SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/40933
Facility&Operations moisture be non-existent in the concrete and use of a vapor barrier is recommended before installing the sleeper system on which you mount the floor. Once installa- tion of the floors is complete and sanded smooth lines required for the end users are typically painted with a material to match the future finish. To obtain the best results the flooring must be dust free before apply- ing the finish. Multiple coats will be re- quired to protect the natural wood from liquid spills, cleaning practices and the daily usage. It is crucial that during construction of the sleepers that adequate support be built in for the retractable bleacher sections if being installed or are already present. The new pre-engineered wood floors are installed using the same techniques but have a higher tolerance for moisture be- tween it and the concrete. Maintenance procedures include daily dry mopping to remove trash, dust and de- bris. Wet or damp mopping (some finish manufacturers require or recommend that no water be used and will supply one of their water free cleaners) as needed to clean up spills and liquids, during heavy use times a disinfectant would be recommended using daily. Annual screening (abrasive screens typi- cally used under pads of a scrubbing ma- chine) to remove the top layer of finish and provide a scuffed layer for new layers of fin- ish to be applied. Sanding off all the finish is rarely needed unless there is damage repairs done to the existing flooring or if new lines are required due to rules changes, mascot design changes, etc. Cost estimate: Depending on the type of floor Polyethylene rolls begin around $4.29 per square foot to the ½-inch thick wooden maple floor at approximately $10.10 per square foot. ASPHALT DRIVEWAYS Asphalt driveways and parking lots are the second most used surfacing in the world, even though they vary in color or materials used to produce it they are typi- cally stone, shells, and tar epoxy mixture that requires a lot of attention. If the sub soils and stone base are not properly com- 18 SportsTurf | September 2011 pacted and constructed the finish material will not survive the torture that today's ve- hicles and end users. Vehicles get heavier, their numbers are increasing daily and most are not constructed to help balance the weight and distribute it evenly across the wheels. These surfaces are susceptible to all of the weather from sun, rain, snow, sleet, freeze and thaw that Mother Nature dishes out. Line painting is typically done with ei- ther a latex or petroleum based paint and can be very time consuming and labor in- tensive and like the asphalt is susceptible to all the weather even during the installation process, too hot and the paint dries too fast, too cold and it doesn't adhere, moisture or high humidity present and the drying time increases or worst yet a quick storm moves in and washes it off (if using latex paint) Then there is the aesthetics' that have to be dealt with, when asphalt is first installed it typically has a rich color mostly black (some areas of the country it is red or brown) and as it ages the color wears off the top surface, this aging/wear process is natu- ral since it is next to impossible to keep the stone coated with the binding agent that is used. Most people drive across the roads unaware of the color, and yet many demand that their driveways and parking lots be re- coated unaware that this is only a tempo- rary fix to the discoloring. Recoating only minimally repairs the fine cracks which will come back each year and get bigger as each year passes, these cracks are typical of the expansion and contraction that the asphalt goes through each year and in many areas this occurs several times a day every day of the year. Maintenance procedures. Although there is little to no daily or monthly maintenance there are tasks that need to be done from time to time. For example, line painting when needed or requested; recoating to give an aesthetically pleasing appearance; patch- ing heavily alligator areas by removing the wearing course, sometimes the base and compacting new material back in. Cost estimate: Typical driveway con- struction of a 6-inch stone base, 2-inch binder course with a 1-inch topping or wearing course will average approximately $2.04 per square foot. CONCRETE WALKWAYS Concrete walks can be costly to install properly and yet easy to maintain, the biggest problem with them is found in the cold regions where frost heave and road salt plays havoc on the structural integrity of them. Without a proper stone base and good drainage the walks will lift during the winter season and sometimes they don't set- tle back or they settle too deep causing trip- ping hazards for those who use them. Road salt will eat at the surface and cause pitting and spalding creating an un- sightly surface as well as an uneven one. Many architects today require that all joints be sealed with a caulk and this can cause problems as well. When joints are sealed (typically with a butyl caulk) it traps mois- ture and does not allow for release when the concrete begins to heat up, this in turn cre- ates a condensate that during the winter freeze can cause fracturing of the concrete slabs from the underneath side. In the South many owners and contrac- tors paint or stain the concrete with decora- tive designs and if improper materials are used this can cause the surfaces to become slippery when wet. The painted or stained designs also become problematic when it is time to repair the concrete or if the design becomes damaged. Maintenance procedures, typically re- duced or ignored in average work place; sweeping or blowing debris from them is usually only when needed. Removal of chew- ing gum and other debris quickly can help to preserve aesthetics. Repairing or replacing sections when the surface becomes pitted, deteriorated, or panels/sections have heaved or sunk will prevent tripping hazards Cost estimate: Costs vary depending on amount of crushed stone, type of wire, amount of expansion material and the final finish of the product. Ranging from $3.58- $9.05 per square foot. TRAILS Trails can vary in types of materials from natural earth, concrete, blacktop, stone/screenings, wood chips, rubber, wood and asphalt shingle leftovers. The most im- portant to remember when constructing and maintaining trails is the objective, the setting and who will be the end users. There www.sportsturfonline.com