Turf laying nears completion

TFF has announced that tons of infill consisting of sand and rubber mixture are being laid on the surface of the old National Stadium pitch as the work of laying artificial turf approaches completion.

The federation General Secretary Fredrick Mwakalebela said yesterday that the work would take about 90 hours.

TFF has asked FIFA technicians who are laying the pitch to work day and night so that they can finish early and move on to Karume Stadium.

Mwakalebela added that they want the stadium to be ready soon so as to bring league games back to Dar es Salaam from upcountry.

Before laying an artificial turf, the old pitch must be dug out and down to a level to lay the base. The purpose of the base is not only to provide a totally flat and supportive layer on which to lay the carpet but also the most permeable support possible to allow rain to drain away.

The carpet rolls are then laid on this in sections across the base layer and glued together at the joints to a depth of about 35mm to 50mm, leaving up to 15mm of grass fibres above the level of the infill. Finally infill consisting of sand and rubber mixture are laid on the surface.