THE BRIEF
In a bid to encourage a more active lifestyle amongst local communities, Torbay Council approached the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to create three new tennis courts in the local area, in Brixham, Torquay and Paignton. To make this possible, the LTA approached sports area specialists, Thornbury Sports Ltd., to carry out the works.

Thornbury Sports Ltd. required a porous asphalt for the courts, which needed to be specifically designed for use in sports surfacing applications, with a high-quality premium look and feel.

For standard tennis courts, the requirement is approximately 32 tonnes of asphalt, however, the new courts in Torbay needed to be large enough for local communities to enjoy together, so the required asphalt amounts ranged from 135 – 225 tonnes at each site.

THE SOLUTION
To meet the brief, Thornbury Sports Ltd specified Aggregate Industries’ specialist sports surface asphalt, SuperSport® Tennis, which is a fast-draining material designed to meet the stringent demands of this sport. Whilst being fully compliant with the requirements of the Lawn Tennis Association and SAPCA, it also acts as a sustainable drainage system, reducing the potential impact of surface water runoff.

The SuperSport® Tennis asphalt came as 6mm, with a nominal layer thickness of 25-35mm. In order to maintain an aesthetically pleasing look, the team at Aggregate Industries created a specialist mix using carefully selected approved aggregates, sourced to reduce the risk of staining.

Whilst the SuperSport® Tennis is a specialist product, the process of mixing, dispatching to site and being laid by the customer can be quick and efficient – with all three tennis courts needing just two days each.

Andy Spencer, Commercial Manager in Aggregate Industries’ Surfacing Solutions team, said: “It’s fantastic to see Torbay Council driving an initiative to create more public spaces for people to get active. This can have a positive impact on physical and mental health, as well as creating a sense of community. With this project, the council is demonstrating their commitment to the wellbeing of locals and we are proud to have supplied SuperSport Tennis and to be part of this effort.”