It’s that time of year again, when the leaves begin changing, the air is crisper, and you can’t leave the house without seeing a promotion for pumpkin-spiced something or another. It’s also the time when we gather with family and friends every Sunday to wear our lucky jerseys while we scream at the TV for hours and only take breaks to dig into the potluck of finger foods. That’s right, it’s officially football season!
When you think about football, visions of Friday night lights, concession stands, and bright green fields probably come to mind. The bright green fields might just be our favorite part here at Timmons Group, so we’re kicking off this football season with a highlight of our synthetic turf field projects!
Our goal is to provide our clients with long-lasting solutions tailored to their needs. When choosing between a natural grass field and a synthetic turf field, multiple deciding factors come into play Let’s look at the benefits of a synthetic turf field.
Synthetic turf field is a great alternative to natural grass fields for a few different reasons:
- It’s a cost-effective and smart solution to overused playing fields
- Synthetic turf is resilient and can withstand a lot of wear and tear while requiring less maintenance than a natural turf field
- Turf fields allow communities to conserve water and eliminate the use of potentially harmful pesticides and fertilizers
- Many turf fields still filter water before it enters the groundwater table, similarly to real grass
Here are a few of our favorite turf fields from recent years:
Massaponax Turf Field
After opening in the fall of 1998, Massaponax High School became the fourth high school in Spotsylvania County and is now one of the County’s largest high schools. The school is part of the AAA Commonwealth District, which is the largest enrollment class of the Virginia High School League and, typically, the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports.
In 2018, Timmons Group began working with Spotsylvania County Public Schools to convert Massaponax High School’s football field to synthetic turf. According to the County of Spotsylvania, the conversion from a natural field to an artificial turf field was driven by “increased use of the fields due to additional varsity sports being initiated and the type of field usage.” Read more about the decision to transition to turf here.
Timmons Group provided civil design, geotechnical studies, topographic and underground utility survey, stormwater inspections, construction administration, and permitting services for this field design.
Our engineers partnered with Leading Design and Development Sports (LDD Sports), who provided design and specifications for the turf field system.
The project was completed in the spring of 2020. The turf field installment currently supports the school’s 2,000-student population and will continue to benefit students for many years to come.
Fauquier County Sports Complex
Timmons Group was a proud partner in the final design of the long-awaited Central Fauquier County Sports Complex. Situated just east of Warrenton on an approximately 75-acre parcel with frontage on Meetze Road (RT 643) and Old Auburn Road (RT 670), the project is surrounded by working farmland, the Fauquier County Fairgrounds, VEPCO substation, and an outdoor wedding venue. Since the facility is a staple of its thriving local community, Timmons Group worked with multiple user groups to formulate a plan that kept consideration of its neighbors in mind.
The 74-acre complex is home to five natural grass multipurpose fields, two little league baseball fields, two softball fields, one competition baseball field, and one synthetic turf multipurpose field. The full-sized multipurpose artificial turf field has markings for soccer, lacrosse, and football.
Timmons Group’s plan to minimize traffic conflicts included an outer ring road that was designed to provide full site access while placing the fields and parking inboard of the main roadway. Additionally, Timmons Group accommodated ADA access to each field, amenities, and parking lots into the design.
The synthetic turf field promotes year-round activity for athletes in honor of Morgan Rodgers for her love of sports. Read more about her story from The Falconer.
Timmons Group provided the final design, construction cost estimates, site and environmental permitting, drawing and specifications, and construction administration for the overall project.
J.R. Tucker High School
On August 26 of this year, J.R. Tucker High School kicked off the football season by playing their first home game in three years on their newly constructed football field.
Founded in 1962, J.R. Tucker was a campus-style school with 19 buildings on 44 acres, 32 of which were disturbed during construction. The new J.R. Tucker High School was built on the footprint of the original football stadium, practice field, and gymnasium while the old school continued to operate.
After the new school opened the original campus-style buildings were demolished to make room for a new stadium and practice field. The new stadium design includes a fieldhouse, concession stand, 400-meter track, and a synthetic turf field. The school serves 1,700 students and 150 faculty members.
After three years of away games and improvised practices, the Fred W. Wells stadium marks a new chapter for the students of J.R. Tucker High School.
Henrico County Public Schools were excited for the completion of the new turf field in June of this year. Check out the aerial video of the turf being laid down!
Timmons Group is grateful for the opportunity to have worked on these exciting turf field designs and bring cost-effective, lasting solutions to the communities we serve. With football season in full effect, we’re ecstatic to see our neighbors enjoying the Friday night lights on their brand-new turf fields!
