A new apparatus to simulate athletic field traffic and an evaluation and comparison of naturally and artificially enhanced sand textured athletic field root zones

This work was comprised of two studies. The Cady Traffic Simulator (CTS) (a modified walk behind core cultivation unit) was developed to more aggressively simulate athletic field traffic and was utilized to evaluate fifteen athletic field systems. The objective of the first study was to compare the magnitude and direction of the forces produced by two traffic simulators; the Brinkman Traffic Simulator (BTS), the simulator currently most widely used in research, and the CTS. Both simulators were operated over an in-ground force plate which measured the forces in three directions; front to back, side to side, and vertical. The CTS produced higher compressive stress and higher net shear stress when operated in either the forward or reverse direction.; The objective of the second study was to compare artificially enhanced, sand root zones to well-graded sand and to sand-soil mixes under simulated traffic over a three-year period. Sand-soil mixes containing 9% and 15% silt + clay increased soil bearing capacity more consistently than artificial inclusions, but also showed the greatest decrease in infiltration rates over two traffic seasons. The sand-soil mix containing 15% silt + clay had the poorest wear tolerance, while artificial inclusions had minimal effects on wear tolerance during both traffic seasons.