Softball fields reopen for daylight use only Published June 1, 2012 By Mike W. Ray Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Tinker's softball fields will support league play, starting today, but only during daylight hours. The fields were reopened for limited use effective May 11, until a problem with the light poles is resolved, 72nd Air Base Wing Safety Officer Steve Serrette related. So that plenty of time will be available to play all of the softball games before sundown, three fields will be used this spring (Championship and Fields 1 and 2) instead of just the two fields utilized last year. The fields, in the northwest corner of the base, were closed after a 65-foot light pole in softball field #2 blew over in high winds April 27. As a direct result, all of the light poles at the four softball fields were dye-tested for metal fatigue. Nine of the 14 poles that had double crossbars were found to be cracked; consequently, all 14 were taken down because they all were made by the same manufacturer at approximately the same time, Serrette explained. The 14 poles probably will be replaced, he said. None of the 10 poles at the softball fields that have lights mounted on just one crossbar failed the dye test, nor did any of the six poles on the football/soccer field. Nevertheless, the company that manufactured all of the poles sent a team to Tinker "to test not only the poles that exhibited stress fractures, but also those still standing at the softball fields," Serrette said. One test measures wall thickness and identifies any corrosion that may have developed inside a pole near its base. Another test calculates the thickness of any galvanization on the exterior of a pole. An ultrasound device was used to detect any cracks or fatigue. In addition, the technicians tested the concrete pedestal on which each pole stood, and the bolts that anchored each pole to its pedestal, "to ensure they are safe for installing replacement poles," Serrette said. The technicians arrived May 21 and performed their tests the next day. The manufacturer's field representatives "said we should anticipate receiving their results in approximately two to three weeks," Serrette reported May 25.