Organic matter accumulation in the top cou- cided that the...

SportsTurf 21www.stma.org

Organic matter accumulation in the top cou-ple inches of the surface can begin to act likesilt and clog the macropores that conduct airand drainage water.

Tom Serensits, manager of Penn State’sSports Surface Research Center, has done sig-nificant work using Primo on these sand-based fields. His research showed that ifPrimo is applied all growing season stoppingsometime in early August, that a field can ex-perience as much as a 20% reduction in div-oting into November. You can watch a videoof Tom’s work by going to ssrc.psu.edu and se-lecting ‘SportsTurfScoop’ in the left handmenu.

Using all of these techniques often isn’tenough to allow the turf manager to maintaina consistent turf stand. Thus all but a handfulof natural grass NFL stadia resod at least 1.5times per year and as many as four times peryear, bermudagrass fields included. We havebeen working with sod companies to improvethe quality of their sod for these in-seasonresod jobs. This has truly become a science.The team is on the road next week, so it is de-

cided that the old sod will be stripped, newsod will be harvested and laid, and a game willbe played on it 10 days later. Many of thetechniques suggested above are employed inthe sod field, before harvesting, to reduce thedivot potential of newly laid sod.

Kentucky bluegrass cultivar selection isalso a factor. Personally, I believe that Ken-tucky blue breeding is moving away fromwhat sports fields need. I believe that thecultivars we used 20 years ago were moredivot resistant than the cultivars today. Weare looking for aggressive rhizome produc-ers and typically those cultivars are poorseed producers and have been abandonedby growers in Oregon due to the low yieldsper acre during seed production. Whiletoday’s cultivars are more attractive andmore disease resistant, they are also moreprone to divoting. We have begun to playwith some old cultivars to determine theirdivot resistance and see if selections can bemade in order to breed grasses specificallyfor these high-end sand-based fields.

Evan Mascitte, an MS candidate working

in our project, has decided to seriously inves-tigate the preharvest conditioning of sod tobe used for in-season resodding. We’ll be re-porting on that work in another issue.

And remember: some of the best, in anybusiness, are so good they make their jobslook easy, when in reality they are hard-work-ing professionals performing well. n

Dr. McNitt has been with The PennsylvaniaState University for 30 years. Presently he is Di-rector of Penn State’s Center for Sports SurfaceResearch (ssrc.psu.edu) where he conducts re-search relating to athletic field surface character-ization and golf green construction andmaintenance. Dr. McNitt is also the ProgramCoordinator for the 4-year turfgrass sciencemajor and the Basic & Advanced Certificate aswell as the Associate, Bachelors, and Masters ofProfessional Studies Programs offered throughPenn State’s World Campus Online Learning.In 2010 he was inducted into Penn State Uni-versity’s College of Agricultural Sciences Acad-emy of Teaching Excellence.

MARTIN KAUFMAN, CSFMTurf Managers LLCNashville, TN

Efficient and successful fieldand logo painting begins with: 1.Preparation; 2. Planning; 3. Obser-vation; and 4. Focus (& doublecheck).

The worst painting disaster Ihave been a part of is painting a 30yard line from the west side of afootball field to the 31 yard line onthe east side of the field, letting itdry and not discovering the prob-lem until I was painting hashmarks on the east sideline. Thisgame was on TV too.

ALLISON MOYERGrounds ManagerCollegiate School,Richmond, VA

Pre-paint by planning out onpaper what needs to bepainted. The colors needed, meas-urements of the logo and overalllook of the project

Timing is crucial in getting agood logo. Give yourself plenty of

time to complete the logo. Also,make sure you paint it in enoughtime for it to completely dry be-fore players arrive. Check withcoaches and find outpractice/game schedules beforeyou start. Wet paint on a field doesnot mix well with people walkingall over it!

Equipment. Always checkyour equipment before beginning.Check rollers, paint, strings, &tapes are good and usable.

Patience. Don’t get frus-trated. It takes time to createa logo. Things will always turn outbetter if you do not get frustrated

On the coldest night of theyear, I painted an Arena Footballfield on an outdoor regular foot-ball field. It happened to be a syn-thetic field that had that needed tobe painted with embedded regularfootball hashes, numbers, &lines. After much discussion, thecomplex made the decision topaint the embedded hashes, num-bers, & lines with green paint tocover them up and then repaint

the correct lines for arena foot-ball. We tried to get a green asclose as possible but in the end itlooked tacky.

BILL CONNELLField OperationsBuffalo Bills

First, all equipment is in goodworking order (cleaned after lastuse, properly tuned, all parts, spraytips, etc., inspected.

Second, check weather, teamschedule or any other source of dis-ruption that would prevent thegoals of the task from getting done.

Third, get proper amount ofpaint ready to go: mixing, cutting,and filtering.

Fourth, start job and be neatand precise. Don’t get lazy orsloppy; be consistent from start tofinish.

My worst painting disaster waspainting the numbers college dis-tance from the sideline (21 ft), notthe professional distance (36 ft)from bottom of the template. I hadto dye out wrong numbers during

the night. This was a practice field,but a disaster to me none the less!

RYAN NEWMANDirector of Athletic GroundsUniversity of ColoradoAthletics

First factor for successful andefficient painting is monitoring theweather. Try to get ahead of fore-casted precipitation to make surethe paint dries before it rains. Ifyou can avoid painting in windyconditions, this will minimize theamount of drift you have. Also, asthe season progresses, we get coldertemperatures and shorter days, sowe start the painting earlier to en-sure the paint dries in time.

The second factor, and proba-bly the most important, is having aknowledgeable crew; they need toknow proper field dimensions,painting equipment operation, andbe on the same page with one an-other. There is a lot of teamworkinvolved in painting; mostprocesses involve multiple teammembers so knowing what theother guy is doing and when he isgoing to do it and vice versa willeliminate most mistakes.

The last one is using qualitypaint and reliable painting equip-ment, and making sure the paint ismixed properly andconsistently. Taking care of yourpainting equipment by properlycleaning it when finished will en-sure reliability and functionality.

The worst painting disaster I’veseen was when I was a student atIowa State. We had a stand aloneunit in the back of a cart and weremoving from one end zone to an-other along the perimeter. We didnot wind up the hose for thepainter, we were just pulling it be-hind the cart. We made the turnat the corner and the hose snaggedthe nail holding the sideline stringand it jerked the paint and painterright out of the back of thecart. The other one I witnessed; wehad the painter in the back of atruck heading to one of our facili-

22 SportsTurf | July 2013 www.sportsturfonline.com

Field painting tips & disaster storiesWhat 3-4 factors do you consider most important for efficient and successful field and logo painting?

What is the worst painting disaster you’ve ever been involved with or seen happen?

Facility&Operations


ties when the tailgate came down and the painter fell out at about 35mph. The handle bars were bent a little, but it started up on the first pulland we painted the soccer field with it.

ABBY MCNEAL, CSFMDirector of Turf ManagementWake Forest Athletics

Make a good “game plan” for painting by setting the pathway to getthings done with the group; this keeps everyone on the same page so theyshould know what comes next in the process to best be prepared in casethings occur.

Have a clear understanding of the layout and/or the logo and take pic-tures of the logo and field measurements with you into the field to ensurethat you put it in the correct location. The picture also helps to make surethat you paint the logo correctly. Field layout information also helps tomake sure you have all the correct markings for that particular sport.

Make sure that you have towels and water as paint spills happen andyou will need to be prepared to clean them up.Take extra string, nails, and tape measures of varying lengths to help makesure you layout the field or logo correctly.

Take a picture of the final product to be proud and to learn from inthe future (teaching tool).

Worst painting disaster I have seen is an NFL field with the arrows onthe wrong side of the numbers. I won’t say which one but it was about 15years ago.

Worst painting disaster I was a part of occurred when paint was spilledonto synthetic turf and the employee flooded/washed the spill are withwater. The waste water, diluted white water, washed into a local streamand was reported. We then had to provide information (MSDS and la-bels) to the fire department and environmental police. The employee didthe proper thing by washing the spill out, just a lesson learned to know re-member where things drain too. The fire department flooded the areawith more water to help the situation.

BRETT TANNER, CSFMSports Turf TechnicianUniversity of Virginia

Use a clean and dependable painter. A good paint job starts withgood equipment. Consistent cleaning and maintenance of your paintmachine will help guarantee its performance when called upon. It’s alsogood to have a backup plan as well, aerosol, 4 inch rollers, or evenchalk if needed.

Understand and communicate what is being done and expectations. Itry to gather everyone who will be involved during the painting processand go over the steps and the order in which we’ll complete each one. Ialso print out diagrams of the field being painted including field measure-ments and colors of logos.

I always want to make sure we have enough time to ensure we take allthe steps to provide the highest quality product possible. It also helps inthe event of inclement weather, equipment problems, or reduced staffing.

I think I’ve been fortunate, if you’re prepared and organized I feelthat you can avoid most mistakes. Some of the “disasters” I have beeninvolved with the occasional upside down 3, an arrow pointed thewrong way, or stencil burn from marking a logo in the afternoon on ahot day. You learn from those mistakes and take the appropriate stepsto avoid them the next time.

KEVIN WHITEAthletic Grounds LeadSeattle University

1. Be prepared; make sure you have everything you need and it isready to go before you start painting.

2. Pay attention to the radar (weather forecasts in Seattle are not al-ways accurate!)

3. Double check the layout from the stands (or higher vantage point)just to make sure everything looks right.

4. Clean-up is just as important as setup!My worst disaster happened a couple of years ago during our men’s

soccer home opener against the University of Washington. We had justpurchased a new airless sprayer and wanted to use it for the first time topaint the field. Our men’s and women’s teams use our field for trainingand games, and because of scheduling we paint before each game so thelines are bright and crisp. We set up the sprayer and ran water through itthe day before and thought we were good to go, but for some reason wecouldn’t get paint to come out of the tip on this day. We discovered wewere missing the tip seal, but didn’t have a spare and were running out oftime. I managed to find an old aerosol sprayer and enough cans to at leastput lines on the field (so I thought). Half way down one side, the cablebreaks on the handle...I have 30 minutes left before the game kicks off,and I still need to paint AND wind up string. Needless to say, we nowhave spare everything, including a functioning aerosol sprayer and paintas a backup. n


Gridiron maintenancechallenges within the SEC two natural grass practice fields, and one

indoor artificial turf field. Tifwaybermudagrass is the turf of choice and allfields are overseeded in the fall with peren-nial ryegrass to maintain playability andaesthetics throughout the winter. Depend-ing on the time of year, mowing heightsrange from 5/8” to 7/8”. For the majorityof the summer, height of cut is at 3/4”andfields are mowed six days per week. Fertil-ity requirements are met with a combina-tion of slow release, polymer coatedproducts and supplemented with quick re-lease, soluble sources as needed. Summersare spent frequently core aerifying to allevi-ate compaction, remove logo paint, andslow organic matter accumulation.

THE NEED FOR QUALITY TURF YEAR-ROUND

As with other schools in the SEC, re-cruiting has become a year-round processat Auburn, creating the need for pristineathletic fields 365 days a year. The turf

Meeting the ever-changing Maintenance needs of col-lege athletic fields must begin with a winning team of turfgrass managers. Thegrounds crew at Auburn University is well rounded with turfgrass managementand horticulture graduates as well as former athletes who know how an athleticfield should perform. The crew of seven full-time employees and six studentsis responsible for maintaining 15 acres of athletic fields, a 23-acre golf practicefacility, and the landscaping around the athletic facilities. Directed by a grad-uate (BS and MS) of the Auburn Turfgrass program, Eric Kleypas, the crewfully understands the importance of football in the South, and especially inthe Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Facility&Operations | By Eric T. Kleypas and Philipe C. F. Aldahir

MOWING at Jordan Hare Stadium.

With some of the best athletes in thecountry, delivering a safe and playable fieldis a must. Also it is important to keep thefields looking in excellent shape, as they areexposed to tens of thousands of live viewersand millions of eyes through TV coverageon Saturdays in the fall. And it doesn’t endthere: with a fierce recruiting race for the

best players, it is important to keep thefields in excellent shape year-round. Addspecial events to the mix, and maintainingfields in the SEC can become extremelychallenging.

Facilities used by the Auburn footballteam include natural grass at Jordan HareStadium, with a capacity of 87,451 fans,


crew has been asked to transition from perennial ryegrass tobermudagrass in the spring/early summer while keeping the fieldsgame ready for recruiting visits and summer camps.

Southern sports turf managers know and have been told bymany experts that in order to maximize the health of bermudagrass,timely removal of the ryegrass in early spring is essential. Denseryegrass stands can suppress bermudagrass growth and reduce de-velopment throughout the summer. Thus applying an herbicide isthe most assured way to control the perennial ryegrass and encour-age bermudagrass development. The problem with chemical re-moval is that we normally observe a 3 to 6 week period of lowquality turf between perennial ryegrass death and bermudagrass de-velopment. Low quality turf is seen as a negative for recruiting.

The Auburn grounds crew has reached out to major leaguebaseball groundskeepers to learn how they manage transitioningin the middle of a baseball season without using chemicals. Aftermany conversations, the decision has been made use lower mow-ing heights, grooming, aerification, and soluble nitrogen to favorbermudagrass growth without a massive die-out of ryegrass.Mowing height is gradually reduced from 7/8” to 5/8”. Verticalmowing occurs every other week as a groomer to remove ryegrassleaves and allow sunlight to reach the bermudagrass. Core aerifi-cation further thins the ryegrass canopy and increases sunlightinto the soil surface. Light, frequent applications of soluble Nsupplement a slow release polymer coated urea application to

favor bermudagrass growth.The needs of recruiting make the effort to minimize the time

frame of visible grow-in necessary. If unsuccessful, the final optionwould be to re-sod the football fields each spring for an instanttransition.

MANAGING SHADE ISSUESRecently, the Auburn grounds crew inherited a new challenge in

turf management. Completion of an indoor football facility cre-ated instant shade issues on the outdoor fields. Building the indoorfield on the south end of the football complex allows the athletes towalk straight from the weight room to the field without going out-doors. While convenient for the football team, the indoor facility is

THE SHADE LINE created by construction of indoorpractice facility on outdoor practice fields.


Facility&Operations

not so convenient for maintaining the natural grass fields located tothe north and west of the building. To make things even more inter-esting, the practice field to the west of the indoor facility also has atree line on the opposite side of the field creating morning shade bythe building and afternoon shade by the trees.

Irrigation zones are designed so that areas of adequate sunlight canbe watered differently than shaded areas. Due to the angle of the sun,shade lines extend the farthest onto the fields in the winter and resultin a poor stand of bermudagrass each spring. To determine the beststrategies and/or bermudagrass variety for maintaining turf in theshade, the grounds crew has turned to the Auburn University Turf-grass Program for help. Auburn graduate student, Philipe Aldahir, isworking on his second year of a research project testing bermudagrassvarieties under different levels of shade, traffic, and overseeding to de-termine the best fit for the football practicefields at Auburn.

MORE HAPPENING ON THE FIELDS

For collegiate level turfgrass managers,the saying goes that “everything you see atthe professional level will eventually trickledownhill.” While game days are still thefirst priority, college football stadiums haveevolved into multi-use facilities. At Auburn,the turf crew has witnessed several addi-tional events at Jordan Hare Stadium. Thefield has been the venue for concerts, grad-

uation ceremonies, autograph sessions, a finish line for 10K andhalf-marathon races, movie nights, television commercials, highschool playoff games, and most recently, Café Jordan Hare.

For the 2012 football season, fans were allowed to attend threeFriday night gourmet dinners on the field before the Saturdayhome game. The setup included tables, chairs, leather couches,serving lines, bars, grills, a jazz band, and the kitchen sink. Therestaurant was purposefully set up on the home team sideline toallow turf damage to be covered by the sideline tarp each Saturday.The main challenge was moving all the furniture and food withoutdamaging the turf. The turf crew started painting the field earlierin the week so that all paint was dry by lunch for the Fridayrestaurant setup. Irrigation was also adjusted to prevent rutting theturf while moving furniture for the dinner. Designs have been pro-

BEAUTY SHOT of Jordan Hare Stadium, home of the Auburn Tigers.

Left: CAFÉ JORDAN HARE, serving Friday nights before Tiger home games! Right: CELEBRATINGAUBURN’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in 2010.


duced to install a roadway around the field to simplify settingup for Café Jordan Hare, as well as setting up the sideline equip-ment on game days.

COLLABORATING WITH TURFGRASS TEACHING PROGRAM

With increased events and new challenges each year, how doesthe Auburn grounds crew stay ahead of the game? Well, having aturf management program right down the road doesn’t hurt. Asmentioned, the athletic department has partnered with the turf pro-gram to develop research projects to help answer the challenges ofmaintaining athletic fields. The first project was to determine thebest bermudagrass variety for shade tolerance that can handle ath-letic traffic. Future projects may include seedhead control of thebermudagrass varieties sold as shade tolerant grasses, infield skin re-search, and the relationship of spring moisture on bermudagrasstransition.

Over the years, networking and discussing ideas with turf pro-fessors has developed into an extremely valuable relationship.Whether the crew is properly indentifying a turf problem, re-searching new products on the market, or questioning a manage-ment practice, the Auburn professors are eager to help.

The most exciting benefit of Auburn’s turf management pro-gram has been working with the students. Each year, six turf stu-dents work with the grounds crew to gain experience with routinemaintenance procedures, game preparations, and working specialevents. Students provide much appreciated help to the full-timemembers of the grounds crew. In return, the students are able togain valuable experience and transfer knowledge from the class-room onto the athletic fields at Auburn.

Recently, the Auburn crew has concentrated on placing theturf students in professional level internships. Relationships estab-lished among professional level groundskeepers have benefittedboth the students and the full time members of the turf crew. Thegoal is for Auburn turf graduates to obtain desirable jobs withinthe sports turf profession and, in turn, create a beneficial network-ing community between the Auburn University grounds crew andformer students.

For the turf crew at Auburn University, each year seems tobring new challenges. Networking has become a crucial skill toprevent mistakes when special events occur on the football fields.As bizarre as some of the events appear, someone else in the sportsturf profession has faced something similar and can offer valuabletips to ensure success. In today’s era of recruiting, any opportunityto promote your brand must be explored. Marketing strategies tomaximize the fan experience will only bring more events onto thegridirons of the SEC. Turfgrass managers must take a proactive ap-proach and communicate effectively to meet each challenge, whilenever compromising the safety and playability of the playing sur-face. n

Eric T. Kleypas is Director of Athletic Turfgrass, Auburn Univer-sity; Philipe C. F. Aldahir, is a graduate research assistant in the De-partment of Agronomy and Soils.


Facility&Operations

RECENTLY the SyntheticTurf Council (STC) pub-lished its “SuggestedGuidelines for the Mainte-nance of Infilled Synthetic

Turf Surfaces.” The STC says routinemaintenance, along with periodic in-tense maintenance, is essential to thelife and performance of infilled syn-thetic turf. This maintenance manualprovides owners and end-users with away to realistically evaluate the main-tenance recommendations for a syn-thetic turf surface, based on itsintended use. To access the entiredocument, visit www.syntheticturfcouncil.org.

The STC says there are four keyareas that drive the need for objec-tive synthetic turf maintenanceguidelines:

• Maximize the appearanceand longevity of your syntheticturf. Improperly maintainedfields will degrade faster andcompromise playing conditions.

• Ensure maximum per-formance and playability.Proper maintenance is essentialfor the performance and quality of any syn-thetic turf system. Through a combinationof regular maintenance and performancetesting, it is possible to track the syntheticsports field’s performance and anticipatethe end of its useful life.

• Address field usage topics and specialcircumstances. Factors such as age, hours ofuse, type of use, climate, contaminationand other situations impact the perform-ance of the synthetic turf.

• Meet your field’s warranty require-ments. While a maintenance regimen cansupport the requirements of a warranty, thedetails of a maintenance plan should becarefully reviewed with the field builder toassure that it complies with and does not

void any provisions of thewarranty.

The information providedhere focuses on infilled syn-thetic turf systems designedfor sports fields. Please notethat here a “field builder” isdefined as the company havingprimary responsibility for in-stalling the synthetic turf sportsfield, either directly or indirectlythrough a subcontractor or dis-tributor, and providing the over-all warranty for the installationand the field materials.

A field owner should take thefollowing approach toward main-tenance:

BEFORE YOURPURCHASE

• Understand that no syntheticturf system is “maintenance free”.

• Obtain the field builder’s war-ranty and maintenance guidelines. Askquestions to understand the implica-tions and requirements of each through-out the useful life of the synthetic turf.

• Discuss the anticipated usage ofyour field with your field builder. Ob-tain a maintenance plan that is designed

for your field and its planned usage.• Include in your purchase specific

maintenance equipment, extra infill and re-pair materials (extra synthetic turf, seamingtape and glue).

• For synthetic turf fields with an irriga-tion system, consult an irrigation specialistto ensure that the system will not cause thefield to become over�saturated when irri-gated. Only potable water should be usedfor irrigation.

• Design and locate the field to avoidcontamination from adjacent areas.

• Ensure player walkways to the field areclean, and install a brush mat at the en-

Maintenance & performanceguidelines for synthetic turf fields

Address fieldusage topics andspecial circum-stances. Factors

such as age, hoursof use, type of use,climate, contamina-

tion and othersituations impact theperformance of the

synthetic turf.

BAG OF DEBRIS collected from the playing surface at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis.


trance. Where necessary, cross over coverscan be used for player entry onto the field.

• Consider installing paved areas aroundthe field to prevent contamination fromnearby vegetation, spectators, maintenancevehicle tires, etc.

• If possible, locate the field away fromsources of airborne pollutants, flood plains,and other problematic situations.

• Ensure that all surrounding surfacewater is directed away from the field.

• Understand who will perform the ongo-ing maintenance, including repairs and infillreplacement, and its cost throughout the use-ful life of the field. The maintenance can beperformed by the field owner with its ownequipment and personnel, or outsourced toeither a qualified maintenance firm or thefield builder. If a third-party maintenancefirm is to be engaged, make sure it is pre-ap-proved by the field builder and it agrees tomaintain your desired performance criteria.

• The field builder should confirm inwriting before any maintenance work is per-formed on the field that the ongoing mainte-nance program, service provider, andmaintenance equipment are acceptable, com-ply with and will not void any warranty pro-visions.

ACCEPTING YOUR NEW FIELDField owner personnel should be trained

on the synthetic turf warranty, the fieldbuilder’s maintenance guidelines and theseSTC Maintenance Guidelines. Trainingshould include information about the spe-cific components and materials of the in-stalled system, the proper use of thesynthetic turf maintenance equipment youwill be operating, and the steps to ensurethat optimal benefits are obtained whilesatisfying warranty requirements.

After a period of several months of ini-tial use of the field and rainfall, the infillmaterial will settle into the synthetic turf.During this period, more frequent brushingmay be advised by your field builder. Oncesettling occurs, check the infill depth forconsistency around the field and to ensureit is within the field builder’s guidelines.

Conduct any on-site field testing by arecognized third-party lab that may havebeen specified during the purchase or bidprocess to determine if the field meets de-

sired performance criteria. This will helpbenchmark the performance characteristicsof the field when it is new against test re-sults taken throughout its useful life.

PROTECTING YOUR FIELD• Establish signage and local rules for

the use of the field to avoid field contami-nation and damage.

• If the field is in a flood plain, cover itwhen the threat of flooding exists with aspecialized tarp designed to limit silt anddebris from contaminating the field surface.

• Encourage coaches and players to ro-tate activities to different sections of thefield to prevent high wear areas.

• Provide trash and litter containers onsite and make sure there are enough con-tainers to eliminate overflow.

• Route field access traffic in such a wayas to minimize the tracking of mud anddirt onto the field.

• Set up drinks for players during prac-tice breaks off of the field, if possible.

• Do not perform any maintenance orother activity that may invalidate the war-ranty.

• Report any field damage to the fieldbuilder immediately. Damages need to beimmediately repaired to avoid an escalatingproblem.

• Plan to perform the maintenance rec-ommended by your field builder. In termsof time, you should budget 1 hour of in-spection and maintenance for every 10hours of playing time.

• Ensure a maintenance and activity logis maintained. This is often required by thewarranty. It is important that each andevery maintenance operation, no matterhow minor, be recorded in the log.

Please ask your field builder for a form,but in general, the following informationshould be logged: type of Activity duringweek; estimated number of hours used dur-ing week; average number of participantsper hour; type of maintenance activity per-formed; remarks/notes; and signature ofmaintenance supervisor

ONGOING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

• The basic components of effective,routine maintenance are to:

• Conduct inspections and performminor repairs to avoid playing hazards.

• Keep the playing surface clean and freeof debris and contaminants.

• Check and maintain proper infill levelsto provide a consistent surface.

• Brush the surface to preserve appear-ance, keep grass fibers upright, and main-tain even infill levels, making sure to useonly approved bristles that will not overlyabrade the fibers.

• Maintain a maintenance and activitylog.

A maintenance person should walk thefield daily and conduct more detailed in-spections according to your field builder’srecommended schedule. To avoid perma-nent damage to your synthetic turf or safetyhazards, check regularly for and addresssuch critical items as foreign debris, low in-fill levels, open seams, etc. Pay special at-tention to the most heavily used areas, suchas midfield, goal mouths, corner kick areas,etc. Add new infill or redistribute migratedinfill, where necessary, to the recommendeddepth. Look for foreign debris or contami-nation.

Check seams and joints where panels orany field markings are joined together.Open joints can create a tripping hazardand should be immediately repaired. Anopen joint of 12 inches in length or lessmay not be an indication of seam failure.Discuss with your field builder in advancefor self repair techniques and if self-repairsare recommended. Note that open joints ofgreater than 12 inches in length should bereported to and reviewed with your fieldbuilder. Note any deteriorating grass fiberor infill conditions, visual or excess wearconcerns, drainage concerns, performanceconcerns, etc. and report them to your fieldbuilder.

KEEP THE PLAYING SURFACE CLEAN

• Remove all waste items regularly.Sweepers can assist in this process. Everyloose foreign object, no matter how small,can damage your field by abrading the grassfibers and/or contaminating the infill.

• Remove airborne contaminants, suchas leaves and other debris. If allowed to re-main on the surface for any length of time,


Facility&Operations

they will migrate into the system, inhibitingdrainage and causing infill compaction.Consider covering the field with pre-ap-proved tarp when it is not in use.

• Remove organic material, includinganimal waste, as soon as possible to impedethe growth of algae, weed or moss growth.Leafy trees should not be located next to afield, if possible. Brushing will help deterorganic growth, as will the use of approvedfungicides and anti-bacterial treatments.

• Don’t allow food, sodas, chewing gum,sunflower seeds, chewing tobacco, smoking,etc. on the field.

• Do not use cleaning chemicals con-taining alcohol or acetone solvents. Chemi-cals should not be used without consultingwith your field builder. Take care to avoidspilling any petroleum-based liquids includ-ing fuel onto the surface.

MAINTAIN PROPER INFILL LEVELS

The proper amount of infill is vital tothe performance of the field. Infill also pro-tects the grass fibers from damage, andhelps keep them upright. Ask your fieldbuilder for the recommended infill levels.Be aware that:

• High use areas are prone to greater in-fill displacement.

• Brushing, drag mats, and proper rakescan help redistribute infill evenly.

• Infill may accumulate at the edges of a

field. If so, clean the material prior tobrushing back into the main field.

• Replacement infill should meet thefield builder’s specifications.

• Using an infill depth gauge or a nailand tape measure on a grid pattern is thepreferred way to measure infill depth andconsistency.

GROOM THE SURFACERegular brushing is an important func-

tion that must not be overlooked or neg-lected. Brushing helps to maintain uniforminfill levels, keep the grass fibers upright, re-move debris, and improve the field appear-ance.

Conversely, the flattening of grass fiberscan create a possible acceleration of wear aswell as reduced field performance. Whilegrooming, inspect the field for unsafe con-ditions. Use a static brush for general infillleveling and to stand up the grass fibers. Amechanical sweeper or other specialty syn-thetic turf cleaning equipment should beused to remove surface debris. Do not usemaintenance equipment before receivingproper use and safety training. Use onlyequipment and vehicles that are approvedby the field builder. Use only synthetic fiberbristles of recommended stiffness. Do notuse metal or wire bristles. Do not use 6-wheel vehicles.

Using an average all-purpose vehicle,brushing a standard sized multi-purposefield takes about an hour. The vehicle speedshould be low and sharp turns must beavoided. It is most effective to brush thesurface when it is dry. The high-wear areaswill require additional attention as thesezones will obviously have the most dis-rupted infill and pile flattening due to theintensity of play.

The surface should be brushed in anumber of directions, alternating the direc-tion in consecutive activities, but generallyin the direction of the individual panels toavoid crossing over the main seams. On dif-ferent days, start at different locations so asto alternate the brushing direction for eachpanel.

The optimum brush height setting willdepend on the model and type of equip-ment. Do not set the brush so low that itdigs into the turf pile or backing. Too low asetting can damage the turf, the seams and

disturb the infill. Ask your field builder forthe recommended grooming frequency. Ingeneral, the frequency will be related to theintensity of use; however, excessive brushingcan cause fiber damage which over time willcompromise the field’s performance charac-teristics and longevity.

COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE: SEMI-ANNUAL TO ANNUAL

Over a period of time, the following sit-uations may arise which will require theneed for more comprehensive maintenance:grass fibers become significantly bent,creased and flat; the playing surface be-comes hard and compacted. While com-mon to infilled systems, this impacts theplayers and also can create drainage issues.Dirt, debris and metal accumulate on orwithin the system despite routine mainte-nance. Seams become loose or panels shiftcreating a safety hazard. Infill levels becomeuneven, particularly in high wear areas,such as in front of soccer goals. This willimpact player biomechanics and surfaceconsistency, and will provide inadequatesupport of the grass fibers. When these situ-ations or other concerns arise, contact thefield builder and/or a third-party mainte-nance contractor approved by the fieldbuilder.

Comprehensive maintenance generallyincludes the use of specialty maintenanceequipment by trained maintenance profes-sionals. Depending upon the situation, thefollowing actions may be performed:

Professional field inspection and cor-rective action. Assess the field surface, espe-cially heavy wear areas, identify weak orloose seams and inlays, and repair the dam-age. Sport performance testing may also bedesirable.

Decompaction of infill. Infill decom-paction is important for improving shockabsorption and synthetic turf drainage. Useonly equipment specially designed to de-compact and create loft in infilled syntheticturf systems.

Redistribution and leveling of the in-fill. Measure infill depth on a grid pattern,and add and level infill as needed to returnthe surface to the field builder’s specifica-tions.

Deep Cleaning. Use special equipment

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