New turf at Lambeau Field

[TheStone]

By Mike Hoeft
[email protected]

Ground once trod on by Green Bay Packers began to move out of Lambeau Field on Wednesday to make way for a turf makeover that combines new technology with a natural grass surface.

By the time players set foot again on the field, the stadium will have new underground draining and heating systems topped with a GrassMaster playing surface.

"The timing is being done to get the old surface out and new surface in by spring," said John Jones, president and chief operating officer for the team. "So when the preseason starts in August, everything will be ready to go."

At midday, crews had excavated part of the north end of the stadium, leaving a huge pile of dirt at midfield. Front-end loaders emptied dirt into a huge hopper, which dropped the dirt onto a system of conveyer belts that carried it out to the parking lot at the southwest corner of the stadium. The system avoided having to truck the materials through the loading dock. !!The earth is destined to be used as construction fill material!!

This is the ultimate chance to show you're a real fan!
Get that dirt and build a clay hut :!:
:towel:

 

[cheesey]

I already HAVE a piece of Lambeau Field! After the NFC championship game against Carolina, they tore up the field and packaged it. I went up to GB and bought a hunk. It's in my freezer right now!

 

[Zero2Cool]

I miss the real grass

 

[TOPackerFan]

I miss the real grass

It's still real grass, just reinforced with artificial fibres. It'll still play much like real grass. Philly has the same field and if you saw the middle of it in the playoffs last week you'll see that this is nothing like artificial turf.

 

[CaliforniaCheez]

Hey no more Nick Collins type accidents either.

"The project also includes a new service path with a rubberized surface encircling the field. That will replace one made of cement. The new path still will allow for equipment use, but be safer for players who run far out of bounds."

http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070111/GPG0101/701110547/1989

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For those who like details:
Allen Johnson, the Packers field manager, said once the field has been excavated down 3 feet, a clay base layer will be installed with drain tile and irrigation piping. On top of that goes 4 inches of gravel with tubing for the heating system, then 12 inches of sand. The top level will be sod. Depending on the weather, the sod will be placed in late April or early May. After the grass roots are firmly established, by late July, the GrassMaster fibers will be stitched in place using footlong needles.

 

[tromadz]

good, I remember that. It was kinda scary.

 

[agopackgo4]

Forget that heater to heat the field. We still want the Frozen Tundra dont we? I hope it doesnt heat it too much!

 

[fvre4mvp]

I already HAVE a piece of Lambeau Field! After the NFC championship game against Carolina, they tore up the field and packaged it. I went up to GB and bought a hunk. It's in my freezer right now!

My Dad subscribes to the Packer Report and I remember when I was 13 they were selling it. I think I paid like $10-15 and I got it in a nice box and a piece the size of a nerf football. Everytime I touch it I get chills man!!

 

[all about da packers]

Forget that heater to heat the field. We still want the Frozen Tundra dont we? I hope it doesnt heat it too much!

The winter time when the grass/ground becoming rock solid due to the cold. Getting tackled out there won't be fun for anyone, and would probably increase the risk of injury. Heating is to soften the field, and reduce injury. Considering that a player like Cliffy already has shaky knees and his health is a huge concern, I'd take the softer field any day.

 

[agopackgo4]

Forget that heater to heat the field. We still want the Frozen Tundra dont we? I hope it doesnt heat it too much!

The winter time when the grass/ground becoming rock solid due to the cold. Getting tackled out there won't be fun for anyone, and would probably increase the risk of injury. Heating is to soften the field, and reduce injury. Considering that a player like Cliffy already has shaky knees and his health is a huge concern, I'd take the softer field any day.

Yea but it also takes away the little homefield advantage that we have over warm weather places...Not that we really have a home field advantage anymore considering we have sucked at home.

 

[CaliforniaCheez]

The heating system keeps the grass growing even when elsewhere grass is frozen and dead.

Footing is far better when the field is not frozen

 

[all about da packers]

Forget that heater to heat the field. We still want the Frozen Tundra dont we? I hope it doesnt heat it too much!

The winter time when the grass/ground becoming rock solid due to the cold. Getting tackled out there won't be fun for anyone, and would probably increase the risk of injury. Heating is to soften the field, and reduce injury. Considering that a player like Cliffy already has shaky knees and his health is a huge concern, I'd take the softer field any day.

Yea but it also takes away the little homefield advantage that we have over warm weather places...Not that we really have a home field advantage anymore considering we have sucked at home.

Well the Packers also had a heating system for the past few years as well, and teams from warmer areas end up pre-planning their visit to GB and by talking with other teams to get an idea of what would be good steps to take to make the team prepared for the extreme cold.

Jaguars come to mind; where they had called ahead of their visit to GB one of the other division teams and gotten a special made helmet box to keep the QBs helmet in.

 

[MontanaBob]

TURF???? I thought you were talking about turds....ya know, the kind the Vikings lay all over the NFL.

Gotta get new glasses!!!! :doh:

 

[vikesrule]

TURF???? I thought you were talking about turds....ya know, the kind the Vikings lay all over the NFL.

Gotta get new glasses!!!! :doh:

Ha...this from a guy that gets cornered by Buffalo, then runs outside in shorts and a t-shirt when it's -13 degrees to save another packer fan from sticking his tongue to a fence :lol:

 

[packerfan1245]

If it has a heating system then there will be no more frozen tundra .

 

[grabthar]

Come on people.

GB has had a heating system underground since Vince Lombardi installed it. We are not losing any "Frozen Tundra".


Here's an article about the history of Lambeau Field.

Check out this section:

---

Earlier, in the spring of 1997 the Packers installed a specially designed gravel drainage system, that allows the playing field to effectively handle up to 15 inches of rain per hour, as well as irrigation and radiant heating systems. The current heating system, which replaced the 30-year-old coils installed by Vince Lombardi, includes more than 30 miles of radiant heating pipe and is capable of maintaining a root-zone temperature of 70-plus degrees, allowing grass to grow throughout the winter months. The field itself is a 2_-inch thick Kentucky bluegrass surface in a sand-based sod, on top of a 3-5 inch soil foundation.

---

 

[yooperfan]

If it has a heating system then there will be no more frozen tundra .

Only if the heating system works.
In 1967 Vince Lombardi had heating coils installed under the playing surface, however they failed to work for the ice bowl on December 31st 1967.

 

[MontanaBob]

yooper.....nothing worked to thaw things out at that game. I was there and even our thermos of "anti-freeze" didn't help.

 

[William]

If it has a heating system then there will be no more frozen tundra .

Only if the heating system works.
In 1967 Vince Lombardi had heating coils installed under the playing surface, however they failed to work for the ice bowl on December 31st 1967.

Actually, if memory serves, the coils worked to the extent that they heated the field, but because there was tarp on the playing service, a layer of moisture formed between the field and the tarp. When the tarp was removed right before game time, the moisture instantly turned to ice when it collided with the -13 temperature. And there ya got yer Ice Bowl.

 

[Zero2Cool]

I liked the real grass better.