Connor Sport Court Meets Environmental Challenge in Rainy Seattle

Connor Sport Court backyard game courts are being constructed in the Seattle area using pervious concrete, which solves the drainage problem on small lots in an area with high rainfall. Court Development, Inc., a Sport Court-authorized dealer in Kirkland, Washington, leads the way.

Seattle, WA (Issues Wire / PRWEB) March 10, 2008 -- In an area with high precipitation like the Pacific Northwest, containment of runoff can present a challenge when a family decides to build a Sport Court® game court in the backyard.

"We've turned to pervious concrete to solve that problem," said Guy Walker, general manager of Court Development Inc., a Sport Court-authorized Dealer based in Kirkland, Washington.

"In the Seattle area we have many small building lots and high rainfall. Point runoff is an environmental concern and it is carefully monitored by local government," Walker explained. "This is especially true on places like Mercer Island where we have a lot of clay."

Court Development Inc. is using more and more pervious concrete, also called permeable concrete, to manage the runoff and meet local regulations.

"Rainfall does not gather on the surface of pervious concrete. The water trickles into the concrete and--because it's porous--passes right through it." said Walker.

The site for the game court is first leveled, and then 6 to 12 inches of crushed rock is laid down as a sub-surface. A four-inch layer of permeable concrete is poured over the crushed rock, and a fabric screen is placed on top of the concrete. The screen prevents bits of debris from filtering into the concrete and blocking the flow-through. Finally, the colorful Sport Court® modular surfacing is put into place. Sport Court's surfaces are easily lifted and the underlayment can be cleaned as needed.

"Unlike regular concrete, there is no point runoff with pervious." Walker said that one recent court construction in Normandy Park took place very near a lake where environmental regulations were very stringent."Pervious concrete made the court possible," he said.

Walker said that pervious is moderately more expensive.

"Access can become an issue that raises the cost because pervious concrete cannot be pumped like standard concrete."

For those building new homes, pervious can be planned-in and laid down with ease, Walker said.    "Established homes mean a somewhat greater challenge when using pervious concrete, but we've always found a way to make it work."

More athletic events are played on Connor Sport Court surfaces than on any other sports flooring in the world. Sport Court® is a registered trade mark of Connor Sport Court International. It is used to identify the original and authentic modular sport surfaces developed and introduced in 1974

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