Schools everywhere find themselves considering the switch from grass athletic fields to artificial turf installation. This option is long-lasting, cost-effective, and regarded as safer for student-athletes and physical education students to run and play on. Of course, a high-quality finished product relies on some important considerations during the planning and design process. American Athletic Track and Turf explains some of those here.
Built-In Drainage
At American Athletic, we believe in the benefits a built-in drainage system can provide to schools and other athletic facilities purchasing artificial turf fields. Our built-in drainage is designed to eliminate ice, pooling, and mud, allowing teams to lose less playtime when inclement weather strikes. It also contributes to the enhanced overall safety of the surface, as puddles of water and areas of mud and ice can cause preventable injuries to athletes, coaches, students, and everyone else in your school’s community.
Relying on sophisticated design principles and advanced laser technology, American Athletic installs built-in drainage after the site is prepared with the following:
- Excavation
- Fills
- Laser-controlled fine grading
Then, typical and specialty built-in drainage options are outfitted for the field and may include flat drains, slot drains, channels, and a laser-controlled stone matrix.
Finishing Touches
The turf itself is only part of the equation. Your artificial turf field’s planning and design blueprints should also include important components such as the following:
- Goalposts
- Fences
- Bleachers
- Retaining walls
- Lighting
- Landscaping
- Concrete curbing
These are all areas in which American Athletic can serve your school or facility.
Field Tests
Field tests are an important consideration for your school’s turf field installation schedule. To ensure proper installation and safety, American Athletic will perform field tests to confirm our expert workmanship meets all guidelines of the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and other sports governing bodies if applicable. We also follow the testing guidelines of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM).
Why Choose Artificial Turf for Your School’s Athletic Fields?
By upgrading your school’s athletic facilities with an artificial turf field from American Athletic, you’ll be able to reap the many benefits natural grass fields simply cannot offer. These include the following and more:
- Less maintenance with no need for mowing, fertilizing, reseeding, or spraying chemicals for weeds
- High-performing, safe, environmentally friendly surfaces
- Opportunities to recruit top athletes who value modern facilities
- Long-lasting investment backed by our Platinum Protection Warranties
American Athletic also provides peace of mind with repair and maintenance services to keep your artificial turf field always ready for the competition.
Request a Design Consultation with American Athletic
The team of field builders at American Athletic is certified by the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA) and committed to designing athletic fields and facilities to the highest possible standards. What’s more, we rarely have to call in subcontractors to help us get the job done right. For more information about planning and design considerations to make for your new artificial turf field, contact American Athletic Track and Field today.
