Beacon BallieldDimensionsGuide-2024-WEB - Flipbook - Page 30
INFIELD SOILS
Engineered Soil or Native Soil? |
A C O M PA R I S O N
It’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Choosing your infield skin surface will directly affect the success and availability of your playing
surface in various weather conditions. You’ll need to choose between locally-sourced native soil or an engineered infield soil.
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Cost considerations
There is a pretty significant difference in cost when comparing native soil to
engineered soil.
◾ Native soil is typically $1 to $2.50 per sq ft for a 4-inch profile.
◾ Engineered soil is usually $2.50 to $4 per sq ft for a 4-inch profile.
While choosing the least expensive locally-sourced native soil might seem
like the right decision to make, consider this: not knowing the complete
makeup of that soil could mean future problems. Invest in soil testing to
expose any potential issues of your chosen infield surface.
Practical considerations
The shortcomings of native soils can lead to canceled games, additional
field prep labor and material costs. These shortcomings ultimately mean
sacrificing player safety and playability. Native soils are often susceptible to:
◾ soil migration from wind and rain.
◾ structural instability when wet.
◾ slow recovery after rain events.
◾ rapid lip build up.
Engineered infield soil materials from DuraEdge are produced the
same way as USGA spec root zone materials. They are meticulously
manufactured using precise measuring and blending. Regular testing of
the raw products going into the blender, and the finished product in the
stockpile, results in complete understanding of the engineered soil.
You know exactly what you are getting with an engineered soil:
◾ A soil that stays in place and will not migrate
◾ A soil that is structurally stable when wet — no slipping, no sinking
◾ Little, if any, dust
Re-entry following a rain event onto a native soil infield (left)
versus a properly engineered infield soil (right).
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While relatively new to this industry, engineered soils have had a huge
impact on ballfields, much like the impact USGA spec root zones had on
golf courses in the 1960s. At that time, "push up" native soil golf greens
were the norm. Golf courses quickly realized the engineered root zones far
outperformed the native soil greens and now native soil greens are a rarity.
