In Bluffton, Indiana, the Bluffton Harrison School Board voted to replace their high school’s football grass field with a new artificial turf field. The aggregate division of imi was selected to provide crushed stone to support the project’s foundation.
This project required a herringbone drain system, covered with compacted aggregates, to provide quick drainage of rainwater through the turf. This layer was then covered with smaller aggregates to provide a solid footing for the turf. The tolerances on the grade of the sub-turf aggregates could not be more than 1/8 inch to ensure the turf would not tear or create holes.
imi Aggregates supplied 4,000 tons of No. 8 limestone for the subsurface drain work. When compacted, this created enough void space to allow water to quickly flow through to the drain system. For the sub-turf aggregates, imi technicians suggested using No. 11FF limestone. Its angular composition locks it into place better than rounded gravels when it is compacted. This proved to be critical to the construction process. Since the kickoff for the first home football game was August 26th and the first shovel of dirt was turned on June 24th, there was no time for delays. Using the No. 11FF stone made the grading of the field go quickly and kept the turf installation on schedule without incident.