Drainage

Effective synthetic turf drainage depends on how the entire field system works together.

Drainage From the Surface Down

A synthetic turf field must manage water through the surface, beneath the turf, and all the way to the perimeter.

Rainwater needs a clear path through the playing surface and away from the field. That path depends on the turf, infill, shock pad, structural base, field slope, and drainage infrastructure working together.

Brock offers permeable shock pads and PowerBase systems with engineered drainage features to help project teams address water movement beneath synthetic turf. The right solution depends on the site, the selected turf system, and the project’s drainage design.

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Cross section of Brock shock pad showing drainage

Why Synthetic Turf Drainage Is a System

A field does not drain through one component alone. Its drainage performance depends on how the turf, infill, underlayment, base, field slope and perimeter collection system work together.

During a major storm, some water moves vertically through the turf and infill. As a field ages and fine contaminants accumulate within the system, more water may also travel laterally through or across the infill toward the perimeter.

A complete design considers three connected functions:

Perimeter collection: Drains, storage systems, and outlets receive and manage water according to the project’s engineered stormwater plan.

Vertical drainage: Water moving downward through the turf and underlying system.

Lateral drainage: Water moving horizontally beneath or across the field toward the perimeter.

Beneath the Surface, Drainage Matters

The Challenge With Traditional Stone Bases

One foundation. Two demanding jobs.

A traditional stone base may be expected to provide both structural stability and drainage. Its aggregate composition, compaction, depth, and construction quality influence how well it performs those functions.

Over time, fine particles and other changes within the base can affect water movement. On replacement projects, the existing base should be evaluated rather than assumed to retain its original drainage performance.

An engineered drainage layer beneath the turf gives designers another way to manage water while addressing the structural needs of the field.

Separate Stability From Drainage

With an appropriately designed Brock PowerBase system, the structural base can be engineered primarily for stability while drainage channels beneath the turf help direct water laterally toward the perimeter collection system.

This approach allows project teams to address foundation stability and water movement as distinct design requirements.

Brock Shock pads A Stable Foundation

A Stable Foundation

Let the structural base do what it does best: provide a firm, level foundation for the field.

Brock shock pads Dedicated Drainage Layer

A Dedicated Drainage Layer

Brock PowerBase creates a defined pathway beneath the turf for water to move through the pad.

Brock Shock Pad Drainage with Dedicated

A Clear Path to Collection

Connect lateral drainage pathways to infrastructure designed to receive and manage the flow.

Drainage Features Across Brock Products

PowerBase YSRXD: Additional Capacity for Demanding Drainage Conditions

PowerBase YSRXD builds on YSR’s drainage design with more and larger drain holes and increased lateral-flow capacity. It provides an option for projects facing intense rainfall or challenging drainage conditions, including certain turf-replacement projects with aging bases.

Compared with PowerBase YSR, YSRXD incorporates:

  • 20% more drain holes
  • 36% larger drain holes
  • Approximately twice the lateral flow rate under the reported comparative test conditions

YSRXD also provides bi-directional lateral drainage. Water flows most efficiently along its primary channels, while interconnected pathways allow movement perpendicular to those channels.

Both YSR and YSRXD must connect to collection infrastructure designed for the project’s anticipated water flow. Product selection should account for rainfall, field slope, drainage distances, base conditions, and collector and outlet capacity.

Brock PowerBase YSRXD Logo.
Brock PowerBase YSR XD shock pad close up
20% more holes thank PowerBase YSR

PowerBase YSR: Perforations Above. Continuous Channels Below.

PowerBase YSR combines drain holes through the panels with large lateral channels underneath.

Water passes through the perforations into the channels, which transport it toward the collector system along the field’s edge. Channels align where panels meet, maintaining continuous drainage pathways between properly installed panels.

This design gives water a defined route beneath the turf and toward perimeter collection.

Brock PowerBase YSR Logo
Brock PowerBase YSR shock pad close up view
Crush ribs control fit during installation.

PowerBase PRO: Perforations for Vertical Water Movement

PowerBase YSR combines drain holes through the panels with large lateral channels underneath.

Water passes through the perforations into the channels, which transport it toward the collector system along the field’s edge. Channels align where panels meet, maintaining continuous drainage pathways between properly installed panels.

This design gives water a defined route beneath the turf and toward perimeter collection.

Brock Powerbase Pro Logo
Brock PowerBase Pro close up detail shot
Drain channels are continuous between
panels for water flow.

Brock ShockPad Series: Permeable Throughout the Pad

Brock SP Series shock pads allow water to move through the natural void spaces between their expanded polypropylene beads.

A micro-binder joins the beads while preserving the open spaces that make the material permeable. Third-party laboratory testing has measured vertical drainage rates exceeding 700 inches per hour.

SP’s permeability allows water to pass through the pad to the drainage layers beneath it. The complete field design must provide an appropriate pathway for that water to be collected and discharged.

Brock Shock Pad Series Logo.
Brock shock pad series close up image
The open-pore structure allows water to
pass vertically through the material.

Plan for the Water’s Entire Journey

Moving water through the pad is one part of managing it.

A permeable shock pad or engineered drainage channel must connect to a system capable of receiving the water.

Depending on the project, that system may include a permeable aggregate base, subsurface drains, perimeter collectors, stormwater storage, infiltration, or a controlled outlet.

The design should account for:

  • Local rainfall intensity and the required design storm
  • Field dimensions, slope, and drainage distances
  • Turf and infill permeability
  • Shock-pad drainage characteristics
  • Base conditions
  • Collector and outlet capacity
  • Storage requirements and local stormwater regulations

Replacing Turf? Evaluate What Is Beneath It.

A turf replacement is an opportunity to assess the entire field system.

Before selecting a new surface, evaluate the existing base’s stability, levelness, and drainage performance, along with the condition of the collection system and outlets.

Where appropriate, a PowerBase system with engineered lateral drainage can provide a defined water pathway above an existing structural base. Suitability depends on the project’s site conditions and engineering assessment.

Drainage FAQs

Vertical drainage moves water downward through the turf system, while lateral drainage moves water horizontally toward the perimeter. A successful field design must manage both. Water must pass through the surface, move beneath or across the field and enter a perimeter system capable of receiving it.

A synthetic turf field drains by moving water through the turf and infill, into the underlying system, and toward collection and discharge infrastructure. The route depends on the field design and may combine vertical movement through permeable materials with lateral movement toward drains.

Yes. Brock offers shock pads that allow water to pass through perforations or through interconnected void spaces within the material. The drainage mechanism varies by product, so the selected pad should be evaluated within the complete field system.

PowerBase YSR uses drain holes through its panels and large channels underneath. The channels align between properly installed panels, allowing water to move laterally toward the field’s edge collection system.

PowerBase YSRXD produced a typical vertical water-permeability value of 5,410 inches per hour under the reported EN 12616 test conditions. Standard PowerBase YSR produced a typical value of 2,215 inches per hour under the same reported conditions.

PowerBase YSRXD produced reported lateral flow rates of 1.16 gallons per minute per foot at a 0.50% slope, 1.43 at a 0.75% slope and 1.66 at a 1.00% slope. Lateral transmissivity testing was performed in accordance with ASTM D4716.

Water passes through the void spaces between the pad’s expanded polypropylene beads. Third-party laboratory testing has measured vertical drainage rates exceeding 700 inches per hour. Water passing through the pad must then be managed by the underlying drainage system.

PowerBase PRO uses perforations to allow water to move vertically through the pad. Independent laboratory testing has measured drainage rates exceeding 500 inches per hour. Complete-field drainage also depends on the materials and infrastructure beneath the pad.

No. A laboratory drainage rate measures a product under specific conditions. Installed-field capacity also depends on the turf, infill, base, slope, collectors, outlets, and available storage. The complete drainage system must be evaluated for the project’s design storm.

Yes, a PowerBase system with engineered lateral channels can help separate these functions. The base provides structural support while the drainage layer transports water toward collection infrastructure. This approach requires a compatible, project-specific design.

No. A shock pad helps water move through or beneath the turf, but the field still needs an appropriate system to collect, store, infiltrate, or discharge that water.

A qualified civil engineer or experienced sports-field drainage designer should develop the complete drainage plan. Brock can support that work with product information and technical coordination.

Standing water can occur when another part of the drainage path restricts flow. Possible causes include compacted or contaminated infill, restricted underlying materials, insufficient slope, blocked drains, or inadequate outlet capacity. The entire pathway should be investigated.

Brock can provide product information and help the design team evaluate pad options for an existing field. The base and drainage infrastructure still require assessment to determine whether they are suitable for reuse and how the replacement system should manage water.

Select the pad as part of the complete field design. Consider vertical permeability, any engineered lateral drainage features, base conditions, field slope, rainfall requirements, and collection capacity alongside impact and other performance requirements.


Planning a new field or replacing an existing surface? Talk with Brock about the drainage demands of your project.

CONTACT THE BROCK TEAM