Added: 5TH AUGUST 2024
Although much of Turfdry’s business with housebuilding firms involves the full design & build of new facilities, the company’s natural turf specialism is sometimes called upon for more focussed works, such as the recent installation of a Hydraway Sportsdrain drainage system at Greenstone Primary School, currently under construction by Stepnell in Ellistown, Leicestershire. The school is named after local engineer William Stenson, who defied conventional wisdom by breaking through the layer of granite – known locally as ‘greenstone’ at the time’ in order to access the rich seams of coal that lay beneath it, unlocking the expansion of industry in nearby Coalville and the surrounding area. Whilst the school’s name looks to the past for inspiration, the facilities themselves have been designed to embrace the principles of the increasingly popular ‘forest school’ model, which seeks to use the outdoor environment as a key part of the school’s activities, giving pupils a richer, more holistic, and engaging learning experience.
With the pitch plateau having been completed by others, Turfdry’s task was to install a drainage system that it had designed in collaboration with Stepnell engineers. Lateral drains were to be connected to an existing 150mm carrier drain that runs along the western goal-line, connecting to the site’s broader outfall system. This pitch system was to be supplemented by a large cutoff drain running along the southern boundary, as Turfdry’s initial site visits indicated a significant amount of surface water runoff coming from the adjacent land that would have a detrimental effect on the playing surface.
When Turfdry inspected the site prior to the drainage works, they identified a number of large rocks that had been left in the ground by Stepnell’s earthworks contractors, who had to revisit, rip & pick the site; additionally, the site had not been properly compacted in places, so additional rolling operations were required to prevent the drainage trenches from collapsing during the installation.
With these issues dealt with, the drainage installation itself went very smoothly and was completed within a week. The remainder of the pitch works are to be dealt with by Stepnell, but Turfdry are pleased to have contributed to what is shaping up to be a fine new educational facility.
For more information about the Turfdry Drainage System using Hydraway Sportsdrain, click here, or why not take a look at some of our other sports pitch drainage projects here.
