Tennessee Titans Nissan Stadium

Nissan Stadium turf replacement and subgrade support in Nashville

Located in Nashville, Nissan Stadium is home to the Tennessee Titans and hosts major sporting events, concerts and large public gatherings along the Cumberland River. Ahead of the 2023 NFL season, ECS Group of Companies supported a turf replacement project, as well as addressing associated groundwater concerns, at Nissan Stadium and the Tennessee Titans Practice Facility.

Challenge: Preparing subgrade for turf replacement in a time crunch

Athletic field performance depends on more than the surface. A bustling football season called for a new monofilament synthetic playing surface designed to support it. Subgrade conditions, drainage behavior and construction quality allaffect long-term durability. The project required removal of about 12 to 18 inches of existing material and installation of a new synthetic turf system with Matrix Helix technology and organic infill, all within a schedule tied closely to the upcoming season and other venue commitments like the NHL’s Winter Classic.

Solution: Geotechnical evaluation and construction-phase testing

During construction, ECS provided soils testing, compaction evaluation and Special Inspections to support subgrade preparation and turf system installation. Six Wildcat Dynamic Cone Penetrometer tests and four power auger borings were performed to help guide preparation of support layers for the new field system.

The site’s subsurface consists of sand over lean clay with very low swell potential, requiring no additional undercutting or stabilization. The soil proved excavatable with conventional equipment and sufficient for synthetic turf installation.

ECS recommended proof rolling, selective remediation with geogrid and granular stone and compaction to 95% Standard Proctor density for structural fill.