The Importance of Proper Drainage
Whether it’s a kid’s t-ball game or a day at the park for a big-league game, few things are more exciting for athletes and fans than game day. If you’re not using the right drainage system at your facility, you risk taking that joy away from fans and athletes. You need a drain system that stands up to heavy rain and prevents standing water.
Poor drainage presents a variety of problems for sports fields. As a sports field operator, you could be losing thousands of dollars if you have to cancel games. Beyond the immediate financial hit, you risk long-term effects as well if your field develops a reputation of poor performance. If your fields get a reputation as being unplayable and unsafe, teams will certainly look elsewhere to play.
Another reason you should have a drain system that keeps your fields dry is to protect turf conditions. Without proper drainage, natural turf fields can be torn up and left unplayable. Water that is not being moved away from the field leads to settling as well. Baseball diamonds, soccer pitches, and football fields that are uneven affect the quality of the play.
Most importantly, undrained surface water, uneven fields, and chewed-up turf can lead to critical injuries to players. As a sports complex operator, you have to provide the safest playing conditions possible.
Avoiding Drainage Problems
To avoid damage and lost revenue, you should have a drain system that keeps water off your fields and carries the water away to a designated area. Traditional french drains or drain tiles have long been commonly used in the drainage industry, but they come with downsides. French drains are susceptible to clogging and collapsing.
Before installing a perforated pipe or French drain, you should compare them to a high flow strip drain. As you can see, an industry-leading strip drain has a dramatically superior inflow rate compared to perforated pipes and French drains. More water can travel through the surface of the strip drain without being obstructed by silt and soil. This better performing drainage system ensures your field’s playing surface will remain drier and safe. There are several benefits to using strip drains for sports field drainage, including:
- 0% failure rate
- Higher inflow rates
- Clog-resistant construction
- Reduced installation costs
- Reduced installation time
Strip drains can be installed during original construction or retrofitted to improve failing systems.
Additionally, they are an ideal solution for both natural and synthetic turf fields.
Turf Field Drainage Installation
Whether you are retrofitting a current field or building a new field, you can choose how your field drainage system is installed. Using strip drains reduces the cost and time of installation. Our team of product engineers can assist with layout and spacing recommendations for any field design. Installation contractors can install the 135 to 150-foot rolls of Hydraway drainage in just minutes.
Natural Turf Field Installation
New turf field drainage systems can be installed vertically or horizontally, based on which application is most beneficial. Consulting with Hydraway’s engineers helps you determine the best approach for your specific application. After choosing the proper solution, trenches are dug and your drainage system installed. There are several factors that contractors take into consideration when installing a new turf field, including:
- Backfill material
- Trench width
- Grass-type
When improving the drainage at an existing turf field, vertical installation of the system is typically recommended. Retrofit installations require additional considerations, such as:
- Trench depth to avoid disrupting irrigation systems
- The slope of the field
- Spacing and the sports that will be played on that field
- Drainage paths
Synthetic Turf Field Installation
With artificial grass, often referred to as synthetic turf, you get the benefits of not having to maintain the turf, but the drainage can not be overlooked. Proper drainage design provides you with synthetic turf that keeps your field playable no matter the weather.
Avoid field failure due to improper drainage. Quality strip drains require no maintenance compared to conventional systems and provide superior drainage results.
Play Ball With Hydraway Sports Field Drainage
No drainage system matches the inflow rate, durability, strength, and reliability of Hydraway. To learn more about why you should have a drain system by Hydrway installed, reach out today.
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