28 TennisIndustry November/December 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

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TennisIndustry

 Every three years, the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA) and the USTA join forces to update and produce one

of the tennis industry’s key resources: Tennis Courts: A Construction & Main-tenance Manual. The ninth edition has just rolled o� the press and features some key updates for users, along with a new interactive digital version. The comprehensive, 272-page refer-ence manual is geared toward facility owners, managers, tennis profession-als, builders, architects and engineers, and is designed to promote the quality construction, maintenance and repair of tennis facilities.

“One of the strengths of this manual is that it’s put together and updated by experienced builders and design-ers who are working daily in this fi eld and keeping up with all the trends and innovations in the business,” says Fred Stringfellow, executive director of the

T K I D A H O

Social Tennis on Rise in Idaho

The construction and maintenance manual is an essential tool for those who plan, build and maintain

courts and facilities.

ties, lighting, indoor tennis, care and maintenance, and more. Also included in the spiral-bound book are more than 50 detailed construction drawings. New in the ninth edition are color pho-tos incorporated with the text to help show important construction details and other features. Many of the photos in the manual are from USTA and/or ASBA award-winning projects.

One of the key sections that has been revised in the new manual is lighting.

“We updated and reorganized the entire chapter,” says Brogan, who chaired the joint editorial board. “Not only does it fl ow more logically, but we also added more information about LED lighting, including retrofi tting existing lighting systems with LED technology. LED lighting continues to grow in popularity for sports facilities, and we’re grateful to have had sports lighting expert Bruce Frasure help us in updating our lighting chapter.”

Also receiving special attention in this edition was post-tensioned concrete, which is increasingly being used in place of asphalt as a founda-tion for tennis courts. In the “Repair, Reconstruction” chapter, a key chart on “Common Tennis Court Problems” was expanded, and now includes larger color photos to better help identify concrete, asphalt and surface issues, and propose causes and possible rem-edies. In addition, an appendix section was added that includes ITF guidelines on determining “evenness,” “slope” and “planarity.”

New with the 2018 edition of the manual is an interactive, linkable PDF version that contractors can easily use out in the fi eld.

Both the print and digital versions of the Tennis Courts manual cost $44.95 and are available at ASBA’s website, www.sportsbuilders.org. �

COURT CONSTRUCTION

By The BookThe ninth edition of the Tennis Courts manual contains important updates forbuilders and court owners.

ASBA. “Organizations, clubs, schools, park & rec districts, resorts and many others will want to have this reference on hand. It’s an essential tool for those who plan, build and maintain courts and facilities.”

The ninth edition of Tennis Courtswas reviewed and updated by a four-person editorial board comprised of representatives from both the USTA and the ASBA that included three Certifi ed Tennis Court Builders—Mark Brogan, David Moore and Richard Zaino—and a Professional Engineer and facility designer, David LaSota.

The book includes chapters on planning courts and facilities, facility design, building courts (including clay, hard and grass courts), surfacing hard courts, fencing, accessories and ameni-

An editorial board with representatives from the ASBA and USTA meet regularly to determine what should be updated or added to new editions of the construction and maintenance manual.

DRAWINGS ARE ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY AND ASBA AND USTA ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR USE.

Chapter 3: The Tennis Court

33

DRAWINGS ARE ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY AND ASBA AND USTA ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR USE.

DRAWINGS ARE ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY AND ASBA AND USTA ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR USE.

Chapter 3: The Tennis Court

Recommended Illumination for Tennis Facilities Recommended Horizontal Illumination Performance Criteria Class I Class II Class III

Average Maintained Horizontal Foot-candles within PPA (1,2,4) 125+ (1250 lux)

75 (750 lux)

50 (500 lux)

Minimum Maintained Horizontal Foot-candles within PPA (2,4) 100 (1000 lux)

60 (600 lux)

40 (400 lux)

Maximum Uniformity Ratio (3) 1.5 1.7 2.0 Recommended Vertical Illumination

Performance Criteria Class I Class II Class III

Average Maintained Vertical Foot-candles within PPA (1,2,4) 50 (500 lux)

30 (300 lux)

20 (200 lux)

Maximum Uniformity Ratio (3) 2.0 3.0 3.0

Notes: 1. Maintained foot-candles is determined by applying a light loss factor (LLF) to the initial or

measured foot-candles. LLF is dependent on fixture type, fixture maintenance and

atmospheric conditions. It can vary between .60 and .90. Consult fixture manufacturer for

proper LLF values.2. Average maintained and minimum maintained foot-candles should be calculated within the

Primary Playing Area (PPA) with the foot-candle values multiplied by the appropriate LLF.

3. Uniformity ratio is defined as the ratio of the maximum foot-candles divided by the

minimum foot-candles.4. Primary Playing Area (PPA) is defined as the area that includes 6’ beyond the sidelines and

10’ behind the baseline.

Typical Facility Classifications Class I (1)

Class II Class III

Professional Satellite (3)

College (4)

International Challenger (3)

High School

Satellite College (2)

Tennis Clubs

Challenger Tennis Clubs

Parks/Recreational

College Parks/Recreational ResidentialNotes:

1. Class I facilities generally involve broadcast quality television production. These facilities

will include permanent spectator accommodations.2. Facilities which host intercollegiate play, but without broadcast television requirements.

These facilities may have permanent or temporary seating.3. Professional tennis events without broadcast television requirements.

4. Collegiate facilities primarily used for practice or for intramural or recreational play.Please note that some facility types appear in multiple categories. Illumination levels for a

specific facility should be chosen based on the highest skill level, or spectator and television

requirements that will take place at the facility. See the descriptions for more detailed

information about each class. It is recognized that older players require higher light levels.

Facilities with older average player ages should be designed for higher levels of light.

Residential

Chapter 14: Lighting

135

Class I Class II Class III 50

(500 lux) 40

(400 lux) 1.7 2.0

Class I Class II Class III 20

(200 lux) 3.0 3.0

ss factor (LLF) to the initial orce and facturer foer foer r

lated within thepriate LLF.candles divided by the

ea that includes 6’ beyond the sidelines and

production. These facilitiesast television requirements.

Please note that some facility types appear in multiple categories. Illumination levels for a

specific facility should be chosen based on the highest skill level, or spectator and television

requirements that will take place at the facility. See the descriptions for more detailed

information about each class. It is recognized that older players require higher light levels.

Facilities with older average player ages should be designed for higher levels of light.

2. In no instance should any imperfection exist that could cause the ball to deviate significantly from its path on a level surface, or expose a player to a significantly increased risk of injury within the perimeter of the court.

3. Deviations on clay or grass over 6 mm should be corrected where possible.4. Unless design, specification or construction necessitate otherwise.

Table 4. Evenness, slope and planarity recommendations for a tennis court.

Slope and Planarity (ITF CS 03/03)

Ideally, a tennis court should be a flat surface lying in a single horizontal plane. The court may be sloped for drainage, but the single plane of the surface should always be maintained.

The slope should be oriented to minimise its effect on play. Thus, where a court must be sloped for drainage, a slope from side-to-side is preferred (see Figure 6). If necessary, the slope can be from end-to-end.

The slope is determined by measuring the ratio of change in elevation to horizontal distance. Planarity is measured relative to a hypothetical plane parallel to the slope of the court.

Figure 6. Preferred orientation of slope (side-to-side), if necessary.

Apparatus

Test apparatus consists of:

• A distance-measuring device, calibrated to ± 0.05%, such as a laser distance meter or a steel tape.

• A surveyor’s level, calibrated to ± 1 mm/10 m, and a measuring staff, calibrated to ± 0.25 mm. The level may be either a self-levelling rotary laser, which sweeps out a horizontal plane with a beam of visible or infrared light, an optical level, where the plane is defined by the horizontal axis of the instrument, or a pressurised hydrostatic altimeter.

Appendices 245requirements that will take place information about each class. It is recognized thFacilities with older average player ages

2. In no instance should any imperfection exist that could cause the ball to deviate significantly from its path on a level surface, or expose a player to a significantly increased risk of injury within the perimeter of the court.

3. Deviations on clay or grass over 64. Unless design, specification or construction necessitate otherwise.

Table 4. Evenness, slope and planarity recommendations for a tennis court.

Slope and Planarity (ITF

Ideally, a tennis court should be a flat surface lying in a single horizontal plane. The court may be sloped for drainage, but the single plane of the surface should always be maintained.

The slope should be oriented to minimise its effect on play. Thus, where a court must be sloped for drainage, a slope from slope can be from end-to-end.

The slope is determined by measuring the ratio of change in elevation to horizontal distance. Planarity is measured relative to a hypothetical plane parallel to the slope of the court.

Figure 6. Preferred orientation of slope (side-to-side), if necessary.

Apparatus

Test apparatus consists of:

• A distance-measuring device, calibrated to ±or a steel tape.

• A surveyor’s level, calibrated to ±± 0.25 mm. The level may be either a self-levelling rotary laser, which sweeps out a horizontal plane with a beam of visible or infrared light, an optical level, where the plane is defined by the horizontal axis of the instrument, or a pressurised hydrostatic altimeter.