Drainage backfill Cancel The title field is required!

1. Turnbull Brandon E

   
   12/8/2012 8:12 PM

   I have heard a lot of debate lately between using pea gravel or coarse sand as backfill for drainage trenches. I am planning a large drainage project this spring and am trying to figure out the best way to go. The soil on my course is native with a high silt and clay content. Just wondering what everyones thoughts were about this and the methods you use when installing drainage?

   
   
   
   
2. Rosenthal Gregg

   
   12/9/2012 3:12 AM

   We have been doing much drainage work this fall ourselves, including building a new driving range tee at the oposite end of range. Everytime we put in drainage pipe it is covered with pea gravel! Without a doubt in our clay based soils it is required for good drainage to get the water out as quickly and easily possible, use well sized pea gravel. I have built 5 new golf courses and always required drainage be done so! It is the purpose of the drain to remove the water ASAP so the pea gravel or well sized stone is what makes it work the best, even in sandy soil. This keeps the soil or sandy material out of the pipe and clogging any drain holes in the pipe down the line, over time. This installation should last a minimum of 8-10 years if done right and often longer. Good luck, oh and always put a little pea gravel down first before putting down the pipe as bedding for the pipe to sit on, it also makes it all work better! JMO.
   
   Gregg R

   
   
   
   
3. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   12/9/2012 6:12 AM

   I strongly believe that pea gravel drains better the sand but I refuse to use pea gravel in certain areas. I never use pea gravel in sand bunkers, greens or in the top 4" of any fairway drainage. I know that others will not feel the same way but every course is different. I have no pea gravel in my greens so I will not use it in any of them in order to keep them all consistant. I never us it in sand bunkers because at some point and time it will work its way up, especially if you have a tight budget and do not have the luxury of adding new sand as needed. I never use pea gravel in any areas where it can get into the fairway turf and cause problems with our mower reels. We simply cannot afford the repairs from the damage the pea gravel can cause. When doing these trenches I will fill them up to about 4" and then use sand. bet we also have to be extra careful when filling the trenches as not to get any on the turf.
   
   If you are going to do the job do it right! But be aware of all concenquences when you use it.

   
   
   
   
4. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   12/9/2012 12:12 PM

   James, I like that idea for bunkers, it's too bad you don't have a just a couple of bunkers with pea gravel to compare, as everything else is the same.
   
   Anyone try the drainage pipe with the fake gravel wrapped in a sock? I am thinking about that when redoing some bunkers, just because we do one at a time and really don't have the storage area for pea gravel that doesn't get used during the reconstruction.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
5. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   12/9/2012 4:12 PM

   Melvin Waldron, CGCS said: James, I like that idea for bunkers, it's too bad you don't have a just a couple of bunkers with pea gravel to compare, as everything else is the same.
   
   Anyone try the drainage pipe with the fake gravel wrapped in a sock? I am thinking about that when redoing some bunkers, just because we do one at a time and really don't have the storage area for pea gravel that doesn't get used during the reconstruction.
   
   Mel

   
   
   
   Mel,
   
   A friend used some this summer. The pipe with the Styrofoam peanuts around it in the netting. He said it was more expensive, but installation was a breeze and way quicker than using rock/sand. So far so good he says. We'll see how long it holds up.

   
   
   
   
6. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   12/9/2012 7:12 PM

   Thanks Andy,
   
   With our small crew, I thought it might be easier for us to use, how long it might last? 15 years until I retire hopefully?
   
   If it doesn't last it won't be that big of deal to remove. We only have 14 bunkers total anyway.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
7. Verdun Scott M

   
   12/10/2012 8:12 AM

   What Gregg said. Even if you are using non-perforated pipe on a main line a layer of pea gravel on the bottom then enough to cover the entire pipe and you will have successful drains for a long time. We are in the process of repairing a lot of drain lines that were backfilled with native soil and have caved, filled with mud etc...

   
   
   
   
8. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   12/10/2012 8:12 AM

   I will say the bunker we redid this past season did have pea gravel in the drain trench and it was working great, it also had pvc pipe as the drain pipe, I didn't notice any holes but they could have been facing down, since it was working so well I wasn't going to have us mess with it.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO