In February of 2006 we successfully installed modular sport tiles over our interlocking base panels, replacing the need for concrete and asphalt sub base construction. We knew immediately this technique would prove to be an important advancement in the court construction industry. The subsequent patenting of the UltraBaseSystems® panel for court construction has now made concrete base replacement and permeable base construction a reality. Superior stability, unequaled drainage, and excellent playability underfoot makes our system the clear-cut choice for athletic court construction. Whether it is permeability issues, accessibility difficulties, or the need for a temporary installation, UltraBaseSystems® has got you covered.
For this installation a compacted earth base retaining wall was the customer’s location of choice. Earth and stone were compacted and leveled creating a solid permeable sub base for UltraBaseSystems® panels.
Our permeable, woven, geotextile fabric was rolled into place and secured with landscape spikes. Panel construction was quickly underway.
A gap of three quarters of an inch was left between the concrete retaining walls and the UBS panels for expansion. This was easily achieved using three-quarter inch plywood as a temporary spacer. Using a temporary spacer is a good idea to ensure the gap is not diminished due to movement of the panels during installation, however it is imperative to make sure everything remains perfectly square during the installation process. If it is determined that the fixed structures are not square then the spacers must be adjusted or the panels trimmed. The panels only like to be installed when everything is perfectly square and if this is not the case then adjustments must be made in order to insure proper panel engagement.
The UBS panels were easily cut with a circular saw in order to achieve proper fit around the walls and outer edges.
Once the panels were completely assembled utilizing our installation techniques, an 8 oz woven needle punched felt-like geotextile fabric was installed over the panels. This additional layer of permeable fabric not only created a sound barrier between our panels and the plastic sports tiles, but due to the high level of friction created by the panel barbs, a nonslip play area was immediately created between the tiles and the panels.
A few tiles were turned upside down and pushed along the fabric to ensure there were no wrinkles. The fabric embeds into the turf barbs allowing the installer to blow any debris off of the fabric prior to installation.
Here you can see the layout of the three top layers of the system.
The modular plastic tiles were assembled directly on top of the UBS panels and fabric as per the manufacturer’s recommendations.
In less than one half hour the entire half-court basketball area was transformed into a professional quality, permeable, resilient athletic court.
It was decided that red tiles should be used in a small portion of the court and this was easily accomplished by removing the section of blue tiles and replacing with the red.
The final step was the installation of the fencing, basketball goals, lights, and the striping of the court. In just a few days of work this happy customer now has a state-of-the-art multi-game court ready for years of family fun. This interlocking panel base court offers incredible structural stability and drainage while maintaining a level of resiliency that is immediately recognizable as a more forgiving, safer-feeling play surface.
Our instincts six years ago were correct; the athletic and tennis court industry would embrace a replacement system for concrete and asphalt. Once again we are proud of the fact the team at Innovative Base Technologies LLC and Creative Sports Concepts, Inc recognized the problem, patented the solution, and is now anxious to bring the results of years of work to an enthusiastic market.
