In Spring 2003, work began on a renovation of Auburn University's
Jordan-Hare Stadium field. The old field was a native soil field with
installed drainage and a crown of approximately 18 inches. The grass
was Tifway hybrid bermudagrass that had been patched over the years in the
areas of the midfield logo, the sidelines, the numbers, and the end zones.
These areas had developed off-types and the stadium also had an ongoing
problem managing wear in the southeast corner of the stadium, which is the
only equipment access point.
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The renovated field was to retain the original drainage, but replace
the native soil with a 6-8" deep sand/soil rootzone. The crown was
to be retained, and the new grass was to be TifSport hybrid bermudagrass
installed as sod. Work began in April 2003 and the sod was laid on
May 15, leaving ample time for the field to be ready for the Southern California
game on August 30.
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| Stadium field with old sod stripped
away Backfilling existing drain trenches with
clean
sand |
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After the drain lines were cleaned and the trenches backfilled with clean
sand, the field was ready for the installation of the new rootzone mix.
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Installing
the new mix
Closeup of the new mix
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As the new mix was installed, a new concrete pad was
poured in the south end zone in an area that had drainage and traffic problems
in the past. This will be covered with a rubberized mat and provide
a media area off the grass and a place to spread out wear from players and
equipment entering the stadium.
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The mix was laser-graded to final contours prior to
installing the new sod.
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New TifSport sod ready for installation
Installing
new sod
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Cutting sod to fit during installation of rolls.
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Installed sod ready for topdressing, rain
and sunshine
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Who let these bozos on the field?
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