At Solutions +, we’ve been delivering sports field construction and transforming landscapes into premier playing fields since 1993. We’ve built everything from cricket wickets and football fields to soccer pitches, multi-use school ovals, and baseball diamonds. We handle the entire process from initial earthmoving to final turf laying, all backed by our detailed turf maintenance services. So, whether you need a brand-new field or a full renovation, we deliver.
The Sports Field Construction Process Explained
Constructing a new sports field is a meticulous process that blends turf grass science and a passion for excellence. It begins with diligent planning, where the site is carefully surveyed, considering factors like levels of sunlight, drainage, and accessibility, ensuring the ideal conditions for a thriving, high-performance playing surface.
Preliminary Works
After assessing the site, our experienced team prepares the site for sports field construction. The process starts by removing existing infrastructure such as fencing, existing irrigation, goal posts and sleeves – anything that is not required during this process. Next, temporary fencing is installed to secure the site.
Earthworks
With top-quality machinery, including box rakes, power harrows, bobcats, excavators and graders, we perform all earthworks required during your project. This includes:
- Wicket removal: This involves clearing away the existing cricket pitch, whether it’s a solid concrete slab or an established turf wicket, to prepare the area for new construction.
- Removing the existing base and bringing in the required sand to form and consolidate the oval: We excavate and remove the old underlying material, then import and compact specific types of sand to create a stable, precisely shaped base for the new playing surface.
- Consolidating embankments and subgrade: This involves compacting and strengthening the surrounding slopes and the ground directly beneath the future playing field, ensuring long-term stability and preventing settlement.
- Preparing subgrade, drains and open drains: We meticulously level and fine-tune the sub-base, and then precisely excavate and prepare the channels for both underground pipe drains and visible open drains to manage water flow effectively.
- Disposing surplus soil off site: All excess soil generated during excavation and shaping is efficiently removed from your property and responsibly disposed of at an approved off-site location, leaving your area clean and tidy.
- Filling and final grading, including reinstating all disturbed areas as per specifications: This involves adding fill material where necessary and then meticulously levelling the entire site to the exact contours and elevations specified in the design, while also restoring any surrounding areas that were affected by the construction.
- Irrigation and drainage works: We meticulously install advanced watering systems and comprehensive water removal networks, custom-designed to ensure optimal turf health and prevent waterlogging, regardless of weather conditions. Solutions+ works to design specifications for irrigation and drainage. We have extensive experience and knowledge in the construction of lateral drains, collector drains, concrete spoon and swale drains and concrete perimeter drains. We can build drainage to meet project requirements and design, ensuring your new sports field thrives.
Turfing your new sports field
This next stage of your sports field construction project is where you will really see your new sports field start to take shape. We bring in new soil to suit the specifications selected by the engineering team for each field renovation or wicket reconstruction project. This soil is chosen based on pH levels and mineral compositions to perfectly suit the location’s climate and the intended use of the field, ensuring optimal growth and durability for years to come. Our careful selection guarantees the turf receives the best possible start, laying the groundwork for a truly exceptional playing surface.
Our team then laser levels the new sports field surface in preparation for seed, turf sprigs, or the laying of instant turf. This is a highly specific process where advanced lasers are fitted to our machinery, meticulously guiding it to smooth the soil on the oval until the entire surface meets the precise, pre-determined level. Laser levelling is crucial as it ensures the surface levels conform exactly to the design specifications, perfectly complementing the overall shape of the oval for consistent play and superior drainage.
Moving on to the turf maintenance stage
Once your sports field turfing is complete, we will implement an effective turf maintenance and irrigation regime to ensure your turf thrives. This includes watering, mowing, fertilising, herbicide and pesticide treatments and top-dressing using the specified sand. When delivering your continued turf management regime, we will also aerate the surface at the required time, vacuum, scarify and oversow using specified seed.
