Montgomery Parks Replaces Artificial Turf Field at Blair High School

Montgomery Blair High School Artificial Turf Playing Surface Replacement

About the Project:
In August 2008, M-NCPPC’s Montgomery County Department of Parks (“Montgomery Parks”) installed an artificial turf playing field at Montgomery Blair High School. The field included a stone drainage layer and an artificial turf playing surface with crumb rubber infill.

Montgomery Parks is now replacing the playing surface of the field because the carpet on the field had deteriorated and was heavily worn. The new field will feature all organic infill and a shock absorption pad underneath the carpet. The field is expected to reopen this March. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who made the decision to replace the playing surface?
M-NCPPC owns the property where the playing surface of the field is located, and Montgomery Parks is responsible for building, maintaining, inspecting and replacing the field.

How was the public notified of this process?
Montgomery Parks posted information on the homepage of its website and worked with Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery County's Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) to notify user groups.

Who provided the original playing surface and is it still under warranty?
FieldTurf provided and installed the original playing surface, which is still under warranty.

Why is the playing surface of the field being replaced sooner than anticipated?
The playing surface at Montgomery Blair High School had deteriorated and was heavily worn.

Is FieldTurf helping with the cost of the replacement?
M-NCPPC’s Office of General Counsel is evaluating all options at this time.

What is the process for replacing the playing surface?
The process involves removing the existing playing surface, ensuring that the existing stone base drains well, conducting minor grading to ensure a smooth base and installing the new playing surface.

Will the new playing surface utilize a crumb rubber infill?
The new playing surface will not have a crumb rubber infill.

What products are used for the new playing surface?
The Montgomery County Council passed a resolution in January 2015 which approves only the use of plant-derived infill materials for new playing surfaces in Montgomery County. The new playing surface will be Shaw Sports Turf’s Momentum 46 with Geofill which is made from completely natural, environmentally-friendly materials, composed primarily of coconut husks and is 100 percent organic and a rapidly renewable resource. Shaw will place a Brock Powerbase YSR shock and drainage pad underneath the playing surface. For additional product information, visit the company websites: http://www.shawsportsturf.com/ and http://www.brockusa.com/.

How was the contractor for the playing surface replacement selected?
The replacement turf for the playing surface at Montgomery Blair High School was procured utilizing the National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA) Cooperative Purchasing Agreement, in accordance with Section 13-517 “Cooperative Purchase Contracts” of the Commission’s Purchasing Manual. For more details about the NJPA cooperative purchasing agreement visit the website.

What is involved with testing the field?
Infiltration testing is done on the stone base before putting the pad down, and again on the completed playing surface. GMax testing is done to measure the playing surface’s shock absorption properties.

What will happen with the removed surface materials?
M-NCPPC policy is to minimize landfill waste through re-use or recycling. The removed materials were transferred to a specialty recycling facility.

How is the project funded?
The construction cost for the replacement playing surface at the field is $725,000, including removal and recycling of the existing playing surface.  This project is funded from the ballfield improvements project in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP).