Opitz Wolfgang at the astroturf while asphalt is being laid on the playing surface at Morabadi on Wednesday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Oct. 15: Laying astroturf is no child’s play. But the organisers of the 34th National Games apparently thought so, leading to delay in preparing the hockey turf for the mega event and escalating the expenses.

Laying an astroturf involves three phases. First, the asphalt surface is laid. Thereafter, elastic base layers are placed and finally the astroturf is laid on them.

But both the Games officials and the local company involved in the process of laying the astroturf appear to be unaware of these nitty-gritty. Sample this: Opitz Wolfgang of Germany, an expert in preparing the elastic base layers, was eager to start the “rubber” work (read laying elastic base layers) at the astoturf stadium near the Morabadi grounds since September 28. But he was kept waiting at his home for almost two weeks. Worse, when he finally arrived here on October 10, he was shocked to find the asphalt surface “missing”.

“Usually we arrive after the asphalt work is completed and take two to three days to spread rubber over the surface and prepare the final base for the astroturf,” Wolfgang said.

But now the expert will have to spend more than 20 days in the state capital for the job.

The process of laying the asphalt started at the astroturf stadium after Wolfgang arrived and the work on the adjacent practice ground is in the primary phase.

The complicated job of laying the astrorurf has been turned complex further by the drains circumscribing the playing arena. The edges of the drains are so high that additional asphalt would be required to achieve the optimum level, said Wolfgang.

As things stand, about 4cm thick asphalt layer would be required at the centre, and around 10cm thick layer on the outer edges. Thus, more asphalt would have to be used to ensure the one per cent slope from the centre.

As Wolfgang’s job is to prepare the 15mm thick rubber layer over the asphalt, he is watching the rolling and surfacing closely though the work should have had been completed before his arrival.”

Wolfgang has been visiting the astroturf complex since October 10. He hits ground around 9am every day and stays there till 7pm observing progress in work, which strictly speaking is not his job. Claiming that laying an astroturf is a demanding job, Wolfgang said: “Besides ensuring the prescribed slope, care has to be taken to eliminate cracks on the asphalt surface. If some fissures are left on the asphalt surface, it will reduce the effectiveness of the turf after a year or so. Hence, I am moving with my camera and taking pictures of areas where cracks on the asphalt have appeared.”

“If the fissures are over a small area, we use a special liquid to seal the cracks. But if they spread over a larger area, say 4sqm, then that part of the surface has to be dug up and fresh asphalt has to be put in place.” As preparing the asphalt surface is such a demanding task, Wolfgang wondered why they were not using sensor automatics and laser beams for ensuring perfect levelling of the surface.