AKRON - On the Tippecanoe Valley High School tennis courts are brown marks that look like someone put out cigarettes all over the courts.
Monday night at the regular school board meeting, the school board discussed how to repair the courts with Bob Kling and Jim Sonntag of E & B Paving.The brown marks are caused by pyrite that E & B Paving did not know was in the material when they laid down the courts.
Valley Superintendent Brett Boggs said the courts were paved in 2006. About a year ago, he said, they started seeing some interruptions in the court. He said they were caused by aggregates - the pyrite - that got into the mix that were not suppose to be in there.
To repair the courts, Kling said, they want to drill all those brown marks out and fill with modified latex concrete. When they are filled up, they will be sanded down. Kling said they then will put real fine fiberglass mesh down over all of the court.
Boggs said he talked to the athletic director at Crown Point. They have 12 tennis courts and had the same problem. Crown Point used the same process Kling described and drilled about 20,000 holes. Six years later, they have no problem, Boggs said.
Board member Mark Wise said some spots out there are no bigger than pencil lead. Kling said they will drill all the spots they see. By this time, all the pyrite that is going to come out should have by now, he said. He said they feel this is a much safer solution than any other.
After Board President Bryan Murphy asked about the time frame, Kling said they're going to give themselves at least two weeks. They want to have the drilling and filling done by July 6. The coating then will be put on.
Hal Hoffman, board member, said when Valley did the courts in 2006, they were assured by E & B Paving that this would not happen. He said Valley was assured there would be no particulars to cause this kind of problem.
Kling said the cause was a mineral in the gravel they were not aware would be in the mix. Sonntag said they did not intentionally cause this problem.
Boggs said he has dealt with Kling a lot during this situation. He has been good to work with, Boggs said.
The work will not require the fencing around the courts to come down, which is a good thing, said board member Rod Easton.
E & B Paving will begin the repairs on the tennis courts as soon as the company's current job is finished.
Valley board members are Bryan Murphy, Rod Eaton, Hal Hoffman, Mark Wise and Dave O'Brien.
