ADVANTAGES OF SHELTON DRAINAGE SOLUTIONS
MAIN AND SECONDARY DRAINS

The main drain is laid off the playing area.

Advantages: All the water is moved from the playing area to the side of the field, whereas under the traditional herring bone system the water is moved to the centre of the playing area before being moved off the playing surface.

The main and secondary drains can vary up to a depth of 625mm, and cut to a width of 125mm to accommodate a 110mm pipe and a width of 90mm to accommodate a 75mm pipe.

Advantages: The width of the cut gives significant savings in gravel, as opposed to other traditional methods which cut to a width of ±250 mm or larger for both main and secondary drains.
The gravel saved can be used to install a more intensive method of drainage in the critical first 250 – 300 mm below the surface.
Damage to the turf is limited to 125 mm for main drains and 78 mm for secondary drains, resulting in turf being ready for play much earlier than under the more traditional methods of drainage.

The trenches are cut using the Shelton Super Trencher at speeds from 400m to 800m per hour depending on soil conditions.

Advantages: The rate of cutting the trench is significantly faster that the traditional methods, for example, a rugby or soccer field can be trenched in less than two days.
This reduces the total period of the contract thereby reducing the recovery period of the turf.
The excavated soil is loaded directly onto a trailer running parallel to the trencher, using a conveyer attached to the trencher, and removed from the playing area.

The Shelton Super Trencher cuts and removes all the spoil from the playing surface.

Advantages: All soil is removed from the playing area immediately.
This also prevents irregularities forming on the field as soil is difficult to completely remove off a grass surface.

PIPES

The Cordrain pipes are laid at the bottom of the trench immediately after the cutting of the trenches.

Advantages: One of the main time advantages over the traditional methods is that the corrugated slotted pipes are laid at the bottom of the trench as opposed to first laying a bed of gravel, then the pipe and topping up with gravel.
This results in the water always flowing in the pipe, as opposed to flowing underneath the pipe for a large percentage of the time.

Smaller diameter corrugated pipes are laid (i.e. 110 mm and 65 mm)

Advantages: Geofabric cloth is eliminated. Research has shown that bigger is not necessarily better.
When using the smaller pipes the flow of water is more meaningful and is always turbulent due to the corrugations of the Cordrain piping. The turbulent flow keeps the soil fines that find their way into the pipe moving along the pipe until they exit. In this way the necessity to use any Geofabric cloth is eliminated. Thus also eliminating the possibility of failure of the whole system.

GRAVEL LAYING

Gravel is laid using the Shelton Gravel Hopper.

Advantages: Time savings are effected in the laying of the gravel. The Shelton Gravel Laying Hopper enables the gravel to be laid at various constant levels below the ground surface.
For example; for a golf course this would be approx. 25 mm, a rugby field 75 mm whereas for a horse racing or show jumping venue or a polo field the gravel would be brought to a level approx. 125 mm below the surface.
In addition, using the hopper enables the operator to work neatly and not leave gravel in the grass which could damage the mowing equipment.

SAND PLACEMENT

Sand placement is done using the Shelton Sand Hopper.

Advantages: Time savings are effected in the laying of the sand topping. A mixture of sand/soil mixture can be applied, together with a slow release fertilizer, to ensure quick recovery of the turf.

GRAVEL BANDING

Shelton Drainage Solutions are the only drainage specialists able to offer the unique gravel band drainage system.

Advantages: This gives the intensity of drainage necessary for modern sports fields. Sporting events are big business, and cannot be allowed to be cancelled due to the turf being wet underfoot.
The loss in revenue due to cancellation or delay can effect the financial viability of any sporting event or club. The savings effected by the Shelton trenching, gravel and sand placement, can result in the gravel banding system being laid at little or no extra cost versus the traditional drainage systems, whilst ensuring significantly increased drainage efficiency.

Shelton Gravel Banding can be varied from a depth of 150 mm to 320 mm deep and from 16 mm to 25mm wide and at intervals determined by the permeability of the soil and the design requirements.

Advantages: The drainage system can be designed to suit the clients requirements, and take into account soil permeability, slope of land etc. The successful growth of turf is dependent on the drainage in the top 250 to 300 mm of soil.

OTHER ADVANTAGES

The Shelton system is flexible and can be adapted to the sports fields specific conditions i.e. a certain area of the playing area may require secondary drains and gravel banding at closer intervals than another playing area.

The Shelton system can be designed to suit the clients financial requirements, and the client can decide the intensity of drainage from various options. The Shelton system can be completed in less time than traditional drainage methods, and play on the field can commence much earlier than normal.

A golf fairway can be drained while play continues. A golf green can be drained in one day and played on the next day.