Inorganic Soil Amendments Needed When Constructing Sporting Fields

Construction & Contractors Blog

If you want to construct a playing field in your school, you need to give precedence to two things. First, grass must be able to grow on the turf generously. Second, water must flow from the playing turf so that it doesn't clog the ground and compromise player efficiency. Both of these factors rely on the physical and chemical attributes of the soil. Inorganic soil amendment will give your soil the desirable characteristics for a good quality playing field. Here is a look at some of the inorganic soil amendment options at your disposal:

Lime

Lime is a carbonate of magnesium or calcium used to raise the pH of the soil. Basically, soil pH refers to the level of acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Highly acidic soils impair the growth of turf grass because of inadequate levels of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium minerals. To add on that, acidic soils are likely to have high levels of manganese and aluminium, which are toxic to grass. High alkalinity isn't any good for turf grass either. It makes the grass have too much thatch and a high level of weed infestation.

Lime amends the pH of the soil and keeps it slightly above seven where there are no deficiencies in magnesium or calcium levels.

Sand

If the construction is to take place in an area with clay soil, then the playing turf will have an issue with drainage. Adding large amounts of sand will better the drainage and prevent clogging. You should expect to add a layer of sand running as deep as twelve inches in worst-case scenarios. If you just add a little amount of sand, you are likely to worsen the compaction and drainage problems on the turf.

Gypsum

Gypsum, calcium sulphate dehydrate, reconstructs and reclaims sodic soils to make them ideal for the growth of turf grass. Sodic soils have a high sodium content, which leads to the displacement of other essential minerals like magnesium and calcium. As this happens, the soil breaks down into small particles, interfering with drainage.

The addition of gypsum displaces excess sodium in the soil through leaching. This encourages flocculation of small soil particles as they form larger aggregates that improve the general structure of the soil alongside the drainage qualities.

It is important to carry out a soil test on the site before you kick off the construction process. If your contractor doesn't offer the soil testing services, you can ask them for a referral to someone who does so that your project is spot on from the onset.

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5 December 2016

How I Constructed My New Home

Hello and welcome to my construction blog. My name is David and I would like to tell you about the process of designing and building a new home from the ground up. I had always dreamed of building my own home and last year, that dream became a reality. I had been saving money for many years so I could afford to buy the materials and employ the contractors needed to construct my home. I learnt so much during the process, I decided to start this blog. It was a wonderful day when the final piece of my home was put into place and I am now very happy.