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Sessions at the 2011 Technical
Meeting in Palm Desert,
California, covered a broad
range of topics. They were
organized according to divisions
whose interests they covered;
for example, Fields, Tennis,
Track, Indoor, etc. (Sessions
listed as "General" often dealt
with business topics and had a
broad focus, appealing to many
types of members).
Some sessions were panel
discussions, some were
single-speaker format, and all
invited audience participation
and questions. In fact, some of
the best learning came about
when those in attendance chipped
in with stories of their
experiences and their advice to
others.
If you're regretting the fact
that you missed this Technical
Meeting and don't want that to
have that regret next year, mark
your calendar now: the 2012
Technical Meeting will be held
from November 30-December 3 at
the Doubletree Hotel at
Universal Studios in Orlando,
Florida.
Fields: "Replacing Synthetic
Turf Fields After Eight Years"
Presenters: Jeff Emanual, CFB
(Nemaha Landscape Construction),
Doug Morgan (Paragon Sports
Constructors, LLC), John
Schedler, CTB, CTB (FieldTurf),
Chris Sullivan (Verde Design)
Many synthetic fields were
installed in or before 2004,
meaning that many of those
systems are now reaching the end
of their useful life cycle, and
that contractors are being
called upon for replacement
jobs. However, this is a growing
science. Just as turf systems
are constantly being improved,
the work of removing and
replacing them is changing as
well. The session included a
discussion of the following
issues:
-
The types of testing that should be
performed on the system (suggested were testing of the turf system
itself, testing of the drainage base, and testing of the sub-base,
particularly if the stability is in question).
-
Whether the system is ready for the
landfill or whether there can be adaptive reuse of any components
-
Documents that are necessary to the
professional who is in charge of replacement of the system
(Suggested included as-builts, survey information, soil testing
reports and a drainage/performance study). These documents may be
available from the owner or manager, or the professional may be able
to see if the original installer or salesperson has these materials.
One of the issues facing the
company working on field
replacement is the fact that
owners may want to cut costs by
re-using the existing drainage
base. Because this type of
re-use carries a risk, it is a
difficult issue to discuss with
the owner, who will ultimately
have to bear the risk if making
the decision to go against the
professional's recommendation.
Options for addressing
slow-draining bases were
discussed, including installing
another stone cap and adding new
drainage lines.
In the interest of not creating
more solid waste, owners
sometimes want to explore the
possibility of recycling or
re-using existing turf and
infill. At the moment, this type
of re-use is more expensive,
although it was noted that the
market is heading in that
direction. Presenters believed
that eventually, synthetic turf
systems would all be 100%
recyclable.
Indoor: "Concrete
Moisture/Moisture Mitigation
Systems"
Presenter: Bill Harrill (Koster
Waterproofing)
Solving the problems of moisture
in indoor buildings means first,
identifying the issues that
cause problems, and second,
addressing them in a way that
means they won't come back to
haunt the facility later.
Harrill gave an overview of
various types of water problems,
including those occurring soon
after construction (often within
30 days, in fact) and various
ways of addressing them. Water
retention, he noted, "is the
water that comes back to haunt a
project over and over."
Because water is a key element
in the concrete mix, it becomes
necessary to work with the
chemical properties of the
concrete to incorporate moisture
control as an overall design
strategy. Some of the products
used for slab treatment and
moisture mitigation include
curing compounds, sealers and
liquid densifiers/hardeners, as
well as water vapor control.
Harrill's notes to indoor
contractors included the
following:
-
If a building, either newly constructed
or an existing structure, sits on land with a high water table,
moisture control will be a concern. This holds true for on-grade or
below-grade slabs, as well as above-grade slabs that sit on metal
pans.
-
If you suspect under-surface water, test
immediately. The cause may be as simple as a broken or leaking pipe.
Even a minute amount of water can cause problems.
-
Depending upon the chemical properties
of the water and the type of surface laid over the concrete, even
more problems may be in store. A wooden floor, for example, will
react rapidly to moisture. If the water is strongly alkaline, it can
damage the adhesives being used.
In short, Harrill noted, it is
essential to incorporate
moisture control in all aspects
of construction, to perform all
possible testing, and to allow
maximum time for curing. A
moisture problem can not only
damage the flooring, it can
damage the reputation of the
contractor.
Track: "Asphalt Acceptance -
Planarity, Slope, Type, Curb
Match"
Presenters: Don Smith, CTB (Don
Smith, CTB, LLC), Bob Zerull,
CTB (Athletic Field Services)
It is the responsibility of the
asphalt contractor or general
contractor for a track project
to supply a base that meets the
specifications of the designer
and the rules of the sport. The
session discussed various
aspects of asphalt acceptance
including:
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Checking acceptability and design of
asphalt paving including slope
-
Checking acceptability and design of
asphalt paving including planarity
-
Checking acceptability and design of
asphalt paving including curb matching
-
Checking acceptability and design of
asphalt paving including generic mix design
In designing a track, slope is a
particularly difficult issue,
since slope requirements will
vary according to the governing
body at issue in the project,
and since not all notations are
specific. For example, the
maximum listed cross slope for a
high school project is 2%. The
slope in the running direction
is listed as 1%, but it is not
clear whether this is downward
or not. The cross slope for a
project to satisfy the NCAA and
higher is 1%. The high school
high jump approach slope is 1%
(again, unclear as to whether
this means in a downward
direction) and for NCAA
facilities, it is .4% (again,
lacking clarity in direction).
Various types of equipment were
discussed. Some contractors
prefer a 'smart level' (which is
a digital level), some use a
string line, some use a laser
level, and some use all of
these, depending upon what is
being measured. A water truck is
also useful to see if areas of
the track show ponding, which
would indicate a base area that
is out of tolerance.
Discussion ensued regarding
usefulness and accuracy of
equipment. At the conclusion of
the session, however, all
participants were in agreement
that there could be no way to be
too careful or put too much
attention toward measurement
since such problems could
interfere with the overall
certification of the project
upon completion, and lead to
untold amounts of problems down
the road.
General: Get a Social (Media)
Life: Marketing Your Business
with Facebook, Twitter and
LinkedIn"
Presenters: Meg Buczynski, PE,
LEED (Stantec), Pat Hanssen (Har-Tru
Sports), Ellen Brattlof (Armor
Crack Repair)
Effective use of social media,
which is largely free, can
enhance the public presence of
any business, provided the user
monitors the media, provides
updates and works to broaden the
scope. The session used
real-life examples of company
pages on LinkedIn and Facebook,
as well as Twitter accounts.
Social media is here to stay. It
can be used strictly for social
purposes (as with a personal
Facebook account) or it can be
expanded upon for use in
corporate settings. A Facebook
page for a company, for example,
can be used to describe company
accomplishments, personnel
changes or additions, new
projects, new equipment and
more. It can also engender
discussion by posting a question
and inviting others to comment.
LinkedIn accounts are best known
as ways to market oneself
professionally, including
posting resumes, work experience
and more. This too can be used
to market one's company and its
accomplishments. It can also be
used to post questions for
discussion by a large number of
groups.
A Twitter account works like a
conversation; it must be
monitored and updated on a
routine basis to be effective.
(The same can be said of all
social media; however, since the
purpose of a Tweet is to provide
momentary updates, it is easy
for those updates and any
subsequent feedback to get lost
if a person does not devote
attention to it.
The ability to link to a
Facebook page, Twitter account,
etc. can be advertised on a
company website, in its
e-newsletter and in all
communications. (It goes without
saying that websites should be
kept updated every bit as much
as a social media site).
Other types of social media
include YouTube (ASBA members
have posted videos of their
company providing specific
services or using branded
products, which in turn,
increases their exposure,
particularly when such videos
can be mentioned in Tweets and
on company Facebook pages).
Cross-use of social media is an
excellent technique to broaden
awareness of a company and its
work.
In order for social media to be
effective, users have to realize
this is a give-and-take world.
Go to the pages of other
individuals and companies on a
regular basis, and post there.
Comment on items and "like" them
wherever possible. The more you
give, the more attention you
get. As with all types of
communication, social media
works both ways.
Many businesses have used
Facebook advertising (paid
advertising on Facebook pages,
designed to appeal to users in
specific interest groups) to
great effect, while others have
broadened out to using
mechanisms such as Yelp!,
FourSquare and Groupon.
While not all forms of social
media will be applicable to all
companies, any company stands to
benefit by having a presence on
at least one form. The cost (in
many cases, free) and the
exposure (the potential is for
expanded attention) can justify
the time spent updating the page. |
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