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MAINTENANCE OF NATURAL GRASS FIELDS - SUMMARY

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Considerations for Design

Maintenance Items

Drainage & Irrigation system

SOD Suppliers & Grass Selection

• Natural Grass will cost anywhere from $50,000.00 to $600,000.00 depending on material selection and field drainage options.

Sources:

(TRC) Turf Grass Resource Center

(STMA) Sports Turf Managers Association

Natural Grass Installation Cost

SOD Type Selection

Kentucky Bluegrass

Perennial Ryegrass

Tall Fescue6 sports

turf types

12 turfgrass

types

3 Suited for North East US

10,000 species

of grass

3 Sports Turfgrasses Commonly Used in Northeast

▪ Good Wear Resistance

▪ Fair Recuperative Potential

▪ Overall Medium Quality

Good Wear Resistance

Medium Recuperative Potential

Overall Good Quality

Perennial Ryegrass- Cincinnati Reds Ball Park

Kentucky Bluegrass- Yankee Stadium & Citi Field & 17 Others

Tall Fescue- Used as a mixing agent

Medium-Good Wear Resistance

Good Recuperative Potential

▪ Overall Good Quality

Kentucky Blue Grass Fields in MLB

• Yankee Stadium

• Citi Field

• Camden Yards

• Fenway Park

• Wrigley Field

• & 12 other MLB teams

REQUIRED MAINTAINANCE EQUIPMENT FOR NATURAL GRASS FIELDS

• Mower

• Irrigation System

• Seed/Fertilizer Spreader

• Weed and Pest Control Application Equipment

• Line Painter

• Tractor or Utility Vehicle

• Aerator: core, plug, or slicing type

• Aeration core collection equipment

• Field Magnet

• G-Max Testing Instrument

OPTIONAL MAINTAINANCE EQUIPMENT (CON’T)

• Blower and/or Sweeper

• Deep Tine Aerator

• De-Thatching Equipment

• Groove or Slit Seeder

• Top Dresser

• Field Roller

• Dragging Implement

Cost of Equipment

Source: SafeHealthyPlayingFields.org

Aeration Schedule

• Aeration should be performed twice a year in Early spring and late fall

• Fields should be sliced mid season to allow for over-seeding and for compaction

• Aeration also provides oxygen to root level of the grass

• Aeration should be combined with over-seeding and fertilization

• Core Aeration adds sand to improve drainage of the field

Signs of compacted soil and thinning

grass.

Mowing

Never mow more than 1/3 the total height of the grass blades

• Help Promote Deep Root Growth

• Reduces Clippings

Sharpen Blades

• Dull Blades tear the grass instead of cutting it.

• Sharpen Blades Bi-weekly (Depending on Usage)

• Keep a spare sharpened blade

Change mowing direction

Bag grass clipping if grass becomes too long

Fertilization Selection: Organic vs. Synthetic Fertilizers

Organic Fertilizers

• Benefits:

• Provides the soil and plants with nutrients/enriches the soil

• Helps improve the soils ability to hold water

• Environmentally friendly

• Hard to over fertilize

• Drawbacks:

• Its a process not an application

• Need warmth and moisture to work

• Requires more labor to apply

• Nutrient ratios cannot be guaranteed

Chemical Fertilizers

• Benefits:

• Fast-acting formula

• Can be applied quickly to large areas

• Allows for adjusting ratios of nutrient levels based on need

• Less expensive than organic

• Drawbacks:

• Can deplete the nutrients from the soil

• Can require multiple applications

• Potential buildup of chemicals

• Can leach into other areas

• Need License for certain applications

Irrigation System for 85,000 SF Field

Irrigation System cost depends on the type system you are employing. Each system requires a different level of labor associated with the system.

• Portable Sprinkler: $500-$2,000; Labor Intensive

• Small Traveling Systems: $2,000 + piping & hose

• Large Traveling System: $7,000-$16,000 + piping & hose (Traveling Systems are less labor intensive)

• Hard Piped (Permanent in-ground system): $35,000-$55,000 per field (little labor required)

Sprinkler

Sm. Trav. Sys. Hard PipedLrg. Traveling System

Winterizing Maintenance

Thermal blankets are used to speed up germination and promote deep root development. They also establish a greener turf surface in the spring.

Cresskill Municipal Field, Bergen County

Annual Maintenance Cost

Annual Cost:

$34,000-$87,000

Average Cost:

$61,850

Annual Maintenance Cost For Natural Grass

Fields

Line Painting $2,000-$3,000 Avg $2,500

Seeding/Over-Seeding $1,000-$3,000 Avg $2,000

Sanding $500-$1200 Avg $850

Fertilizers

(6 Treatments/Year)

$3,000

Pesticides $1,000

Aeration $1,500

Sod replacement $15,000-$50,000 Avg $33K

Irrigation $10,000-$25,000 Avg $18K

Outsourcing Maintenance of Grass Fields

• Each field is unique and will require individual pricing based on soil conditions, field type, area and maintenance schedule. Maintenance contracts are often provided by the installer of the natural grass field.

Typical Maintenance Schedule of Grass Fields

A M J J A S O N

Fertilization X X

Aeration X X X X X

Top Dress X

Over-Seed X X

Mowing X X X X X X X X

Watering X X X X X X

Weed Control X X X

▪ Weather, rain, snow, and drought have an impact and plays a role in the life-expectancy of the fields.

▪ Limit Use, Maintenance Program, Down Time – Extends the Life Expectancy of the Field

SYNTHETIC TURF FIELDS

SYNTHETIC TURF FIELDS

Outdoor Parks (Oakwood Park)

New Providence, NJ

Stadiums (MetLife Stadium)

East Rutherford, NJ

Schools (Seton Hall Preparatory School – Kelly Athletic Complex Improvements)

West Orange, NJ

LAYERS OF SYNTHETIC TURF

• Turf Fiber

• Infill

• Backing System

• Energy Pad

• Aggregate Base/Leveling Layer

• Drainage Stone/Drainage Conveyance

• Geotextile

• Gravel/Sand Sub-base

TURF FIBER

• Polyethylene

• Polypropylene

• Nylon

• Dual-polymer fiber – Multi-Layered for durability and resiliency

What: Surface of synthetic turf field made to look like natural grass.

Purpose: Fiber is treated with UV inhibiters and is abrasion-resistant, so that

athletes can slide on the fiber without fear of turf burns.

INFILL

• Crumb Rubber

• Coated Rubber Infill

• EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) Infill

• Organic Infill

• Sand (Silica) Infill

• Coated Silica Sand Infill

• TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) Infill – Non-toxic, resists fading, long lasting,

and 100% recyclable and reusable as infill when the field is to be replaced.

Offers consistent performance and excellent Gmax over a wide temperature range.

What: Serves as a top soil layer, but is created with sand and/or granulated recycled tire

rubber or other infill materials that hold each other in suspension, compress and expand to

provide the necessary stability, uniformity and long life resiliency.

Purpose: To create a safe surface playing field for athletes.

BACKING SYSTEM

• Drainage is designed to allow water to percolate through the backing of the turf and drain through the base layer into the water table.

What: The backing is made of a combination of permeable woven and non-woven polypropylene fabrics.

Purpose: To provide exceptional strength and unmatched vertical drainage.

▪ Duraflo ▪ Polyurethane▪ Polyurethane

Foam

Weep holes – facilitate

drainage

ENERGY/SHOCK PAD

• Polyurethane Pad

What: A shock pad is a middle layer of padding installed between the sub-base layer and the layer of artificial turf. Shock pads are made from different types of foam with varying thicknesses.

Purpose: When combined with high-quality turf and non-compacting infill, shock pads will add comfort to the user, prolong the life of the synthetic turf and add a layer of cushion to prevent injury. Shock pads help turf system to meet specific impact testing requirements. Designed to let water pass vertically. Enhances playability, safety and drainage of synthetic turf fields.

AGGREGATE BASE/LEVELING LAYER

• Compacted gravel stone aggregate base used as a leveling layer, compacted stone dust.

DRAINAGE STONE/DRAINAGE CONVEYANCE

▪ Drainstone

▪ PVC Pipe (perforated)

What: Drainstone is the pervious concrete layer designed to allow water to flow through to base materials.

Purpose: Drainstone serves as the crucial, solid foundation for any synthetic turf field. It allows the field to drain with

ease, remain durable and hold planarity throughout its life. Pipes, typically PVC pipe (perforated) are used as perimeter

drain pipes or a conveyance system to allow the field to drain.

GEOSYNTHETICS/GEOTEXTILE

• Geotextiles are the most widely used geosynthetic.

• Geotextiles made from woven and nonwoven fabrics. Often referred to as constructionfabrics.

• Constructed from long-lasting synthetic fibers that form a fabric held together by weaving,heat bonding, or other means.

• Porous to drain rapidly. Tufted to provide ample spacing between blades of grass.

• Primarily used for separation and reinforcement over wet, unstable soils.

• Supports loads through tensile strength and can allow water, but not soil to seep through.

• Acts like a sand filter by allowing water to move through the soil, while retaining the soilparticles.

• Geotextiles prevent soil from migrating into drainage aggregate or pipes, while maintainingflow through the system.

Nonwoven

NATURAL SUBGRADE

• Subgrade is the native soil under aconstructed surface.

• Sandy soils are preferred over clay soilsto minimize drainage design and overallcost of project.

• Clay soils call for more stone basin.

TYPICAL MAINTENANCE

• Measuring Field Hardness

• Sweeping and Dragging

• Loosening and Redistributing of Infill

• Checking and Replenishing Infill Level

• Vacuum/Leaf Blower

• Minimal Watering

• Snow Removal

• Repairs at Seams (if necessary, typically under warranty)

MEASURING FIELD HARDNESS

• Measured by determining the ‘Gmax’ of the playing surface.

• Gmax refers to the hardness of the surface. The higher thevalue, the harder the surface.

• ASTM F355 device is a tool commonly used to measure Gmax.

• Gmax should be tested at several locations of the field on ayearly basis or more frequent depending on use.

ASTM F355 Device

SWEEPING AND DRAGGING

▪ Sweeping and Dragging – keeps carpet fibers in anupright position. Once per week or once per monthdepending on use.

▪ Magnet Collector – collects nails jewelry, trainer’sequipment or other metals, which could cause harmto athletes during field use.

CHECKING AND REPLENISHING INFILL LEVEL

• Infill depth likely to drop within first year due to “settling in.”

• Monitor infill depth.

• Infill depth measurement device.

• Replenish if infill level is low.

LOOSENING AND REDISTRIBUTING OF INFILL

• Infill depth measurement device reads low

• Redistribute infill and loosen

VACUUM/SURFACE BLOWER

Power Broom/Brush/Sweeper

Surface Blower

Vacuum Sweeper

▪ Debris collection from surface blowing and vacuum sweeper.

MINIMAL WATERING

• Synthetic turf fields absorb more heat than grass

• Watering helps stabilize field temperatures

• The sand/rubber particles in synthetic turf fields are free-floating inthe bottom. The water helps the particles to settle, which makes ballmovement faster.

SNOW REMOVAL

Power Broom/Brush/Sweeper

Snow Blower

Bulldozer / Low Ground Pressure Tracks (recommended)

Winter maintenance includes, but is not limited to the following:

REPAIRS

• Synthetic turf seam ruptures left unattended worsen over time and will result in more repairs to be done.

• Contact manufacturer for repair procedures.

• Maintenance and repair procedures are to be done by the manufacturer or a certified installer by the manufacturer.

• Manufacturer likely to use razor knife to cut base of backing to the synthetic turf and remove the damaged spot.

• Apply adhesive material, seam new patch.

PAINT

• Painting Field

• Removal of Paint/Ghosting

• Reapplying Paint

COST OF SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD

• Differs from project to project depending on size, sports and age of athletes using the

field as there are different requirements.

• Average size of a single synthetic turf field is approximately 85,000 SF.

• Turf system rates approximately $5.00 per SF.

• Drainage system rates approximately $4.50 per SF.

• Average cost of a 85,000 SF synthetic turf field approximately: $800,000 – $850,000.

• Rates likely to increase for smaller fields and use of alternative infills.

MAINTENANCE COSTS

• Minimal maintenance costs are required for synthetic turf fields.

• Most synthetic turf fields are maintained by one person.

• Maintenance cost approximately $5,000 - $10,000 per year.

LIFE EXPECTANCY

• Synthetic turf field’s life expectancy typically ranges from 8 – 12 years.

Synthetic Turf Field Replacement Costs

• Removal costs typically range from $1.00 - $1.25 per SF.

• Recycling of existing infill can be credited on average $0.20 - $0.22 per SF.

• Installation of new synthetic turf approximately $4.50 - $5.00 per SF.

• Synthetic Turf Field Replacement Costs for a 85,000 SF approximately $450,000 – $515,000.

• Synthetic turf fields have a positive impact on the environment – eliminates the need of pesticides, fertilizers and watering.

• Reduces emissions of maintenance equipment, grass clippings and geese problems.

• A typical grass field requires anywhere between 500,000 – 1,000,000 gallons of water or more each year.

• According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American family of four (4) uses 400 gallons of water a day, which equates to 146,000 gallons per year.

IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT