Field Construction and Conditions

Personnel from Penn State's Office of Physical Plant oversaw the construction of the football field at Beaver Stadium by an outside contractor in 1959. After excavating down to the subsoil, a coarse gravel blanket 6 inches thick was installed containing drain tiles spaced 6 feet apart. An 18- to 20-inch layer of silt loam soil was placed on top of the gravel, fine graded, fertilized, and limed in preparation for sodding. Strips of Merion Kentucky bluegrass sod measuring 18 by 72 inches were planted. Additional soil was worked into the cracks separating sod strips to minimize the potential for desiccation at the edges. An irrigation program was initiated to promote rooting and sustain shoot growth. By the time the new turf was fully established, however, a serious internal drainage problem was evident. The field would remain saturated for extended periods and water would stand in depressed areas along the sidelines after each rain. In 1960 a portion of the sod was removed, additional soil was added, and the sod was replaced, to provide a 10-inch crown down the center of the field. Catch basins were added to carry standing water along the sidelines to drain pipes located in the gravel layer. These changes were made to accelerate surface drainage and subsequent removal of standing water. While these measures did not provide an entirely satisfactory solution to the internal drainage problem, they did reduce its severity. Another approach to deal with the drainage problem was to minimize the traffic on the field. In the late summer and fall, traffic was limited to six practice scrimmages and the six intercollegiate games that were typically scheduled at home each year. In spring, traffic was limited to the annual intersquad game and six practice scrimmages preceding it. No other events were permitted on the field. To the consternation of the director of the band, their practices were prohibited as well. When visitors arrived at the stadium, they were cautioned to restrict their activities to the sidelines and stay off the playing field. Otherwise, the only traffic allowed on the field was the array of operations associated with its maintenance.