Athletic Field Project
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In the Spring of 2008 Barthuly Irrigation was asked to look at a new project for an athletic field for the Danville School Corporation. The architectural firm, Schmidt Associates, was looking for a reputable contractor to install sub surface drip irrigation; a type of irrigation that had yet to be installed on an athletic field in Indiana and a very uncommon request when talking about irrigation applications in the Midwest. After months of coordination and planning, Barthuly Irrigation was awarded the project. The process of installing a drip irrigation system is tedious. However, if installed properly sub surface irrigation can provide monumental, long term savings to the owner. Traditional irrigation distributes water into the air and allows the water to fall to the ground. Each nozzle of the sprinkler head allows a certain amount of water to flow through. The sprinkler head itself, can be adjusted to allow for various arc patterns. However, the efficiency of this type of irrigation can be affected greatly by wind, evaporation, temperature, slope, humidity, etc… Conversely, the water that emits from a drip irrigation pipe that is buried 8" deep in the ground, flows directly into the earth and eventually wicks up to the top of the soil. The water does not go up into the air where it can be affected greatly by wind, temperature, and evaporation. It doesn’t sit on top of the soil and create puddles like traditional irrigation will do. It actually feeds the plant (in this case, turf) from the bottom of the root up. The roots of any plant will "reach" for the water source in order to survive. If the water source is 8" deep, the plant’s roots will continue to navigate toward that source. The deeper the roots base, the healthier the plant. Barthuly was proud to be a part of this project. They continue to be leaders in their industry in many areas. In particular, their dedication to water conservation and the environment is evident through their associations with EPA sponsored programs like WaterSense. The Danville Football Field was yet another "landmark" project that will set the standard for others to follow for years to come. Please click here if you are interested ins seeing the photo gallery. Barthuly would like to thank the following who greatly aided in the success of this irrigation project.
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