Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 10.1. Rugby imposes heavy wear on turf-grass surfaces.
surface, so the turf's smoothness and uniformity are of secondary im-
portance. Another unique aspect of these sports is the enormous force
exerted by relatively heavy players on the turf under their feet. The
players' shoes, equipped with long cleats, rip and tear the grass as
players struggle for the ball or advantage. In addition, these large players
often line up in the middle third of the field, away from the sidelines, so
this portion of the turf sustains the most severe traffic stress. All these
issues must be addressed in the processes of field construction, turf-grass
selection and turf maintenance.
The dimensions of rugby and American football fields vary slightly,
but most are approximately 100-120 m long and 50-60 m wide. Many
fields are sloped toward one side (Fig. 10.2), but others are crowned
longitudinally down the centre of the field, sloping toward both sidelines
(Fig. 10.3). The major advantage of crowning is that surface-water drain-
age is directed away from the part of the field subject to the greatest
traffic. On the other hand, drainage along a slope to one side is cheaper to
construct and does not require installation of water-catching basins or
other similar drainage structures. Usually, higher-budget fields are
crowned, and lower-budget fields are sloped one way. In either case,
the degree of slope should not exceed 1.5% and, in some cases, especially
in the humid tropics, installation of a drainage system may be necessary.
