A Helpful Encounter
with Neil Brickley & others,
Wethersfield, CT ----
Dr.Ken Sokolowski ----
August 4&5, 2004 ----
Following a enlightening but frustrating visit to a meeting of a session of the Council's Public Works subcommittee at Town Hall, I wondered over to Cottone Field just to see what was going on there.
It had been hot and dry all day long. Driving west on the Church Street (extension), I noticed a Channel 30 News truck parked in the turn-around which intersects with the Heritage Trail (Hike and Bike Trail) in the Folly Brook right of way. (I did not know at the time that a woman had been reportedly, sexually assaulted the evening before, somewhere along the trail.)
I saw a gent sitting on the curbing of the Cottone Field at its northwest corner having a bite to eat. At first, I paid him no mind. I was more interested in getting some pictures of the paving roller compressing the dry, reddish dirt on the field. Standing at the entrance of the northern most gait of the field, I took a picture.
The gent gestured to me - to come in; I did, walking toward to him. It turned out to be Neil of CJ&M. I figured that I would use this as an opportunity to find a little more about what was going on with the field.
I mentioned to Neil that I noticed that the video camera (installed on the roof of the press box well over a month ago) had not been working for at least two weeks now. I mentioned to him that I had visited a local website which provided access to imaging from that camera. Neil said that the power supply to the camera had been interrupted by the construction work and it had not been repaired yet.
Neil avoided (at least twice) any commentary about the infrastructure and electrical feeds for the four, discussed light poles. He denied that the plastic conduit which I noticed in the eastern-most N-S trench had anything to do with the lights; he said however that that conduit/wires was for powering the scoreboard and was a replacement for that which had been dug up earlier.
I asked about the curbing having been installed without a deep footing and its having been installed right over the perimeter drain pipes (12"). He said that no foundation was needed since the gravel/stone around and over the pipe in effect became the more than adequate foundation for the curbing. He said that the curbing was not exactly over the drain pipe but a little to its outer side. Besides he said, no winter ground heave should occur because the perimeter will be more than adequately drained by the gravel and pipe under it; no water to freeze; no heave. He mentioned that the large plastic pipes sticking out of the ground (one at each corner of the field) were for periodically cleaning the buried drain pipes to which they were connected.
I told Neil that I had heard that the artificial turf "fabric" was going to be affixed to the curbing. He admitted that he was not sure if that was the case. He said that he understood that the 1-1/2" thick fabric would merely abut the curbing without being attached to it; he admitted that he was not really sure about this point- affixed or not.
I asked about the level of the substrate of the field; I told him I was under the impression that that level had to be slightly crowned so that the water on the field would be encouraged to flow to the perimeter drainage system. Yes and no, he said; the field substrate itself (which the laser-guided dozer and paving roller ['steamroller' / paver] were applying and compacting this evening) was in one plane, with the eastern edge raised 0.5% (1/2 per cent) over the western edge (that is a 1" drop to the west for every 200" of run; that would be about 1.8"/10yd, or 9" over 50yd; check and extrapolate my math, if you please.
Interestingly, the drain pipe, its surrounding gravel, and curbing above it (on the East) have been installed to reflect the same grade; it is higher than that on the West. So, when you look at the field right now, you see the same amount of exposed curbing all the way around. To the eye alone, the curb and the field looks level, but it isn't intentionally.
Once the "fine" grading is done (next week?), the next step will be the laying of the "impervious barrier" which is to prevent any water from ever reaching the soil under it; no water, no freeze, no heave. Rolls of the barrier are already on the work site.
On top of the impervious barrier will go the touted "herring-bone" drainage system. Neil pointed out that this surface drainage system involves the use of the 1ft tall by about 3 ft diameter rolls now on the grass around the field. Each roll comprises as section of "ribbon drain" - about 1 " thick and 12 " wide, composed of a plastic, multiple parallel veins forming a "tubular" skeleton and sheathed in a nylon-like fabric.
Neil said that it will be only half of a herring-bone pattern. These ribbon drains will be run across the entire field from East to West but not straight across; rather, they will run at 45 degrees off of the East to West axis; hence the shortest runs will be in the SE and NW corners and the longest runs will traverse from the NE to SW corners. Where the ribbon drains reach the perimeter, on the southern and western sides, they will be joined to the 3-4 inch diameter connecting pipes which appear sticking up there like huge earthworms. (These connectors have already been joined to the 12" diameter drainage pipes in the waterproof, lined, gravel-covered trenches).
So, water falling on the field is to flow down the 0.5% grade until it encounters either the ribbon drainage strips or perimeter, draining gravel above the perimeter pipes and thus be removed from under the artificial turf, emptying into Folly Brook eventually via two or three lateral drains.
According to a R.A.D. representative, on top of the ribbon-drain system 6 (six) inches of a specified gravel-mix will applied and again leveled, using laser-guided, computer-controlled machines. Once this not-too-fine gravel mix has been level, RAD's job on the field will be over, except for some outside the field landscaping, I have been told.
Another company will come in to finish the field preparations and install the artificial turf. According to John, CEO of CJ&M, only the weather could foreseeably interfere with reaching the September 1 goal.
p/s: Neil, thanks for answering a lot of the questions which have been floating around recently. Dr.Ken
Contacts for Cottone Field Advisory Committee.
