A Guide to
Drainage
EFFECT OF DRAIN SPACING ON
GROUNDWATER LEVEL AND PLANT
DAMAGE
commence on a certain day at a certain time
regardless of two hours torrential rain beforehand.
Clearly the need for rapid drainage is essential and
a much more intensive drainage system is required
in these situations. Also a higher budget!
SECONDARY DRAINAGE
Secondary drainage such as sand slits and
gravel bands can further increase the rate of
drainage of surface water from sportsturf. They are
installed to supplement a primary piped drainage
system.
In contrast, though sportsturf has the same
requirement to lower the water table to prevent
plant damage, it has an additional requirement for
very quick surface drainage. This favours shallower
more closely spaced drains. Though drains can be
shallower because of the need to support lower
ground pressure machinery, they are often put in at
a similar depth to cater for secondary drainage, but
they will generally be much more closely spaced
to as little as say 10 or 5 metres on winter games
pitches. For areas where surface conditions are
critical such as golf greens and bowling greens,
drains may be even more intensive with some
systems using very shallow small diameter pipes at
500 mm spacing.
The main consideration affecting intensity of
drainage on sportsturf is how quickly does the
surface need to drain. If its parkland where you
go to play with the kids or take the dog for walk,
though good conditions underfoot are necessary,
the need for quick drainage is somewhat less
than say a local parish football pitch. Heavily used
school playing fields may need rather more to keep
them in play. With sports clubs there begins to be
a financial consequence if a surface is unplayable.
You eventually reach the point when because of
fixture timetables, paying members or spectators,
or television coverage, be it a premier league
football club or a Ryder Cup venue, play has to
www.rugbyclub.biz
15