Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: News

Director of Athletics Jerry Wollmering displays samples of Truman's options for field turf in his office last week.

Get ready to move some dirt.

Preparations for a new synthetic turf field at Stokes Stadium are in the works.

In the past few weeks, engineers from Columbia, Mo., company Trabue, Hansen and Hinshaw, Inc., has been doing soil bores and surveys of the Stokes Stadium field in preparation for replacing the current field with synthetic turf this summer. Tom Wooten, project manager from Trabue, Hansen and Hinshaw, Inc., said the company has finished surveying and currently is working on synthetic turf system designs and layout. Wooten said he is unsure of exactly when the designs will be finished.

"We are looking at a general time frame of having them done by the end of February," Wooten said. "After that they will be advertised for bid for a construction company."

Before the synthetic turf can be put in, work must be done on and under the field. There are storm drainage pipes underneath the field that must be replaced. Also, the field has a crown, meaning the center of the field is elevated about two feet above the sidelines, Wooten said. Some excess dirt toward the center of the field that causes the crowning will be removed in order to make the field more level before the turf is put in.

Wooten said the soil bore tests were done to check for issues underground. He also said the synthetic turf that will be installed will be somewhat independent from the ground under it but that it is important to know what will be under the turf so that water drainage will function properly.

Assistant Campus Planner Lori Shook said the design of the turf for the field still is being decided.

"We plan to have the design done and ready for approval for the April Board of Governors meeting," Shook said.

Once the brand of synthetic turf is chosen, the turf manufacturing company will lay the turf on the field. Shook said laying out the turf will not take very long because of the company's experience.

The new turf will make the University a more desirable place for summer camps to be hosted, which bring in a lot of money, Shook said. She said that because of the drainage system and the synthetic material, the turf can be used at any time, whether it is sunny outside or if it has been pouring.

Continued...

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