Once again this afternoon the Millennium Stadium turf seemed to me to be
very vulnerable to the lateral pushing a surface gets from scrums and
high-energy turns by running players: patches far too big to be called
"divots" would come up not unlike folds in a loose-laid carpet. (I
imagine most readers know that the turf is reinforced with plastic mesh
underneath, and can be trucked in and out on special pallets to reveal
asphalt below. Today one could see a brighter green strip down the
middle, suggesting that this area had recently been replaced. I believe
the whole thing is only six inches deep.)

What I'd like to know is if there is an established body of knowledge on
how to do this kind of thing: what kind of mesh, how deep down it should
be, the best kind of substrate -- things like that. I ask because it
seems to me they still haven't got it quite right, and it has a bearing
on a question asked in urg from time to time about making a lawn on an
impervious base.

--
Mike.

The system in place is called Desso and consisted of nylon strands woven
into the rootzone this enables the roots to entwine around the strands and
produce a surface which doesnt divot.
I have worked on Desso pitches at Watford,QPR,West Ham and Spurs and have
never had problems .
The maintenance program is different than the conventional sand based pitch.
However with the Milenium pitch being portable this seems to create problems
with the root not getting enough depth and subsequently cutting up.
I can see no real benefit of a lawn having this system in place one being
the cost and maintenance inv olved.
"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Once again this afternoon the Millennium Stadium turf seemed to me to be
very vulnerable to the lateral pushing a surface gets from scrums and
high-energy turns by running players: patches far too big to be called
"divots" would come up not unlike folds in a loose-laid carpet. (I
imagine most readers know that the turf is reinforced with plastic mesh
underneath, and can be trucked in and out on special pallets to reveal
asphalt below. Today one could see a brighter green strip down the
middle, suggesting that this area had recently been replaced. I believe
the whole thing is only six inches deep.)

What I'd like to know is if there is an established body of knowledge on
how to do this kind of thing: what kind of mesh, how deep down it should
be, the best kind of substrate -- things like that. I ask because it
seems to me they still haven't got it quite right, and it has a bearing
on a question asked in urg from time to time about making a lawn on an
impervious base.

--
Mike.

Most of the turf research in the UK is undertaken at the STRI in Bingley
West Yorkshire. It is grown like you said with plastic reinforcement fibre
mixed into the rootzone the same as is used at many football clubs, Reading
FC springs to mind, of course that is not grown on a pallet system and has a
proper depth rootzone and drainage system with undersoil heating. Since the
Millennium Stadium opened it has had this problem before it was the
Groundsmans fault then it was the turf Company's fault these were changed
but it's still the same. The green strip down the middle looked to me as if
a green dye had been sprayed on the turf and this was the overlap line (poor
spraying) the dye is used to make the turf stand out for the cameras and
spectators especially if the turf has poor colour.

Cheers
Steve
Gwynedd Lawn Doctor

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Once again this afternoon the Millennium Stadium turf seemed to me to be
very vulnerable to the lateral pushing a surface gets from scrums and
high-energy turns by running players: patches far too big to be called
"divots" would come up not unlike folds in a loose-laid carpet. (I
imagine most readers know that the turf is reinforced with plastic mesh
underneath, and can be trucked in and out on special pallets to reveal
asphalt below. Today one could see a brighter green strip down the
middle, suggesting that this area had recently been replaced. I believe
the whole thing is only six inches deep.)

What I'd like to know is if there is an established body of knowledge on
how to do this kind of thing: what kind of mesh, how deep down it should
be, the best kind of substrate -- things like that. I ask because it
seems to me they still haven't got it quite right, and it has a bearing
on a question asked in urg from time to time about making a lawn on an
impervious base.

--
Mike.