Diamond Drainageby Tom Burns

This article is the second of three

articles on soil compaction and

drainage issues.. In the first part, Mike

DePew discussed and defined terms to

provide a better understanding of soil

science principles relating to soil

mechanics and soil strength principles.

In this second part, Tom Burns dis-

cusses the multiple issues involved in

drainage of baseball and softball fields.

An understanding of the.. soil science principles

relating to issues ofcompaction anddrainage is essential in

athletic field construction and main-tenance. On baseball and softballfields, the relationship between thephysical properties of the varioussoil profiles during the wide rangeof climatic conditions and field-usesituations affecting that field mustbe considered to properly managefield playability.

Drainage issues on athletic fieldsinvolve surface drainage-the move-ment of water across and away fromthe soil surface-and internaldrainage, the movement of water

into and through the soil.Infiltration describes water move-ment into the soil. Percolationdescribes water movement throughthe soil profile.

Field construction should providefor adequate surface drainage of theentire field and adequate internaldrainage for the non -skinned por-tions of the field. The clay contentof the skinned area combined withthe degree of compaction required toprovide firmness for play create apercolation rate too slow to movewater into standard internaldrainage systems.

Surface DrainageThe main drainage issue on a baseball

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or softball field is the movement ofwater away from the primary areasof play, the skinned and infield sur-faces, and then away from the entirefield surface. This is achievedthrough creating a degree of slopesufficient to move the water withoutproducing a negative impact on fieldplayability.

The general rule of thumb forthis slope is one-half percentthroughout the infield, one percentthroughout the outfield, and one-quarter to one-half percent acrossthe "dirt." This degree of slope couldbe increased or decreased slightlybased on the average amount ofrainfall the untarped field wouldreceive. The higher the rainfallreceived, the greater the degree ofslope.

The mound should be the highspot on the field with all water flow-ing away from it. Water hitting thecenter of the mound should flow in acone away from the mound, movingequally in all directions. The infieldslope should begin at the mound and

.continue equally and consistently inall directions past the basepath.

This common drainagedesign features a consistents.lope extending from the infield ~ .,.\ ~.lip to the warning track. ~

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There are two common optionsfor outfield drainage. The first con-tinues the principle above, with anequal and consistent degree of slopeextending outward in all directionsto the warning track. The secondoption calls for a crown in centerfield, with the slope extending fromthe crown outward to the warningtrack. This option drains the out-field as two halves.

Field design and construction alsomust provide a method of removingthe water accumulated at theperimeter of the field through sur-face drainage. This usually is han-dled through a channel drain at theedge of the field that connects to acentral outside drain line that leadsto a catch basin or sewer system.

If adequate surface drainage isnot achieved, no internal drainagesystem can function well enough tocompensate for the deficiencies andprovide optimum field playability.

Design and ConstructionTypically new construction willinclude an internal drainage systemincorporating a network of drainagetiles leading to the external

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drainage site. With higher-levelsand-based fields! the drainage tilesare at the base, generally enclosedin filter fabric, and are covered witha layer of pea gravel. This layer. istopped with the sand profile materi-al. A layer of filter fabric will beplaced' between the peagravel and the skinnedarea mix to prevent infil-tration by the clay. Thedepth of each layervaries with' constructiondesign.

The drain lines. oftenare placed on I5-foot cen-ters throughout the field,'though some field designsuse I5-foot centers for theinfield and sidelines and30-foot centers in the out-field. If the budgetallows, it's better toinclude the additional drains. It's fareasier to add .water to a field than totake water away. Typically thedrains run under the skinned area,though. little if any internal drainagej'will occur there, simply to tiedrainage of the infield turf are~ intoanother pipeline. The drain lines do

need to be sloped properly with somedegree of downward fall leading tothe' collection point.

Warning TrackSurface and internal drainage of thewarning track depend on the types

internal drainage line installed.Many field designs include drainagelines in the turf bordering the warn-ing track or incorporate a slit orsand drain around the field.

A channel drain around theperimeter of the field also helps col-

lect water run -off .fromthe stands. If possible,drains and a drainagesystem within the standscan be used to reducerun-off onto the field.Rubber skirting at thebottom of the gates usedfor field access from thestands also help holdback the water andreduce washout areas.Some older fields fea-tured a catch basin sys-tem with grates thatcould be covered with an

artificial turf mat that could beremoved to allow water to funnelthrough.

An effective surface drainage sys-tem helps remove. water from thetarp when the field is covered. Somefields are designed with internaldrainage on tighter centers in the

.fadequate surface drainageis not achieved, no internaldrainage system can functionwell enough to compensate forthe deficiencies and provideoptimum field playability.

of natural or synthetic materialsused and the construction design.Natural material warning trackstypically have a slight slope thoughtraffic and frequent maintenancemake it difficult to maintain theintegrity of the slope. Artificialwarning tracks generally have an

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March 2000 27

area where the 'tarp water isdumped. This may include verticaldrainpipes with caps that can beremoved prior to dumping the tarp.

Problem SolvingUse imagination in. solving drainageproblems. Installation of a drain-pipe, French drain or slit drain mayeliminate a wet area, but will havelimited holding capacity, so do tie itto an outside outlet.

Upright, capped drain tiles lead-ing to the subsurface drainage tilescan improve water removal on anative soil field. The caps can beremovqd during heavy rains andadditional excess water swept orsqueezed into the openings. Swalesplaced off the playing surface canchannel and direct run-off water.Swales should not be used .on theplaying surface. Even a slight dipand rise system has the potential to

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cause player injury.Prevent lip buildup along the

skinned area and turf transitionpoints. The lip serves as a damtrapping water on the skin. Payspecial attention to the back arc ofthe .infield, sweeping or hosing itdaily to remove excess material.

Be aware that a side''effect of thefield slope is the washing of skinmaterial into the outfield. The con-tamination increases following aeri-

Tom Burns is director of grounds forthe Texas Rangers and STMA boardmember representing Category I,those in charge of professional sportsfacilities. He is a frequent contribu-tor to sports turf-related publica-tions and a frequent speaker at turf-related conferences.

An effective surfacedrainage system

helps remove waterfrom the tarp whenthe field is covered.

fication as the infield materialwashes into the holes created by theprocess. The clay particles from theskin are so fine they tend to seal offthe natural drainage of the soil pro-file and damage the integrity of theroot zone. Over time on high profilefields it will be necessary to solvethis problem by removing andreplacing a layer of sod approxi-mately four or five feet into the out-field.

On fields where the entire infieldis a skinned area, monitor mainte-nance to eliminate the depressionsthat will be formed by player traffic.The areas around home plate andfirst base, the spots of choice for thesecond baseman and shortstop, andto a lesser degree, second and thirdbase, will receive a higher level ofwear and require close attention tomaintain the integrity of the slopeas originally constructed. Whateverthe design of the field or the level ofplay, the groundskeeper must main-tain and manipulate drainage toachieve top playability. •

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