Sports Turf Sand
BESTSAND™
High-quality sports turf provides a safe, easy-to-maintain surface for athletes at any level, but planning carefully at the outset of a sports field project is critical. The biggest decision, of course, is whether to use natural turf, synthetic turf or a combination of both. Either way, high-quality sand is imperative to ensure optimal performance of the field in terms of playability and maintenance. Covia’s BESTSAND sports turf solutions can ease installation, improve the safety of the athletes and reduce the maintenance demands of grounds crews.
Superior Sand for Superior Performance
NATURAL TURF SOLUTIONS
Natural turf fields offer a number of advantages. First, they have been studied for decades and, if properly installed and managed, can provide reliable, durable surfaces for many years. Grass fields can offer adequate traction while reducing injuries from impact, overheating and abrasions.
Natural turf fields rely on either natural soil, pure sand or a combination of the two as the substrate for the grass plants. A native system is an unaltered soil consisting of silt, clay and sand. Native systems can cost less to construct, but the soil can compact over time, creating a harder surface that leads to poor drainage and undesirable playing conditions. A sand-based system replaces the natural soil by introducing sand in a ratio that can range from 80 to 100 percent pure sand, typically blended with amendments to aid in grass development. This decreases the risk of compaction, but its major advantage is to allow for excellent drainage. For this reason, sand-based natural turf fields or sand-amended native systems are growing in popularity.
ARTIFICIAL TURF SOLUTIONS
Artificial, or synthetic, turf fields have grown in popularity because of their versatility and durability. A synthetic turf field provides a grass-like look without the limitations of natural turf: it doesn’t need to be watered or fertilized, it can be used in all weather conditions and the field lines and markings can be applied permanently, which eliminates the need for continual painting.
Careful planning is required before construction of a synthetic turf field begins. Project teams will want to evaluate the characteristics of the sports that will be played on the surface. How many different sports will be played on the surface? Will athletes be falling on the surface or just running over the top of it? What are the local climate conditions? And, importantly, will the upfront budget allow for the increased expense of a synthetic turf field?
Quality silica sand is also needed for artificial turf fields. The sand is blended with rubber crumb to form the turf infill, which supports the “grass” fibers made from polyethylene, polypropylene or nylon materials fashioned into strands. Sand serves as a ballast, weighing the turf down while also keeping fibers upright. It also aids in proper drainage of the field to prevent ponding after heavy rains.
Sports Turf Applications
Artificial turf and football have gone hand-in-hand since the Houston Astrodome installed it in 1966. Today’s synthetic turf fields have come a long way since then. In addition to simulating the aesthetics of natural grass, synthetic turf fields provide a number of benefits for football athletes. They increase control and footing, improve drainage and playing time and have consistent performance, all of which help maintain safety throughout football games.
Many football facilities rely on natural grass due to its ability to provide a forgiving and resilient playing surface. Natural grass fields, especially those with a sand-based system, offer excellent traction and reduce the risk of injuries from impact and abrasions. With an appropriate blend of rootzone materials, these fields can maintain a consistent surface that meets football’s rigorous demands, enhancing player safety and performance.
Natural grass fields with a sand base still dominate soccer because of their durability and playability. A custom sand blend tailored to the type of grass being used ensures optimal drainage, stability and root development, allowing for a high-quality field that supports excellent playability throughout the season.
Synthetic turf soccer fields, when properly installed with a sand-based infill supporting monofilament fibers, perform much like natural grass fields made of bermudagrass, bluegrass or ryegrass. Plus, artificial turf provides a consistent surface that maintains its playability for many years, unmarred by divots in the surface caused by cleats and slide tackles.
More courses are adopting synthetic turf for infill on golf greens. Round-sand infills offer excellent drainage, do not compact and absorb energy efficiently. This allows the synthetic turf green to accept long golf shots and produce truer bounces that are more like traditional golf greens.
Synthetic turf tennis courts are great all-weather alternatives to clay or natural grass surfaces. Although slower than natural grass courts, they still provide a fast court surface that allows players to develop different aspects of their game. The synthetic grass tennis court surface, less slippery than natural grass, offers good footing and, because of the sand infill, is gentler on the body.
BESTSAND SOLUTIONS: THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE
BESTSAND Sports Turf sand is versatile enough to enhance the playability of any surface, for any sport. The consistent texture, quality and purity of BESTSAND ensure excellent durability while enhancing game play.
Our family of sand products offers a range of performance characteristics to match any need. See our Product Portfolio sheet for a detailed list of BESTSAND solutions.
Shape: Round, Subround, Subangular
Silica Content: 87.26% - 99.70%
GFN Range: 10 - 80
Dry/Damp: Both
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