and money.