Playing-field, soil treatment apparatus and method
View Patent ↗A material and method for maintaining a suitably dry sporting surface in natural soils may include a substrate treated with a layer of hydrating particles thereto. Various materials can serve as a hydrating, particulate coating. Polyacrylamide has been found to serve well and provide absorption to remove moisture that normally accumulates from a storms passing over a playing field. Soil treatment makes the soil surface ready to play on almost immediately. An amount of the amendment may be added to soil, mixed in, and watered before use, to provide more consistent properties such as natural bounce, reduced compaction, and reduced dust. The polymer may be embedded in mats to soak up standing water after storms, after which the amendment can be mixed into the soil to effectively tie up water that may otherwise create mud with the soil. Rain remediation may be done, whether or not the amendment was used for field preparation.
1. A method for treating soils, the method comprising:
selecting a field comprising soil having a surface exposed;
providing an amendment comprising granules formed of a substrate holding particles of a polymer, selected to be hydrophilic and secured to the substrate;
selecting a region of the field;
selecting a depth;
distributing the amendment about the region;
mixing the amendment into the region and between the surface and the depth;
exposing the surface to water;
absorbing a portion of the water by hydrating the polymer in the soil;
returning the surface to a condition suitable for its intended use by the absorbing.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application ratio of the amendment is about one quarter to about two ounces by weight per square foot.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the ratio is from about half an ounce to about one ounce per square foot.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the ratio is about two thirds ounce per square foot.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water in the soil is introduced artificially and intentionally after the mixing of the amendment into the region.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water is introduced naturally and unintentionally, before the mixing of the amendment into the region.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising providing a mat embedded with the polymer.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising sopping, into the mat, a standing portion of the water before distributing and mixing the amendment into the region.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field is selected from a sporting field, and the soil in the region is sufficiently bare to be substantially absent foliage.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sporting field is configured to be at least one of:
a baseball diamond, a softball diamond, a volleyball court, a tennis court, a golf course, a football field, a soccer field, a racing track, an arena, and a performance field.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is an inorganic material.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the inorganic material comprises a pigment identifying the amendment in accordance with a property of the amendment.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the application rate of the amendment is about one quarter to about two ounces by weight per square foot;
the water in the soil is introduced by at least one of
artificial and intentional watering after the mixing of the amendment into the region, and
natural and unintentional watering, before the mixing of the amendment into the region;
the field is selected from a sporting field having the soil in the region sufficiently bare to be substantially absent foliage;
the field is configured to be at least one of a baseball diamond, a softball diamond, a volleyball court, a tennis court, a golf course, a football field, a soccer field, a racing track, an arena, and a performance field;
the substrate is an inorganic material; and
the polymer is an artificially formulated polymer.
14. A method of remediating a soil surface, the method comprising:
providing a substrate formed as granules, each having an exterior surface;
providing particles formed of a hydrophilic material, the particles being comminuted to a size smaller than the size of the granules;
coating the granules with the particles to form the granules containing the particles on the exterior surfaces thereof;
designating a soil region;
designating a soil depth;
controlling free water in the soil within the region by distributing the granules throughout the soil region and soil depth to absorb at least a portion of the free water.
15. A composition to treat soils susceptible to periodic moisture from weather, the composition comprising:
a substrate comprising granules of an inorganic material, each granule having an outer surface and a size characterized by a maximum dimension thereacross, and all the granules together having an average maximum dimension corresponding thereto;
a polymer, comprising a hydrophilic material selected to absorb water in an amount greater than the weight thereof and bound to the substrate;
the polymer, comminuted to particles, each particle having a size characterized by a maximum dimension thereacross and all the particles characterized by an average maximum dimension, the average maximum dimension of the particles being smaller than the average maximum dimension of the granules.
16. The composition of claim 15 , wherein the polymer is selected to form a gel when exposed to water.
17. The composition of claim 15 , wherein the inorganic material is selected from sand, gravel, vermiculite, and perlite.
18. The composition of claim 15 , wherein the polymer is synthetic.
19. The composition of claim 18 , wherein the polymer is polyacrylamide.
20. The composition of claim 15 , wherein the polymer is selected to have a porosity preferentially binding water to the particles thereof to preferentially draw water away from the soil surrounding the polymer.