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Dynamic behaviour of soils used for natural turf sports surfaces

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Abstract

The modulus and damping properties of soils in compression are a function of soil type, water content, stress history and loading rate. To model human–surface interaction with natural turf sports surfaces, stiffness and damping properties must be determined at dynamic loading rates. Two contrasting soil types, a Sand and a Clay Loam, commonly used in sports surfaces were loaded uniaxially to 2 kN at loading rates between 0.6 and 6 kN s−1 in modified dynamic soil testing apparatus. Soils were compacted prior to loading but initial cycles resulted in viscoplastic deformation, with strain accumulation with repeated cycles of loading. Ultimately a resilient, viscoelastic steady-state equilibrium with loading was established. Resilient modulus and damping ratio varied with soil type, water content, stress history and increased significantly with loading rate. The resilient modulus of the Sand soil, typical of modern free-draining sand construction natural turf sports surfaces, was significantly greater than that of a Clay Loam soil more characteristic of traditional natural turf surfaces; reducing water content caused an increase in modulus and a decrease in damping ratio in the Clay Loam soil. Determination of these properties provides initial data for the modelling natural turf surface behaviour in terms of both ball and human interactions, with further research required to determine the effect of both grass roots and leaves on mechanical behaviour.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, grant number EP/C512243/1. Soil testing apparatus was part funded by the Institute of Groundsmanship, UK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Sports Surface Technology, School of Applied Sciences, Cranfield University, Building 42, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK

    Igor Guisasola & Iain James

  2. School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK

    Victoria Stiles & Sharon Dixon

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  1. Igor Guisasola
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  2. Iain James
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  3. Victoria Stiles
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  4. Sharon Dixon
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Correspondence to Iain James.

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Guisasola, I., James, I., Stiles, V. et al. Dynamic behaviour of soils used for natural turf sports surfaces. Sports Eng 12, 111–122 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12283-010-0036-1

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