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Indiana Pea Gravel: Definitive Guide

Turning a commercial or shared community space into an inviting, tranquil oasis means incorporating elements of nature, from lush local plants to small Indiana pea gravel. Each Indiana pea gravel stone is unique, and together, they can be used to create beautiful entryways, landscaping, patio areas or even a driveway or parking lot. Beautiful, versatile enough to complement any exterior theme, and fairly easy to install in your space – there’s plenty to love about pea gravel. Our Definitive Guide will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about pea gravel to help you create the ideal outdoor space. What is Pea Gravel? The Origin of Indiana Pea Gravel Pea gravel is the collective name for small, natural stones

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Shoreline Aggregate, Top Dressing Sand for Golf Courses

Benefits of Topdressing Sand for Golf Courses

There’s a myth among golfers that topdressing ruins playability. When a golf course sprays course sand over its putting green, which can usually be seen as a shimmery top layer that reflects pale light in direct sun, it does indeed reduce the firmness of the playing surface for a while. This effect is temporary, however, and a golf course that uses regular topdressing will almost always have a superior putting surface that golfers may come to take for granted, if they ever think about it at all. What is Topdressing? Topdressing is the act of spraying sand over a grass surface, usually the putting green at a golf course, in order to improve its playing characteristics. Sand from a hopper

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Aggregates in Rebuilding Infrastructure

Small towns and big cities are built with, connected by and maintained with aggregates. Aggregates are the basic building blocks upon which society is built. Today’s infrastructure – our roads, bridges, highways, airports, utilities, hospitals and more – are built using limestone, gravel, sand and crushed concrete.

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Shoreline Provides Golf Course Solutions

Shoreline offers a wide selection of limestone, sand and gravel for golf courses and sports field projects. Whether you are building a new course or maintaining your existing course, we have the products you need to create and maintain a quality course. With over 30 years of experience, our golf course materials meet the highest quality standards. Field Tested Our products have been field tested and tweaked to meet specifications and approval of well respected Superintendents and USGA recommendations. These products can be used on sports fields, parks, playgrounds, or any turf grass management project. These materials meet the highest quality standards and are tested by nationally accredited, independent laboratories. Golf Course Sand Samples The USGA has done studies to

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Use Top Dressing Sand for a Smooth Golf Game

Golfers want perfect greens so that they can show off their golf skills.  The green shouldn’t be too soft or too hard, too wet or too dry.  It takes commitment and hard work to keep the correct balance on the greens so that golfers have a firm, smooth, resilient surface for golfing.   Top Dressing Sand Since golf courses are made of living material, as the grass grows the surface changes.  A great golf course isn’t finished after the initial construction.  Continued maintenance is required to keep the course looking great.  As the grass grows, it produces a large root mass.  What is referred to as thatch is this layer of living and dead roots, crowns, rhizomes, stolons, and organic debris that form between the green and

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Cost Effectiveness in Locally Sourced Aggregates and Why Desert Sand is Useless

The Great Lakes region, which includes Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio, is an area rich in quality natural aggregates. Indiana is home to some of the best limestone yields in the country. Southern Michigan has plenty of quality sand, and Northern Michigan as well as Northern Wisconsin produce the finest granite. In Ohio, one can find beautiful silicon sand for dressing golf course bunkers to a tee. We’re fortunate in the road construction industry that solid, quality construction aggregates are readily available in close proximity. This saves money and time when it comes to cartage and logistics. Photo of a small limestone quarry located in Indiana Granite Quarry Northern Wisconsin             While traveling, I find it interesting to examine various

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Did you know?

Aggregates make up nearly 95% of asphalt and up to 75% of concrete Many people don’t realize the amount of aggregates required to make the roads we travel on daily. That’s why when it comes to rebuilding our infrastructure, it starts with quality materials. Limestone, sand, gravel and air-cooled blast furnace (ACBF) slag are all ingredients used in a variety of mix designs for both hot mix asphalt and ready-mix concrete. Therefore, it is imperative that quality INDOT state certified materials are used during this process. While aggregates are use in both asphalt and concrete pavement it’s also used in what you can’t see from the road’s surface, road base. The road base plays an important role in extending the

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Landscaping Projects Are Happening

With Summer arriving and Fall just around the corner, many are starting their landscaping projects at their homes or businesses.  Landscaping with rocks and stones can be a long process but also has the benefits that homeowners want and appreciate in making their property have that “WOW” factor. There are many options when it comes to making the perfect landscaping theme for the homeowner.  It’s important to have the correct materials when completing these projects. For example, selecting the right mason sand for installing pavers instead of using a torpedo sand or concrete sand that could cause uneven pavers. The same goes for having the proper materials for a new driveway. A 1” down to dust material (Indiana #53), ¾” clean limestone

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Sand-Cap Systems

            The decision between natural grass and artificial turf has been an ongoing discussion in recent years. While both have their added benefits, it can be costly if all options are not considered. Artificial turf fields are increasingly popular among high schools and colleges, due to their perceived ease of maintenance and versatility in weather conditions. However, these fields can cost over $1,000,000 and require more upkeep than many people realize. Synthetic turf fields must be monitored closely for compaction in high traffic areas due to the rubber fibers packing from heavy use. This process must be closely monitored, and replacement infill must be used to ensure a safe playing surface. Seams are another issue that presents an issue for turf

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Types of Sand Used in Construction

Sand is an important construction material. Not all sand is the same, and each types has its own purpose.  Sand used for construction must be clean and free of waste stones and other impurities.  It is an important construction component because it provides strength and sustaining ability.   What is Sand? Sand is a natural material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.  It can be found covering beaches, in riverbeds and in deserts throughout the world.  Though all classified as sand, it can come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.  The most common component of sand is silicon dioxide, which is usually in the form of quartz.  Wind and rain breaks down rocks into smaller pieces forming sand. Since quartz is hard, doesn’t

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Choosing Sand for Your Bunkers

Choosing the right sand for a golf course is serious business. The sand chosen for bunkers can impact playing quality and maintenance, as well as the style of construction and architecture of the course.  There are many factors that need to be considered when choosing the perfect sand, and each component can have a major impact on the overall effect.  When choosing bunker sand, it is important to take into account:  Particle Size. The particle size of bunker sand should fall between .25 and 1 mm. Silt and clay particles that are smaller than .05 mm should be kept at a minimum because they can cause surface crusting.  Remember to take into consideration the sand used in the rootzone of bunkers near the greens.  Sand

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What You Should Know About Sand and Gravel

Unless you are working on a construction project, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about sand and gravel.  Easily accessible natural resources, sand and gravel are basic raw materials that are an important component used in construction.  The 2016 mineral commodity summary put out by the USGS tells that $7.2 billion worth of sand and gravel was produced by 6,300 operations in 2015. That was 702 million tons of sand and gravel shipped in just the first nine months of the year. Simply put, sand and gravel may be basic materials, but they are major resources used in the United States.   How It Was Used 702 million tons of sand and gravel is a lot of sand and gravel.  It was used

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Mason Sand

What is Mason Sand? Mason sand is created at the quarry by crushing granite, gneiss, limestone or trap rock and then running it through screens to remove all larger pieces.  It is finer than concrete sand. The smaller grains make mason sand more attractive than concrete sand.   Visually, it looks like beach sand and is often used in projects where appearance is important.   What is Mason Sand Use For? Since it is visually appealing, mason sand is used for a wide range of projects.  It can be mixed with concrete for laying bricks, blocks and stones.  Since it has a fine grain appearance it is often used for swimming pools and laying paving stones.  Other uses include: drainage systems, golf course bunkers, and airport runways.  

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The Benefits of Landscape Stone

If you are looking to add curb appeal to your home or construction project, using landscape stone can provide an aesthetic appeal that is long lasting.  There are a wide variety of landscape stones that can add natural beauty to any home or business.  Not only will the end result look great, but it will also hold up well in inclement weather.   Types of Landscape Stone There are a variety of different types of landscape stone.  They come in many shapes, sizes and colors and can be used for several different purposes.  Landscapes stones can create decorative borders, pathways, retaining walls and gardens.  Depending on the design, several different types of landscape stones can be used to provide the desired look.   Decorative Pebble Decorative pebbles

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Construction Mixes That Make Golf Courses Great

Golfers understand the importance of a properly constructed golf course that provides a firm and uniform surface for putting.  The quality of the golf course will make a difference in whether golfers return again or look elsewhere to play the beloved sport.  A great golf course will resist compaction from foot traffic and mowing, allow water and air infiltration, retain nutrients, and hold the right amount of moisture.   Root Zone Construction Mix A mixture of sand and other materials is the preferred mixture for the root zone layer on the golf course.  Sand works well with bentgrass greens because it resists compaction and has a high air infiltration rate.  Mixing the sand with peat increases retention of water and nutrients.  Since peat is organic and

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Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock, meaning it forms from sediments—rock and sand that settle and accumulate over time at the bottom of water. In particular, limestone forms from the accumulation of shell, coral, algal and fecal debris in clear, shallow and warm marine waters, though it can also form in caves through evaporation.  Mostly composed of calcium carbonate, limestone may also contain other types of rock.  Strong, Dense Rock Limestone has many uses because it is a strong dense rock with few pore spaces.  This structure allows limestone to stand up well to abrasion and freeze-thaw.  It is also easier to mine than any other strong rock and has a lower wear impact on machinery.   Limestone Uses There are many uses for limestone,

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Finding the Right Horse Arena Sand

Building a top quality horse arena depends on using high quality materials.  Finding the right horse arena sand will make a difference in how the horse arena turns out.  Issues that should be considered when choosing horse arena sand are drainage, base depth and materials, and type of top layer.  Ideally you want to create an arena with a top layer that provides the horses with proper cushioning and grip.  The base layer should be firm and capable of resisting damage from hooves. Water should drain properly so that standing pools of water do not form on the arena.   Arena Sand Depth Some may be tempted to keep down the arena sand cost by skimping on the depth of the arena sand base.  This is

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What is Torpedo Sand?

Sand is a naturally occurring material that most of us don’t need to spend much time thinking about until we head to the beach for a fun day in the sun, take the kids out in the sandbox, or need it for a home or commercial construction project.  After all, sand is just sand, right?  It feels great between our toes, keeps the kids wondrously occupied for hours and is a necessary ingredient for many construction projects, but not all sand is the same.  The term sand covers a wide range of materials, and it is important to get just the right type of sand to make your project a success.  Whether you want to buy a bag to fill the kids sandbox for

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What is Crushed Limestone Used For?

Limestone is a sedimentary rock that has many uses in construction.  Shoreline provides INDOT, IDOT and MDOT state approved limestone that adhere to strict quality-control standards.  In addition to providing quality limestone products, Shoreline provides convenient delivery, competitive prices and excellent customer service.  Crushed limestone can be used for a variety of purposes, and whatever the project, Shoreline has the type of crushed limestone that you need.  All our limestone products can be ordered by ton, yard or load.   Uses of Crushed Limestone Crushed limestone is used for numerous construction projects ranging from building bridges to creating drainage or providing fill material. Our customers have used our top quality limestone for: Constructing highways, airport runways, and railways Building bridges, homes, hospitals and schools Establishing

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