Facility managers, athletic directors, and others in positions of power at schools must ensure the safety of their athletes. It’s one of their core responsibilities, and one way to meet that need is through the proper installation of effective drainage systems underneath their fields.
Common Drainage Issues
From young children playing their first soccer game to professional athletes trampling a field for 90 minutes, sports fields receive quite a bit of punishment. If a drainage system isn’t capable of eliminating water buildup from a field, a cascade of negative outcomes is virtually inevitable.
When a drainage system isn’t working properly, standing water can build up on top of and even under the surface of a field. Even on a field where no one ever walks, this can cause erosion. On a sports field, excess water poses an almost immediate threat.
Field Damage – When players run over a wet field, particularly in cleats that so many athletes wear, one certainty is that the surface will sustain some sort of damage. This can range from minor problems that are purely aesthetic to expensive repairs. The field could even become unplayable under certain circumstances.
Over time, natural forces like erosion will combine with running athletes to produce an unlevel field. Problems like this often require expensive resurfacing projects and could result in long-term closures.
Player Safety – There is the obvious concern of players simply slipping on wet grass, but the risk of a player injury will steadily increase the longer a drainage problem is left unsolved. Once the problem has progressed to the point where a field is unlevel or is covered in potholes, a player twisting their ankle or worse is a virtual guarantee.
Once players start being injured due to a damaged field, revenue from ticket sales are likely to plummet. All of this can be avoided by using a properly designed, modern drainage system.
Traditional Perforated Pipe Systems
Let’s back up for a minute and explore the history of drainage. Henry Flagg French is known for his development and popularization of the self-titled traditional French drain system in 1859. The simple gravel-filled trench acted as a pathway for water. Later, perforated pipe was invented and laid down inside trenches.
Though more effective than a French drain alone, perforated pipe systems still allow soil and other material to enter the system, causing erosion or clogging. The perforated pipe has been the predominant drainage system for decades. Despite minor evolutions of the technology, drainage has essentially been stagnant for years.
Zero Percent Failure Rate
Hydraway has revolutionized the drainage industry by solving the problems that face traditional drainage systems. With a needle-punctured fabric exterior, Hydraway has a greater inflow rate than a perforated pipe and is entirely clog resistant.
Hydraway even installs easier than a conventional perforated pipe. Generally, coils of pipe are shipped on large spools. Once unrolled, the pipe exhibits coil memory, meaning the ends of the pipe will curl up when rolled out. Even if the ends were removed, the new ends would still curl up. This essentially means that the installation must be delayed until the pipe flattens.
Hydraway doesn’t present any of these problems.
Appropriate for Outdoor Sports of All Kinds
Whenever a high school, university, or professional facility is considering constructing a new sports facility, Hydraway is an ideal drainage solution, regardless of the type of field or court being built.
Football fields, hard tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, and everything in between can benefit from a superior drainage solution. Cost is always a factor when assessing the feasibility of a project like a sports facility, and Hydraway makes the entire process more efficient.
Our extensive network of distributors is located all around the United States and the world, meaning that we’ll be able to efficiently deliver our product wherever it’s needed. Once it’s delivered, Hydraway is easier to install than a traditional perforated pipe system. And, because the risk of failure is basically non-existent, long-term repairs can be removed from your anticipated costs.
We’re happy to come out to the jobsite and assess where Hydraway would be appropriate. Give us a call, explore the rest of our site, or fill out the form below to learn more!
