Frequently Asked Questions

A carefully selected clay with the proper silt and clay ratio must be choosen to be blended with sand.  The sand selected to blend must have the proper gradation with most particles less than 1mm and all particles less than 2mm.  Proper blending of the components ensures a uniform, homogenous blend.  The result is a 70:30 sand:clay, 60:40 sand:clay, or any other ratio of sand to clay (really silt and clay) infield mix. 

Baseball clay or mound clay is a high-density, compactible clay with a high plasticity.  This clay is best used for building pitcher’s mounds and in batter’s boxes.  It has a higher clay content than infield mix used throughout the infield. 

Infield mix is the official term of the dirt found in the infield of a baseball field.  However, people call it baseball dirt or baseball clay.  Product names like DuraEdge®, Turface®, Beam Clay®, and AMP® refer to different types of infield products.  River Sand, Inc.’s brand of infield mix is AMP® or Accu-Mix-Plus® which refers to the custom, precision blend of sand to clay that we provide in our infield mix.

Bioretention soil mix, or Bio Soil, is an engineered soil that is designed to be placed in bioretention areas that capture, retain, and treat stormwater runoff.  These areas are typically placed beside impervious surfaces such as buildings, parking lots, or roads so the runoff can be directed into the cell.  Rip rap or concrete flumes help dissipate the velocity of the runoff and a thin mulch layer on top along with specific plants are on the surface of the cell on top of the bioretention soil mix.  The bioretention soil is designed to have a specific range of infiltration for the water to move through the soil.  The organic material and soil’s ability to update nutrients and other contaminants acts like a filter for the stormwater.  The water is allowed to remain in the cell for uptake by the plants, infiltrate into the groundwater, or filtered before discharge.  The soil must meet certain criteria for physical and chemical characteristics like pH, infiltration, texture, P-index, nutrients, soluble salts, organic matter, and more.

Bioretention soil mix or biosoil is a soil designed to be placed in a bioretention cell.  It is blended to meet certain criteria such as pH, infiltration, texture, P-index, nutrients, soluble salts, and organic matter content.  The engineer, architect, or best management practice guidelines may change for each project.  The bioretention soil’s function is to treat stormwater runoff effectively.  The blend much be homogenous to make sure there are no inconsistent portions of the soil that cause the whole bioretention system to fail.

Bunker sand is simply the sand used in bunkers or traps on a golf course.  Bunker sand is often held to the standard look of Georgia’s own golf course in Augusta.  However, having a brilliant white color isn’t the most important characteristic of a bunker sand.  The size and distribution of the particles along with the shape of the particles is what makes a great bunker sand.  Often people ask for bunker sand knowing that it should be white in color but bunker sand may not be the best sand for other applications.  RSI supplies bunker sand that is brilliant white, off-white, and even dark brown bunker sand.

The USGA has recommendations and guidelines for selecting the best bunker sand.  These guidelines outline important characteristics of bunker sand including: Particle size; Particle shape and penetrometer value; Crusting potential; Chemical reaction (pH) and hardness; Infiltration rate; Color; and Overall playing quality.  Overall, a bunker sand should have most of the particles between 0.25 and 1 mm, a high penetrometer value, good infiltration rate, angular or sub-angular shape, and low tendency to crust.  This type of sand makes the ball remain in the bunker while not burying in the sand but also allows the bunkers to drain rainfall and remain playable. 

Compost can be used for many landscaping and gardening projects.  Compost can be used to mix in to garden soil, incorporate into planting soil, mulch plants in gardens or trees, topdress your lawn, or as a soil amendment.  It is usually blended with another sand, soil, or dirt to improve its quality and not a standalone growing media.

Most soil conditioners have a high organic matter content consisting of pine fines and other finely mulched organic material.  Manure, lime, and sand may be added for additional benefits.  Compost is another component and can be in the form of composted mulch along with manure products. 

Construction Sand refers is a general term for sand used for a variety of construction purposes.  Not all Construction Sand is the same but it is typically a general purpose, budget friendly sand.  It can be made of different sources.  Our Construction Sand is a type of silica sand that can be used for concrete, drainage, underlayment for pipes and tanks, block masonry, and landscaping.  It is sub-angular, medium to coarse in gradation, screened, and washed sand.