Sports pitch drainage is essential for many types of sports fields and coming up with an effective sports field drainage design for your pitch is crucial. Drainage issues can cause a host of problems and may result in a field or pitch that is soggy, waterlogged, and unable to be played on and, of course, that raises a wealth of potential issues in the long-term including safety problems.
Whether the athletic field belongs to a school, a private estate, or a university, investing in the right sports turf drainage systems and taking care to maintain them in the long run will ensure that it is suitable for year-round use and that it offers a safe experience for players.
Why Is Athletic Field Drainage Essential?
When water gets onto a sports pitch or field, it follows the land’s natural contours until it drains away. Gradients of 1:50 across the width of a sports pitch and 1:100 along its length encourage the water to continue moving across the surface of the playing field so that the water doesn’t pool and puddle. If a pitch has an entirely flat surface, the water cannot run off it.
Also, when it comes to sports ground drainage, it’s important to note that water doesn’t just move over the surface, but that it also moves down into the pitch’s surface too. Natural turf is porous as there are tiny air pockets between the soil, vegetation, and sand particles. The water will move through those air pockets and that makes them crucial for sports turf drainage.
The pull of gravity moves the surface water from the field move down through those spaces so there will be no pools. If there is insufficient playing field drainage and the sub-surface water is unable to move downwards away from the surface quickly enough, waterlogged ground will occur.
What Are The Benefits Of A Well-Maintained And Designed Sports Field Drainage System?
There are several benefits that come with having a well-designed and properly maintained sports drainage system for your university, school, or private estate sports field.
Firstly, the grass will be healthier, since good drainage will promote a deeper root growth, helping the roots to knit and stabilising the playing surface while reducing the possibility of turf tearing. Soil erosion can lead to unstable ground, but with proper drainage, the process will be dramatically slowed down. Furthermore, soil nutrients will be used more effectively, since a well-drained sports pitch improves its uptake of magnesium, potassium, and nitrate.
When turf isn’t sitting continuously in damp soil, it becomes more resistant to disease and fungus. There will be far lower ongoing maintenance costs as a result. Also, the pitch benefits from maximum playability, with fewer events and games needing to be delayed or cancelled due to heavy rain.
When a sports field has good drainage, there is reduced compaction and so, in turn, there is less surface deformation to deal with. As a result, the need for expensive resurfacing and avoidable repairs will be reduced. The playing surface will also be far safer for players as they will have an improved footing that reduces their chances of experiencing an injury.
Slippery surfaces can result in serious accidents for players that can prevent them from playing for extended periods, and, of course, it also puts the school, university, or estate at risk of legal action.
What Kind Of Sports Fields Are Suitable For Drainage?
There are many different types of sports fields that require proper drainage systems. Tennis courts, cricket pitches, rugby pitches and golf courses are just some of the sports facilities that could benefit from improved drainage systems. In fact, good drainage can benefit all kinds of playing fields, including those that are in general use as school exercise areas.
Whether you have an existing drainage system that isn’t working at its full capacity and could benefit from a modern upgrade, or whether you’re installing a new sports field or pitch at your university, school, or private estate, it couldn’t be more important to ensure that you choose the right team of professionals to get the job done to the highest possible standards.
Without a well-designed, well-installed, and properly maintained drainage system in place, you could be putting yourself at a greater risk of all kinds of issues, from compromises to player safety to higher ongoing maintenance and repair costs. The Edburton team has the right skills and experience to get the job done and to ensure the best possible outcome.
