The sports field located at Ashfield Boys High School was originally poorly constructed, offering students a lacklustre area for sports practice and competitions. The field was riddled with weeds and suffered from extensive drainage issues, as well as having a mounded profile that affected gameplay for sports such as soccer where a level surface is vital.
With a long history of multiple commercial uses including an Army parade ground and a building site, it’s likely that the field had never been properly prepared or levelled before being transformed into a school oval.
Hurdles were prevalent during this project, which was completed in between Covid lockdowns and heavy rainfall. However, it was access that proved to be the most challenging, with very limited access to the site.
Ashfield Boys High School is located on the notoriously busy Hume Highway/Liverpool Road, meaning plant and equipment had to contend with near constant traffic and difficult access. After neatly removing a section of garden, a brick wall and a section of fencing to access the site, and securing Council approvals to proceed, our installation team could finally get to work in between storms and a series of construction lockdown mandates.
Throughout all these challenges, both the school’s staff and the Education department were incredibly accommodating when faced with having their main playground space out of action for an extended period.
Preferred Turf’s scope of works included access and seating features, lighting, drainage and of course installation of the main synthetic turf field.
The synthetic turf component of this project utilised our FIFA-accredited synthetic turf system. This proven multi-layered approach is comprised a specific turf – our 50mm FIFA Soccer Turf – combined with a drainage cell layer, a 20mm thick rubber shock pad, and a sand and rubber crumb infill.
Preferred Turf also supplied a special inset piece featuring the school’s crest, which we had specially prefabricated off-site and installed as a sparkling showpiece into the top of this field.
Retaining walls around the perimeter of the oval and concrete tiered seating provided an attractive and practical place for students and spectators to sit. Combined with concrete pathways and a driveway to access the oval, these hard landscaping features perfectly complemented the professionally-installed synthetic turf field.
To ensure reliable long-term performance and surface consistency, an extensive drainage system was installed. This filtered back to a large Atlantis on-site detention tank, ensuring the synthetic turf surface was always in match-ready condition.
In addition, our team provided sports field lighting to extend the usage of the fields and allow night competition and training to take place.
The final touches for this project included the installation of the soccer goals, and the necessary site remediation and landscaping to create an attractive, safe and flexible space that the school can enjoy for years to come.
Feedback from the school leadership team and the community has been overwhelmingly positive with the school considering hiring the space out after hours for local clubs to enjoy.
