Frequently Asked Questions

Infield conditioner can be a variety of products designed to keep just the right amount of moisture on a baseball or softball field.  Infield conditioners are made to amend infield dirt and not designed to be used alone.  It is typically added to the existing or new infield dirt on the surface (up to ¼”) or blended throughout at usually 10% by volume.  Turface® and some other conditioners are made from calcined clay.  A specific type of clay that is super-heated to become porous.  Other conditioners are made from a type of shale, diatomaceous earth, crushed aggregates, and brick dust. 

Infield Mix is composed of a precisely blended ratio of sand sized particles along with silt and clay sized particles.  There should be not rocks (>2mm).  The infield dirt can be analyzed for soil texture to determine how much sand, silt, and clay are in a mix.  Some blends can include a calcined clay or infield conditioner, such as Turface®, to help fields retain moisture and absorb moisture at the surface. 

Lagoons can be dredged to remove biosolids, alum, ash, sediment, or other sludge.  Dredging of lagoons usually utilizes hydraulic dredging to pump the sludge for dewatering and disposal purposes.  Lagoons are often a treatment for water quality to remove any contaminants, organic matter, or pollutants prior to discharge, reuse, or land application.  If the lagoon loses enough capacity its function may diminish.  Dredging can restore the function even by removing the sludge, often while the lagoon is still in use. 

M10 Sand is sand made from the process of crushing rock, usually granite.  M10 sand is typically varies from light to dark gray in color.  It can contain a mixture of coarse to fine grains of sand.  It can be called manufactured sand, M sand, Man Sand, #10 sand, rock dust, granite dust, decomposed granite, or screenings.  However, m10s typically is used for the screened, washed version of concrete sand produced by a quarry.  It is best used as a concrete sand for a compactible base beneath pavers, pathways, and arenas. 

Masonry (masonary or mason) Sand is a fine, screened, washed, sand used in mortar for bricks, blocks, and beneath pavers.  It is commonly used for other applications such as play sand (sandboxes), beach sand, volleyball sand, topdressing and other landscaping/construction projects.  However, there are other sands specifically designed for each of these uses that have better characteritics than masonry sand.  Masonry Sand was designed for brick mortar, and some of it can meet ASTM c-144 requirements.  Overall, it is a fine textured, soft feel, light colored sand.

Masonry Sand is designed for mortar mix to join bricks and blocks together.  It is also works great as a paver base.  It can vary in gradation but the fine texture allows for a smooth finish in mortar.  However, because of its availability at local construction and landscape supply yards it has become a popular alternative for many other uses.  It can be used as a play sand, topdressing sand, beach sand, volleyball sand, underlayment, and landscaping sand.  Masonry Sand can be a good fit for many of these uses but RSI has other sands specifically designed for each purpose.  So, you can choose what sand is right for your specific project.

Mound clay is a specialized clay that is designed for building pitching mounds.  It provides a firm, compactible surface.  It can also be used to amend infields that are too sandy, or contain too much sand. 

It is made of clay.  Every dirt can be defined as the percentage of sand, silt, and clay sized particles.  Sand particles are the largest.  Clay particles are the smallest and silt is in between.  Mound clay is not 100% clay particles as many people think.  Most mound clays are 40-50% sand with the remaining portion 50-60% being silt and clay particles.  This mixture compacts well and provides an excellent media for pitching mounds and the batter’s box. 

Pea gravel is a smaller rock that is great for use on:

• Pathways, walkways
• Fire pits
• Ground cover around sidewalks, porches/decks, gardens
• Drainage projects
• Patios
• Playgrounds
• Driveways
• Camper or RV pads
• Grave sites and cemeteries

Landscaper’s planting mix or Landscape Mix is a soil blended specifically for planting trees, shrubs, grass, flowers, and gardening.  It is different than topsoil because it contains a high amount of organic material along with sand to help retain moisture and provide nutrients.  The combination of soil components allows this soil blend to be well-drained to help roots establish quickly without disease.