12th August 2021
With a reputation for delivering high quality sports pitch construction on-time and within budget, Turfdry’s clientele of major construction firms continues to grow – most recently with the completion of a new sports pitch project in Nottinghamshire for Persimmon Homes.
Charged with the development of the new school in Gedling as part of the £96 million Teal Close development, Persimmon Homes have been hard at work constructing the Rivendell Flying High Academy.
Joining the growing list of major construction firms that call upon Turfdry’s pitch construction expertise, Persimmon Homes recognised that despite tremendous expertise in building construction - with a successful history stretching back to the 1970s - this skillset does not transfer seamlessly to natural turf construction projects. As such, the appeal of engaging a true specialist like Turfdry is clear: with extensive knowledge and over 25 years’ experience, Turfdry can offer practical advice from feasibility, through design, to delivery. This results in cost-effective projects that deliver optimal quality within each project’s budget, benefitting from the value-engineering opportunities that comes with having delivered hundreds of projects nationwide.
Utilising 3D modelling to construct a digital model of the pitch plateau, dozers and excavators fitted with GPS-guided computer-control were used to construct the subsoil base. Site analysis during the initial feasibility and design phase had revealed insufficient topsoil on-site to provide sufficient coverage for the two pitches; consequently, Turfdry worked closely with Persimmon Homes to source quality surplus topsoil from other nearby construction projects.
Following the spreading and firming of the topsoil layer, the drainage phase saw Turfdry’s unique Hydraway Sportsdrain installed at 2m spacing, with the carrier drains of each pitch outfalling via a new freshwater sewer constructed by Persimmon Homes as part of the broader project. The close spacing of the drains was necessitated by the pitch plateau levels being – as an unavoidable consequence of the broader levels of the site, and material available – short of the 1 in 50 across and 1 in 100 lengthways recommended by Sport England in order to promote pitch drainage. By installing a more intensive drainage system, the reduction in natural movement of surface water is balanced by its having less distance to travel until it is intercepted by a drain.
Upon completion of the drainage installation, sand amelioration, cultivation and seeding works brought the main phase of the project to a close. Again looking to capitalise on specialist knowledge, Persimmon Homes have entrusted the maintenance of the pitch through its grow-in phase to Turfdry, and we look forward to charting the pitches’ progress as we move towards handover in 2022.
