After years of constructing athletic and play courts—from tennis, basketball, volleyball to multipurpose and multiply areas and inline hockey rinks—several communities and developments are now faced with courts that are cracked and deteriorating including severe water leaks. Why are these courts cracking, how are they deteriorating and what solutions are available to solve these problems?
The vast majority of these courts, a conservative estimate of more than 97 percent, are properly constructed. They simply are suffering from the effects of aging. These types of courts are constructed of a stone base and typically an asphalt deck, with some constructed with a concrete deck. By far the greatest problem with courts such as these is cracking. Cracking is not only unsightly but creates a costly maintenance problem as the cracks develop and deteriorate. Cracking can occur as a result of several conditions, provided the deck is properly constructed.
Essentially, a crack begins as a minute fissure in the asphalt or concrete deck that when exposed to expansion and contraction, ground movement and settling, as well as weatherization causes the fissure to grow, eventually developing into a crack. Expansion and contraction create tremendous stress on a court. A typical court, on a sunny day, with the average temperature at 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, can reach surfaces temperatures in excess of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. During the night, once the sun has set and the temperature subsides, the surface temperature of the court can drop to 60 degrees or 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a swing of
PHOTO COURTESY OF PREMIER COURT
Unsightly cracks can ruin the playability and appearance of a court and may pose unsafe conditions to players and visitors.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PREMIER COURT
A crack-repair system has been installed over this court, proving courts plagued by cracks can be saved if handled properly by a qualified engineer.
70 degrees to 80 degrees. That type of scenario—and worse with higher daytime temperatures and lower nighttime temperatures, as well as colder swings in the winter—occurs every day. Ground movement and settling cause cracks to develop as the court moves or settles beyond the capacity of the asphalt or concrete deck to remain intact, thus a fissure forms that eventually develops into a crack.These two factors cause cracks to develop. Weatherization is what causes cracks to worsen and to eventually deteriorate the court sub-base. Water, in the form of rain, flows into these fissures and cracks and erodes the asphalt and concrete binders that hold the aggregates in the asphalt and concrete deck together. As the aggregate loosens and washes away, the crack grows and deteriorates further. As more and more water runs through the crack, the sub-base is also washed away, deteriorating the sub-base and eventually causing the court deck to fail. If the court is in a freeze-thaw area, crack growth and deterioration is greatly exacerbated.
Once a crack develops, there is no proper method for preventing that crack from worsening. If cracks are allowed to deteriorate, eventually total reconstruction of the asphalt or concrete deck will be necessary. The athletic and play court construction and repair industry understands this more than ever before. Once a crack has developed, it is not possible to remove or eliminate that crack. Additionally, once one crack has developed, the likelihood is that that crack will worsen and more cracks will develop. Thousands of hours of research and tens of thousands of dollars have been spent to develop products and systems to prevent costly total reconstruction of these asphalt and concrete decks.
One important result of this research and development has been the need to prevent water from further penetrating the existing cracks. The only way to ensure that a crack will not allow water to penetrate a crack is by repairing that crack with a waterproof product. If water is allowed to penetrate the crack, continued deterioration of the crack and asphalt or concrete deck will occur.
Traditional crack repair methods—asphalt or concrete overlayments, cement-based crack filler products, etc.—are outdated and virtually ineffective. Because none are waterproof, and they all are directly adhered to a crack and the surrounding area, the crack continues to deteriorate as water penetrates the repair method. As water penetrates, it breaks apart the crack repair material or tears through the new overlayment. Again, if the asphalt or concrete deck is in a freeze-thaw area, further crack deterioration will occur much more rapidly and to a worse degree.
It cannot be stressed enough that eliminating water penetration is critical. There are some fabric crack repair systems that are waterproof and are proving effective at covering the existing crack and slowing or preventing further crack deterioration. Additionally, there are composite overlayment products that are both waterproof and not directly attached to the existing cracks that have proven successful reducing or eliminating further crack deterioration and preventing the cracks from reflecting through, thus giving a crack-free surface.
It is of utmost importance if you wish to try to prevent total deterioration of the asphalt or concrete deck that cracks need to be addressed and maintained properly on a timely basis. One of the recommended ways to properly maintain the cracks is by using a method described above.
Discuss with our qualified engineer the various available product solutions and ensure that a high-quality, respectable athletic and play court contractor is employed to perform the work. Any crack repair product or system should encompass some sort of water-elimination qualities such as water proofing membrane and provide a written warranty for the repair or product.
If the manufacturer has confidence in its product, it will stand behind it.
Contact Chaiban Engineering for a consultation to explore the cause of the cracking or deterioration and possible long term solutions.
© Copyright 2002 Chaiban Engineering Consultants, Inc.. All rights reserved.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PREMIER COURT
PHOTO COURTESY OF PREMIER COURT
Cracks left untreated will only get worse with time and weather, causing the court to deteriorate.