PAGE B10 – September 2010 – The GTA Construction Report James Jerome Sports Complex: Sudbury
$2.5M marsh-site project required special co-ordination and design to avoid frost-heave problems
STAFF WRITER – The GTA Construction Report Special Feature
Dol Turf Restoration, established in 1993 by Gord Dol, has installed synthetic and natural turf across On- tario and neighbouring provinces, but had special chal- lenges in completing the work for the James Jerome Sports Complex in Sudbury as the sports field needed to be built beside a wetland.
About Dol Turf
Dol Turf Restoration Ltd. is a family-owned company committed to providing the absolute best sports field and golf course services available, the company says on its website. “We are dedicated to doing it right the first time and are able to accomplish this goal thanks to our highly skilled personnel, state-of-the-art equipment and high- grade materials.”
Founder and president Gord Dol says: “Doing it right, the first time’ means we don’t consider ourselves suc- cessful until we’ve exceeded your expectations.” “From baseball diamonds to soccer pitches to golf courses – and every kind of playing field in between – Dol Turf provides unrivalled construction, restoration and management,” the company says. “As sports turf spe- cialists we are experts when it comes to natural grass sur- faces and artificial turf.”
Skills include aeration, artificial turf, drainage, earth- works, fertilizing, irrigation, laser grading, over-seeding and seeding, top dressing and winter management. For more information, visit
http://www.dolturf.com.
The $2.5 million infrastructure project, which in- cluded an artificial turf field, two natural fields and sup- porting lighting and services, required special planning and co-ordination, especially since the construction site is in a conservation area. “We couldn’t just bring in or take out equipment and materials,” said project man- ager John Roddis. Further more, as the site was near a wetland, we could add, nor remove from the existing grade. With the site right at the water table, without special construction measures, frost heave would quickly de- stroy the field, so engineers designed a special sub-sur- face drainage system. “We excavated down and probably used about 8,000 metric tonnes of clear stone to create the drainage,” he said. “As we moved up closer to the field, the gradation of the stone gets smaller and smaller, with larger stones at the bottom and smaller screenings at the top.” “We also put in two layers of Styrofoam to reduce frost heaving and creating a drainage layer that almost looks like a horizontal egg crate for the foundation with 600 cu. m. of clear stone within that profile.” Dol Turf General Manager Ken Pavely said the drainage system is set up to pump the water to holding tanks. The pumping is needed because the water dis- charge level is higher than the drainage pipes. He said the contractor had further challenges with
the field’s lighting. “The 50 ft. high poles needed cais- sons with special footings in the bottom so they didn’t sink.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Continued on page B12
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22