Artificial Surfaces “
with microbiological populations and, therefore, render the topsoil inert biologically speaking in the future. The site footprint itself would normally be
It is at this point that you find out whether your extensive ground searches, planning and preparations have borne fruit, or if there is something in the ground that you will now expose that you didn’t know about
larger than the final facility to deal with any site gradients and banks or batters that need to be installed for future maintenance. Once the topsoil has been stripped, the
subsoil is exposed and is worked on further to create a formation footprint to build upon. It is at this point that you find out whether your extensive ground searches, planning and preparations have borne fruit, or if there is something in the ground that you will now expose that you didn’t know about! Fingers crossed, it is as you envisaged and
there are no surprises. Groundworks
When the formation has been exposed, it will be prepared to the correct gradients in order to develop new facilities upon it. The formation itself would normally be consolidated and can be stabilised in
specialist laser equipment attached to machinery to carry out this work in a fairly exacting manner. If the weather is in your favour, you will be surprised at how quickly this process takes place and you will start to see the initial site footprint taking shape. Ongoing climatic conditions can affect this outcome significantly, so timing of this element should be considered carefully as part of the overall project development and programme. In previous years, I have started jobs in the autumn or spring months and endured very dry prevailing conditions and, conversely, started works in the so called dry summer months and endured very wet summer holiday periods. You never quite know what the prevailing weather conditions will be. I think there is a useful process described
below, that I have used on several occasions now to expand the traditional construction calendar and give a lot more certainty with regards to ground conditions on which to build, and I personally think it has real merit in sports construction.
Is there something in the ground that you did not know about? Here an old swimming pool is discovered
The contractor will not ordinarily remove subsoils from site, but will carry out a balanced cut and fill whereby soils are moved around to create plateaus on which to build
”
Swimming pool filled in and work can continue
addition to this, which is described in more detail below. The consolidation process, after initial grading, is carried out by specialist equipment nowadays to ensure significant consolidation and compaction of this layer so that it is strong enough to build up. Some contractors have made significant investment in compaction rollers with on-board compaction meters to measure the level of compaction achieved with repeated passes of the roller itself. There are alternatives to this technique, and in situ compaction testing can be carried out as a key stage test. What is interesting here is the crossover
between engineering and the geotechnical status of the soil and its influence and impact on any outcomes achieved. This, again, is a good example of where thorough research beforehand can start to bear fruit during the construction process. The contractor will not ordinarily remove
subsoils from site, but will carry out a balanced cut and fill whereby soils are moved around to create plateaus on which to build, and the design solution is normally calculated with this principle in mind. Most contractors nowadays, if not all, will have
Ground Stabilisation
To be honest, I am surprised that this technique is not used more often in the sports construction industry, particularly for synthetics and artificials where exacting finished tolerances are required. In my opinion, what it does is minimise risk on site, by solidifying the formation on which the pitch is built. There are some pre-requisites for successful stabilisation and it is not unusual for a series of chemical tests to be required to understand, in detail, the chemical status of the soil and how this would react to any lime or cement integration. In practical terms, I believe it extends the
traditional construction season and gives contractors more certainty that the formation base will not move over extended periods of time which, in turn, allows them to extend and increase warranties for the sub-base construction works. There are one or two contractors within the industry who have latched on to this, and possess their own equipment, or specialist sub-contractors who can carry the work out.
PC JUNE/JULY 2015 I 111
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 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156