Tennis Industry magazine

 

Court Construction & Maintenance Guide: The Hard Facts

With its resistance to cracking, post-tensioned concrete is becoming the go-to choice for tennis courts.

By Mary Helen Sprecher

The tennis industry has changed and evolved, and nowhere is this more evident than on the court itself. New lines and new technologies have certainly grabbed their share of headlines, but the real news may be what’s going on below the surface.

Times were, when it came to hard surfaces, asphalt courts were the standard and could be found in parks, homes, clubs, even in championship arenas. However, as times have changed and oil prices have fluctuated, post-tensioned concrete has been quietly making its move to become the go-to choice. There are many reasons PT concrete courts have been successful, but ask any specialty court contractor and you’ll consistently hear one answer: Properly installed, they won’t crack.

To back up, post-tensioned concrete courts are those that are reinforced by sheathed steel cables within the concrete slab. After the concrete has begun to set and has reached sufficient strength, the cables are tightened and held permanently under stress. The cables exert a tremendous compressive force, holding the pavement at the same tension and guarding against cracking.

Consider the alternative: Asphalt, as a bituminous pavement, is poured and smoothed into a tennis court surface before it is coated. Beneath the coating, the asphalt dries and shrinks as it ages (this is not a flaw in the mix; it is the nature of asphalt). The brittle pavement becomes less resistant to damage and more prone to cracking and crumbling, and areas where freeze-thaw cycles are the norm will see even more of this. As a result, a court that once looked smooth and unblemished might look surprisingly cracked and aged within a comparatively short time.

A ‘Standard’ Technique

Post-tensioned concrete, meanwhile, does not respond to freeze-thaw cycles and will not get brittle in a few years. Even in warmer areas, tennis court contractors are leaning toward this method of construction over other concrete uses.

“Post-tensioned concrete has been a standard tennis-court construction technique in the USTA Southern California section for many years,” says Richard Zaino of Zaino Tennis Courts in Orange, Calif. “We discovered in our earliest experience with engineered post-tension courts that were designed and built due to poor soils conditions, the post-tensioned concrete courts were performing much better than steel rebar-reinforced slabs on good soil conditions. So we took what was given to us by the post-tensioned concrete engineers for specific sites and made this a standard in all our court building.”

Those who have been thinking of replacing their current courts — or adding new ones — likely have plenty of questions. Before you make a decision, though, it’s best to consult with a court contractor. Here is some information to bring with you to the table:

Other factors will influence the design and cost of the project, and the court contractor can help you decide what is important. In addition, court owners and facility managers should be prepared to do their homework in order to make the best decision and get the most out of the project.

Checklist for PT Concrete

David LaSota of D.W. LaSota Engineering of Patton, Pa., offers some advice regarding some items for an owner’s checklist (or perhaps one that should be given to a consultant on the project):

A few other items for the owner’s or consultant’s checklist include:

If it sounds like a lot, well, it’s because post-tensioned concrete construction is a specialized art form. It is not the same as pouring a driveway or a sidewalk, and should not be mistaken as such. It will require specific equipment and expertise.

The reward, however, can be a long-lasting surface that provides enjoyable play with minimal upkeep — for years to come.

See all articles by

About the Author

Mary Helen Sprecher  is the managing editor of Sports Destinations Management Magazine, a niche business-to-business publication for planners of sports travel events, in addition to being an RSI Contributing Editor. She is the technical writer for the American Sports Builders Association and works as a newspaper reporter in Baltimore City.

 

Frasure-Footer-Ad-336x280-FINAL

TI magazine search

TI magazine categories


TI magazine archives


 
 

Movable Type Development by PRO IT Service