Phoenix.The Bank One Ballpark'sretractable roof can open orclose in slightly less thanfive minutes. Either side ofthe roof can be opened tomaximize sunlight on theturf and minimize it on theinterior steel and concrete.

"This ballpark is unique to anythingthat's been done before," says GrantTrenbeath, head groundskeeper for theArizona Diamondbacks Baseball Club,major league baseball's newest team.Like the Diamondbacks, Trenbeath washis inaugural season as a major leaguegroundskeeper during 1998. And itlearning experience, to say the least.

"It's a world inside itself," observes'Trenbeath about the Bank One uaLL!J'al"""""YYi:<'~:: ,:;".',,-<

"The roof, the air conditioning, ~11<;,:,?,I\lt1UC;-

line, not to mention the heat factothe newness of the park. There's a'process that goes on and it takesamount of time to establish that."

To help bring a rookie field up toleague standards, Trenbeath relied 0

proven veteran. "I've worked with Joh'Deere equipment in the past, so whenwas approached about using Johnit had my full support."

"John Deere takes their time, soby the time they come out with

something, it's muchhigher quality. Primeexample is theAercore 800. I'vemessed around withother aerators and

Continued from pg. 19

GrowthLike many facilities around the coun-try, Lakewood must continuallyadjust to accommodate communitygrowth. Buelter explains, "The dis-trict will open another high schoolnext year, which means five more

football games and seven more soccergames each fall and spring. Withregional growth, we probably will addanother two high schools within thenext five years.

"The up side of this is it works,due in large part to the high caliberof our people. We've developed the

e to Our Turf ."

Majestic Sports Turf Consultants is thechoice of architectural firms, colleges, highschools and many other facilities. Fromnew field construction to renovation, theexperts at MST Consultants can provideyou with fields just like the professionalsplay on. Equipment, personnel, Fertilizing,mowing, watering and maintenance canbe custom designed for your specificneeds. Whether it's sand-based or native

soil fields; blue grass, tall turf fescue,bermuda, or blends, your fields will alwaysbe greener. Coaches, players andmanagement are always happier withfields by MST Consultants. For qualitysports field consulting, contact:

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Circle 111 on Inquiry Card

22 November 1999

maintenance system over the yearsand continue to fine-tune it.

"The district allows us the luxury ofdowntime for rejuvenation on all threefields. We also have the authority tocancel games prior to the scheduledstart if field conditions warrant it. Ourstandards on that are basic: if youwouldn't send your own child outthere, don't send someone else's."

Field statsLakewood field consists of originalheavy-clay native soil. The soil hasbeen augmented over the yearsthrough topdressing with a plantersmix consisting of 1/3 top soil, 1/3 peat,and 1/3 wood fines.

This same mix was used to aug-ment a section of the field approxi-mately 80 feet wide from goal to goalfor a resodding project in 1995. Thesame sod, grown on a sandy-loam soil,has been used for goal mouth replace-ment, and additional sand has beenincorporated into that area. The bestdrainage on the field is in the high-wear area.

With the age of the field, it's impos-sible to identify the original bluegrasscultivar. Replacement sodding hasconsisted of newer bluegrass varieties.

Maintenance• Mowing

Buelter says, "Though we'd like tokeep the turf shorter, we maintain a2.5-inch to 2.75-inch height. We needthat extra cushion of protection due tothe volume of play.

"During the summer I mowMonday, Wednesday, and Friday. Oncethe fall season begins, I mow everygame day to have the aesthetics set in.That drops to twice a week, generallyTuesday and Friday, as temperaturesdrop and turf growth slows."

• SeedingFollowing core aeration in four

directions each May, Buelter seedswith Sports Turf Mix containing A34and SR 2100 bluegrasses, and SR4200 and Manhattan III perennialryegrasses at four to five pounds per1000 square feet. In June, he over-seeds weak areas of the sides of thefield with Champion ThrfgrassMixture containing SR 4200, SR 4100,SR 4010, and SR 4000. In August,Buelter broadcasts this mix over thegoal mouths, the center of the field,and referee running "paths."

• PaintingBuelter tackles field lining and

marking on Monday or Tuesday, prior

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to the week's first games. He monitorsconditions on Friday, and touches upthe paint if necessary. During the firstpainting of the season, he adds Primoto the paint to slow turf growth andextend paint life.

• IrrigationBuelter says, "Before 1997, we had

a manual irrigation system with quickcouplers. Prior to the start of the girls'season in 1997, a five-row, modifiedHunter football field irrigation systemwas installed by the athletic crew uti-lizing 1-40 sprinkler heads.

"After that installation, weinstalled an irrigation system on thewest bank of the complex, also using 1-40 heads, and to the north of the con-cession stand using Rain Bird 1800pop-ups. Lakewood now has threeacres of irrigated turf."

• EquipmentEquipment purchased for the three

district facilities is for their exclusiveuse, and they've gradually built up afairly complete assortment. WhateverBuelter doesn't have on-site, he canborrow within the system.

Use of the John Deere 455 tractor,AerWay aerator, Ryan 48-inch pull-behind aerator and TurfcoTopDresser iscoordinated between the three facilities.

• SchedulingField maintenance must be coordi-

nated with event scheduling andColorado's widely fluctuating weatherconditions. Buelter says, "During theboys' season, fertilization must takeplace when no games are scheduled toallow for proper irrigation. Aerationand broadcast seeding are done in con-junction with fertilization. Timingalways depends on the weather pat-terns to avoid too much water duringthese processes.

"Springtime in the Rockies, theperiod of heaviest snow, coincides withour girls' soccer season. The east-westfield orientation lets the spring sunhelp with snow melt and field drying.

"At times, we need to plow snowaway using a rubber blade attached toour jeep. We follow that by draggingthe field with a six-foot by 10-footchain drag. That stands up the grassand allows the air and sun to help drythe field to allow play.

"We delay starting up the irrigationsystem until weather patterns warrantit. While we like to aerate every twoweeks during the season, the weatherdictates when aeration can occur."

Future plansAlways working to improve field

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conditions, Lakewood started top-dressing with the same sand mater-ial used at Jeffco this year, ratherthan using the planter mix. Buelternotes, "We've built up an adequatesupply of organics, so now we're fill-ing the aeration chimneys withsand. It also smoothes out the fieldsurface a bit. Eventually we'd like tobuild up a sand cap to improve sur-face drainage."

Buelter is also trying to move awayfrom the old football and track

appearance at Lakewood. The imme-diate plan is to fill in the west end ofthe stadium and extend the grass outsidethe track to create a larger warm-uparea. The long-term goal is to removethe track and widen the field. Thegradual process will be determined bybudget and manpower restraints. '&.

Bob Tracinski is business communi-cations manager for John Deere inRaleigh, NC. He is public relations co-chair for the National STMA.

Call 1 (800) 817-1889 use Fast Fax#1121199 and/or Circle 112 on Inquiry Card

November 1999 23

Facility DesignWorking with an architect

by Jeffrey L. Bruce, FASLA

Facility design is a collabora-tive project. The process canseem daunting at first, andit can take up to three yearsto complete.

Before embarking on such a long,complicated journey, it's a good idea tounderstand the design and constructionprocess. This series of steps takes a facil-ity from broad, conceptual ideas to high-ly detailed plans. With each step, thearchitect gains greater insight into theneeds and preferences of the facility'steam. The right decision at each step canmake the difference between a smoothprocess and an over-budget nightmare.

CommunicationArchitects' decisions about your facilityare only as good as the information youprovide them. The better you under-stand what information architects need,the better your final product will be.

It's a good idea to form a committee ofindividuals that have a direct stake inthe outcome of the design. This allowsinformation exchange, and it facilitatesdecision making. Since most designsinclude program compromises, commit-tees help involve all individuals who aredirectly responsible for the operationand maintenance of the facility.

The design process is a great educa-tional tool. People involved gain under-standing of why decisions are made, andwhat tradeoffs may be necessary to meetdesign and budget objectives. Havingbeen through the process, committeemembers generally become strong advo-cates for the project.

Drawing plansSuccessful projects start with two basicdocuments: a master plan and an opera-tional plan. The master plan defines allof the physical elements of the project,and it outlines how they fit together onthe site. It should anticipate and accom-modate future needs. An operationalplan is a workbook that lists necessarymeasures to maintain and operate thefacility when the project is complete.

The master plan and operational planneed to be developed concurrently. It

24 November 1999

makes little sense to build a facility thatis too costly to maintain and operate. Asuccessful facility will balance thedemands of both plans.

MasterplanA facility's master plan provides a roadmap of future physical development. Itgives a framework for guiding decisionsand improvements.

Like road maps, master plans areflexible. They may indicate a generaldestination, but there are various routesavailable. As conditions change, masterplans should be updated and revised tokeep them current.

• Condition assessmentThe process begins with condition

assessment. This documents all positiveand negative attributes of your existingfacility. It should contain an inventorythat includes details of all facilityresources: sizes, dates of construction,materials, descriptions, dates of majorimprovements and repairs, utilities, sup-port equipment, and other relevant his-torical information.

Condition assessment questionsinclude the following:-V Are the playing fields regulation

size?-V Is the number of fields sufficient?-V What is the condition of the turf?-V Is spectator seating adequate?-V Is there a problem with delivery ser-

vice to the concession stands?Condition assessments give architects

an understanding of how sites function.They identify user patterns, and conflictsthat need to be resolved during design.

• Program assessmentA program assessment includes an

assessment of user needs. This involvesa detailed interview of the groups thatuse your facility. All current and poten-tial future users should be contacted,including interscholastic sports, physicaleducation, intramural programs, clubsports, and community groups.

Facilities should develop profiles ofeach user group. Each profile shouldinclude practice and game schedules,number of participants, number of fieldsrequired, length of practices, length ofseason, number of spectators, and equip-ment needs.

Users can also pro-vide useful projectionsof future trends thatcould indicate addi-tions of new sports andteams.

• Facility requirementsFacility requirements are based on

condition and program assessments. Atthis point in the design process the archi-tect joins facility representatives todevelop a program schedule for the site.

The program schedule coordinatesand optimizes all facility users. It identi-fies preferred uses of the site, and elimi-nates schedule conflicts.

A clear understanding of facility useallows architects to determine the num-ber of fields, types of fields, turf selec-tions, and opportunities for multiple-usesites. Architects usually call the facilityrequirements an architectural program.All of the elements needed to accommo-date the desired activities appear muchlike a shopping list.

For example, a football team's facilityrequirements might include one gamefield, two practice fields, a 20-foot by 30-foot synthetic drill area, 200 square feetof equipment storage, portable bleachersfor 30 spectators, restrooms, drinkingfountains, and adequate parking for 40cars per field.

For architects, architectural pro-grams most clearly define what facilitiesshould include and how they shouldfunction. The most common failure offacility design is a lack of clearly definedprograms.

• LayoutWith the program in hand, the archi-

tect designs a layout of the site thatshows all proposed facilities. This step ofthe design process is like a jigsaw puzzle.

Program elements are pieced togeth-er, combined, and placed on the site. Thearchitect considers how each piece of thepuzzle fits with the site and budget, andlooks at how compatible each piece is

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with other pieces. The outcome is themaster plan.

This aspect of the design process mayseem overwhelming, but it's imperativethat facility decision makers spend timeand effort to really understand the pro-posed plan. They should not assume thearchitect has correctly interpreted theprogram. If changes are necessary, this isthe time to make them. Changes madeonce the contract is awarded or facilitiesare under construction may be veryexpensive, and they can cause delays.

Operational plansOperational plans define how facilitiesare operated and maintained. The stepsrequired to develop operational plans aresimilar to those required for master plans.

• AssessmentOperational plans first assess exist-

ing operations. They inventory all staffresources and maintenance equipment.Staff resources include job descriptions,staffing costs, training requirements,qualifications, maintenance activities,maintenance schedules, and manpowerestimates. The equipment inventory

should identify the types of equipment,as well as the model, age, and conditionof each piece.

At this time, improvements necessaryto maintain and operate the facilityshould also be identified. All of this infor-mation will allow a detailed assessmentof facility operation and maintenancecosts.

• ScheduleOperational plans next develop oper-

ational programs and maintenanceschedules that will compliment activityschedules. They plan and schedule timefor maintaining the facilities, especiallythe fields. It's important to include turfrecovery time in these calculations.

• BudgetFinally, operational plans develop an

annual operating budget that identifiesboth capital improvements and recur-ring costs. Capital improvementsinclude equipment acquisitions requiredto operate and maintain the facilitiesidentified on the master plan.

Many new facilities are designedwithout regard to operation costs.Operational plans are usually included

as part of the architectural services, butthey are often overlooked.

Knowing what to expect cannot guar-antee a problem-free project, but it canresult in fewer and less-severe problems.It's most important to remain accessibleto the architect, and to be activelyinvolved in understanding the design.This will ensure a pleasurable experi-ence that produces a facility that meetsyour needs. •

Jeffrey L. Bruce, FASLA, is presidentof Jeffrey L. Bruce & Company LLCLandscape Architects & Planners. He hasmore than 21 years experience in allphases of landscape architecture, siteanalysis, development, urban design, andsports field and irrigation design. He waselected Fellow of the American Society ofLandscape Architects in 1996, and hasreceived ten separate service and leader-ship awards and 16 design awards.

For more information, contact: JeffreyL. Bruce & Company, 1907 Swift Street,Suite 204, North Kansas City, MO64116; phone: (816) 842-8999; fax: (816)842-8885.

sporlsTURF· http://www.sporsturfonline.com

Circle 113 on Inquiry Card

November 1999 25

Chemigation

Chemigation is the process ofapplying an agriculturalchemical (fertilizer or pesti-cide) to soil or plant surfaceswith an irrigation system by

injecting the chemical into irrigationwater, according to a definition from theUniversity of Minnesota. Depending onthe type of agricultural chemical beingapplied, chemigation may be known as"fertigation," "herbigation," "insectiga-tion," or "fungigation."

Carefully designed, safely managedchemigation systems can offer severaladvantages over other treatment prac-tices, including more uniform distribu-tion and reduced operator hazards.However, without strict controls, chemi-gation systems can contaminate surfaceand groundwater and lead to legal prob-lems.

Legal regulationsChemigation systems require very care-ful supervision to avoid over-wateringwith pesticide mixtures.

Most state agriculture depart-ments have chemigation regulationsand pesticide and fertilizer permitprograms. Many state health depart-ments also have rules on chemicalstorage tanks, chemigation systems,and water wells (irrigation, potable,and public water systems).

Since chemigation equipment can

expose persons to pesticides, theFederal Worker Protection Standardprotects employees who work onchemigation equipment. Only trainedand equipped handlers are allowed tooperate, move, or repair chemigationequipment parts that may contain pes-ticide residues.

Available safety equipment can helpfurther protect against some legal ram-ifications of practicing chemigation.When properly installed, such equip-ment can prevent backflow and subse-quent groundwater contamination.

According to Purdue University, lia-bility-reducing safeguards may includethe following:

• Requiring employees to obtain andmaintain certified applicator status

• Pre-chemigation water analysis atthe water source and locations near thewater source

• Considering run -offdirection• Knowledge of potential plant toxic-

ity when preparing chemical applica-tion schedules and dosage rates

• Judiciously adhering to recom-mended application rates

• Sound soil conservation techniques• Periodic equipment calibration

Helpful hintsHere is a list of helpful guidelinesfor chemigation from the NorthCarolina State University

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26 November 1999

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Cooperative Extension:• Don't apply pesticides through an

irrigation system if the soil is wet. If oneor more inches of irrigation or rainfallhas occurred within 24 hours, the soil isprobably too wet to apply pesticides.

• Use the least amount of water pos-sible to apply the chemicals.

• Don't chemigate when you meanto irrigate.

• Use field borders to catch runoffwater around treated areas.

• Use erosion and runoff controls.• Avoid wind drift by considering

weather and equipment.• Use equipment with proper nozzle

size and water pressure to provide largewater droplets, which resist wind drift.

• Do not chemigate when windspeed exceeds five miles per hour.

• Do not use gun-type sprinklersthat spray a fine mist high into the air.

• Design irrigation equipment tocover the entire field, but do not placesprinklers close to the field edge.

• Apply only pesticides labeled foruse in irrigation systems.

• Regularly check equipment for thefollowing:

-J Water leaks-J Proper operation of antisiphon

systems-J Proper setting and function of

relief and check valves-J Clogged nozzles

FertigationInjection equipment is necessary toadapt an irrigation system for fertiga-tion. The technique also requires alarge reservoir (500- to 1500-galloncapacity) to store the liquid fertilizer.

Fertilizer may be added to irriga-tion water by using an adjustablemetering pump or another injectiondevice. The injection system may becontrolled manually or automatically.Electronically monitoring the injec-tion rate or volume can be combinedwith programming valves or injectorsto be shut off after a prescribed injec-tion volume. Chemigators shouldnote that the uniformity of chemicalapplication cannot exceed the unifor-mity of water application from theirrigation system. •

The information in this article wasoriginally printed riti the April 1997issue of Irrigation Jour;}iil;published byAdams Business Media.

sporfsTURF· http://www.sporsturfonline.com

A turf blanket protects turf in winter at Denver's Mile High Stadium.Courtesy: Covermaster Inc.

Continued from pg. 6

used to protect against morning frost.Covering areas where frost is forecastat night can minimize or eliminate theeffect.

ConstructionBlankets should be treated to with-stand damaging ultra-violet suneffects. They must be highly rot and

Dunn Tire Park, Buffalo, NY Courtesy: Covermaster Inc.

mildew resistant to hold up to theelements. Properly treated blanketsshould not show significant wear,even after years of use.

Turf blankets should have smoothsurfaces to prevent dirt and debrisaccumulation. They should featurelightweight construction for quick andeasy installation and removal.

Whenever possible, use a one-piece

cover. Avoid overlapping sections toprevent quality and color variation ofcovered turf. •

Bob Curry 1,S president ofCovermaster Inc. He also serves asSTMA's commercial vice president. Tocontact the company, call: (800) 387-5808, or visit: www.covermaster.com.

28 November 1999 sports TURF • http://www.sporsturfonline.com