Surface for sports areas, particularly tennis courts, and its manufacture

Claim 1

A process for the manufacture of a surface for a sports area, such as a tennis court, characterized by applying a layer of a non-hydrated mixture consisting essentially of tile cement, brick dust and other powdered, non-hydrated and non-hydratable mineral material on a prepared, essentially level horizontal foundation and then hydrating the tile cement in situ in said layer; in that the non-hydrated mixture is formed in situ on said foundation by the steps comprising: (a) preparing an intimate dry powder mixture of the components brick dust, other powdered, non-hydrated and non-hydratable mineral material, and dry tile cement; (b) spreading said dry powder mixture on said foundation; (c) compacting said layer of powder mixture; and (d) applying the necessary amount of water; and in that the tile cement before hydration consists of approximately 24.8 to 89.8 percent hydraulic cement, approximately 10 to 75 percent aggregate selected from sand or ground limestone, or both, and approximately 0.2 to 6.5 percent methyl cellulose together with one or more components selected from the class consisting of up to 10 percent interpolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl propionate, up to 6 percent condensation product of melamin formaldehyde, up to 0.1 percent polyacrylamide, up to 25 percent trass, and up to 5 percent fibrous material.