Lusk, Benjamin Geoffrey (2004) Soil amendments to improve playability and reduce injury risks on sporting fields. [USQ Project]
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Abstract
There are more than 1000 non-elite grassed sports fields in Queensland. More
than 400 000 registered players and 750 000 school children use these grounds
and are exposed to the risks inherent in playing on hard, uneven surfaces.
Most non-elite fields in Queensland have a very high clay content and are
subjected to extreme cycles of wetting/drying and heavy traffic. Despite this they
only receive inconsistent management, mostly from volunteer workers.
This project investigated the effects of two soil amendments, Hydrocells and
Turf Grids, on the performance of soil under wetting and drying cycles. These
tests were designed to imitate possible real case scenarios with the goal being to
make recommendations regarding the viability of using these amendments to
improve a soil profile.
In order to examine the effects of wetting/drying cycles on the various
amendments, an experimental approach was used. A total of eight different
mixes were tested for bulk density, shear and penetration over three cycles.
The results obtained were mostly as hypothesized -- denser soil profiles had
greater shear and less penetration; wetter soil is more susceptible to compaction
than dry; soil with Turf Grids included has higher shear values than equivalent
Hydrocell mixes and there is a general trend of increasing density and shear with
correspondingly decreasing penetration as the number of cycles increases.
Importantly there is some evidence that the Hydrocells act to reduce the effects
of compaction on the soil profile. This is especially so in wetter, less dense
combinations.
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| Item Type: | USQ Project |
|---|---|
| Refereed: | No |
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Engineering and Surveying - Department of Agricultural, Civil and Environmental Engineering (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Oct 2007 00:14 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Jul 2013 22:30 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | sport field maintenance, hydrocells, turf grids |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 09 Engineering > 0999 Other Engineering > 099901 Agricultural Engineering |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 40 ENGINEERING > 4099 Other engineering > 409901 Agricultural engineering |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/86 |
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