Phillips Exeter Academy retained S.W.COLE to provide geotechnical engineering services for the new artificial turf at Phelps Stadium.
Phelps Stadium is located in an area adjacent to the Squamscott River on the east side of the Phillips Exeter Academy campus. The stadium is at a relatively low elevation and has historically flooded seasonally, rendering the natural grass playing surface unusable during the spring sports season.
Rapid drainage and dewatering of the new artificial playing field was very important to the project. S.W.COLE worked with Kaestle Boos Architects (http://www.kba-architects.com/) to develop recommendations for well drainage base material while considering frost susceptible subgrade soils and a shallow groundwater table. We provided earthwork recommendations for subgrade preparation to reduce the impact of construction equipment traveling over a saturated subgrade that was very susceptible to disturbance.
The construction of the project was on a fast-track schedule and was required to be completed during the school’s summer vacation. Construction began in June and was completed by August, in time for the fall sports season. During construction, a geotechnical engineer from S.W.COLE monitored earthwork and subgrade preparation. We also provided construction phase testing services that included laboratory and field testing of concrete and soil materials.
