This case study highlights the Chicago Bears’ expansion of Halas Hall practice facilities using Profile Porous Ceramic (PPC) Greens Grade™ root zone mixes. To support intense professional use and variable Midwest weather, the team relied on PPC’s proven performance from earlier fields and extensive testing for the new 200,000 square-foot site. An eight-inch, 90 percent sand / 10 percent PPC profile over pea gravel delivered moisture and nutrient retention, rapid drainage and long-term consistency. The new fields established quickly, handled three-inch rains, and provided pro-level performance for 10 out of 12 months in a sometimes unforgivingly wet and cold climate.
Key Points
- Original Halas Hall practice fields used a blend of 85 percent sand, 10 percent Profile Porous Ceramics (PPC) and 5 percent peat moss that still performs near the designed criteria established 22 years ago.
- The expansion converted an adjacent 14-acre wetlands parcel into 200,000 square feet of practice fields, requiring infill, soil examination, sand testing and coordination with multiple officials and contractors.
- Testing confirmed an eight-inch root zone of 10 percent PPC and 90 percent sand over a six-inch pea gravel layer, leveraging PPC’s 74 percent pore space to improve water and nutrient holding capabilities, increase oxygen levels and facilitate drainage when saturated.
- Sodded in March 2018, the two new practice fields were ready for full use by August 2018; Mrock notes they can handle three-inch rains with next-morning practice and that the Profile growing medium is still performing well and well received by staff and players.
