University of Dayton
Project Overview
University of Dayton (UD) is a top-tier national Catholic research university located in Dayton, Ohio. UD has a variety of sports complexes that were in need of updates: Stuart Field (Recreation Fields), Von Mohr Field (Practice Football Field), and Woerner Field (Baseball Field).
All 3 surfaces required slightly different turf systems to meet the universities needs.
The Situation
Motz was the University’s first choice in the building of its new field surfaces. Located in Ohio, Motz is a natural grass and synthetic turf construction company that is well-known in the industry. For 45 years Motz has built fields and is respected for its high-quality products and experts.
The school also worked with Motz in 2011 on the first installation of Stuart Field, which built trust with the staff at the school. Since then, UD has used Motz365 Field Aide, a deep-cleaning synthetic turf maintenance service to maintain the longevity of their turf life and the safety of their field.
The Play
Motz built performance for multiple sports fields at UD by providing creative construction solutions to their practice football field, recreational field, and baseball field surfaces.
Von Mohr Field
The shared practice football field was converted to create a consistent surface and provided an extra field for UD and the local public high school athletes. Von Mohr, UD’s natural grass practice football field, had foundation issues due to bad soil causing an inconsistent surface. The University wanted to convert the natural grass to a synthetic turf field to create a consistent surface that could still be used in any weather condition.
Motz, in conjunction with UD’s designer, SportWorks Field Design, came up with a creative construction strategy to solve these low spots and sinkholes that were occurring on the natural grass field by treating the subsurface that was built on top of an old construction dump. The Motz team created a bridge on the soil to help with drainage and build a solid foundation for the installation of the field. Next was the shock pad, slit-film turf, and rubber and sand infill mixture to create a safe and high-performing practice football field year-round.
Stuart Field
The Campus Recreation department at UD wanted a replacement for their surface at Stuart Field. Motz installed the original recreation field in 2011. Motz helped the UD team care for the first lifecycle of turf and their staff knew Motz would be an excellent fit for this next project.
Through an RFP process and numerous meetings with internal stakeholders, the Motz team and UD determined twenty-four-seven high-performance slit film turf with a thatch, infilled with rubber and sand was the best solution for the amount of use a recreation field would receive.
These soccer fields are used for scheduled activities, such as varsity soccer practice, sport club games, intramural sports, or special events.
Woerner Field
The baseball natural grass field at UD, Woerner Field, is next to the practice football field VonMohr Stadium. The baseball field had a sinkhole due to the soil beneath the playing surface. The Motz team worked with SportsWork Field Design to come up with a similar method for base remediation as was used at Von Mohr. Motz then installed their TriplePlay Turf System, which delivers exceptional playability, increased ball speed, and reduced maintenance. The short denser artificial turf was placed around the clay areas. The longer fiber turf was placed in the infield and outfield grass. Motz Safeshell infill was placed along the warning track, which is heavier than sand. UD wanted to play on a firmer and faster field, so they chose Safeshell as their infill.
The Win
Lifecycle Management Partner
Motz365 Field Aide maintenance program provided the staff with the support they needed to create a safe, high-performing, and long-lasting field surface year-round for all of UD’s sports fields. Motz built confidence and trust with UD through the field construction experience and Motz maintenance plan, which provides a full field lifecycle care plan.
Wow Factor
Motz and Sport Works Field Design were able to solve the soil and foundation issues for three sports fields at UD: a practice football field, a baseball field, and four recreation soccer fields. Motz365 maintenance service was also used to maintain the fields after the construction of these projects to keep the field surface consistent. The University of Dayton had peace of mind knowing their sports fields would be taken care of throughout the construction and the life of their field through The Motz Group.
Creative Construction Strategy
The base of the field was corrected by Motz and Sport Works Field Design, UD’s designers. They worked together to successfully solve the uneven surface and foundation problems by treating the subsurface and using a stone mixture to improve drainage. This creative construction strategy was able to solve the pockets and low spots that were forming on the field.
Ready to Get Started?
Interested in starting a project? Have questions about our process and products? Wherever you are in planning your dream field, we’re ready to walk through your specific needs, answer any questions you have, and talk through how our team of experts will be there to guide you every step of the way.
