Iowa City, IA
A new $1.8 million competitive field hockey complex and a practice soccer field was designed for the Hawkeye Athletic Recreation Facilities Complex. A plaza entrance, bleacher seating, storage facility, video platform and scorers’ box for field hockey were also designed as part of the project. Both facilities were constructed west of the existing University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame Building.
The University selected synthetic turf for field hockey and natural grass for soccer. The field hockey surface required extremely tight construction tolerances for planarity, with a maximum deviation of 1/8-inch per 10 feet, to prevent the ball from taking unexpected bounces. The field is constructed on a rock base with an extensive subdural system, covered with a one-inch elastic pad and then topped with 5/8-inch thick nylon knitted turf. The synthetic turf field, called the "pitch," features a sprinkler system that covers the entire field. This was a necessary amenity, as the game is played on a wet surface. The water tension between the ball and the wet surface keeps the ball on the pitch.
The Athletic Department has praised the facility as one of the top five field hockey facilities in America.
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tags: college, university, synthetic turf