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SPN DEC 2010 MovingFloors
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
“I guess about half our customers see pool safety as one of the reasons for opting for a moving floor. To be able to raise the pool to a height which is safe for toddlers to paddle in complete safety is very important”
regular access to shallow water. The Prestige Pool Floor (PPF) is designed to provide just that. For the commercial pool operator it spells new revenue opportunities. From use as a dry exercise area, through keep fit innovations such as splash dancing or aqua aerobics – when a class begins exercise on the dry floor, and the floor gradually moves down, increasing resistance, finishing the class with water at shoulder level, to depths that permit diving and sub aqua. The floor is also perfect for over 60s sessions providing easier access to the water than traditional steps.
In its ‘rest position’, the floor floats on the surface of the water, with the benefits of greater heat retention, less evaporation and lower chemical and fuel costs. Within a few minutes the floor can be moved to the bottom of the pool, using just 2.2kW of electricity.
Mark Watson adds: “Flexibility of programming is one of the greatest benefits. An area that can be employed for swimming at all levels including diving and sub aqua, wet and dry exercise – plus provide a waterside landing area and easy access for the elderly and disabled is a huge advantage for a commercial facility. Running costs are reduced as much as revenue is increased. “There are no working parts under water and it is not possible for swimmers to get beneath the floor. The structure is so strong the floor can even be used as a lift. The floor is moved via two hydraulic rams which are driven by a 2.2kW motor positioned away from the pool area. The complete system switches itself off 20 minutes after use as a safety feature.”
This floor from The Lifting Pool Floor Company was specified to a higher load level than their standard designs for use as a dancefloor
The Lifting Pool Floor Company is one of the UK’s leading specialists in high quality lifting floors for domestic and high end commercial swimming pools. They tend to specialise in domestic pools where safety is a key issue with consumers. Said Nick Field: “Safety is much more of a significant issue in moving floors than some think. I guess about half our customers see pool safety as one of the reasons for opting for a moving floor. To be able to raise the pool to a height which is safe for toddlers to paddle in complete safety is very important.”
The cost of installation can fluctuate added Nick – driven by the volatile price of stainless steel from year to year.
The company’s designs are specified and tested to a working load of 150kg/m² in line with the requirements of BS EN 13451-11:2004. The designs do not rely on internal buoyancy to achieve their design load, and are therefore equally safe when the pool is drained. “We believe our designs offer a degree of structural integrity matched by few of our competitors,” added Nick.
Essex based Austin Design & Manufacturing Ltd (ADM Floors) are engineers who specialise in hydraulically powered structural mechanisms. An ADM’s moveable floor system is designed to drop and retract so that the pool can either be totally hidden or have an adjustable depth. This method is practical for commercial situations where the pool is used by the disabled, for water exercising and general swimming purposes and the depth adjusted so becoming multi functional to suit the purpose.
Control panel used by The Lifting Pool Floor Company. Just four buttons control the lifting pool floor
ADM’s hydraulic drive system operates at low pressure
“We have installed these floors not only in swimming pools but also to cover and utilise space in theatres over the orchestra pit,” said ADM’s Keith Austin. “Every installation is different and we discuss client’s needs and available options at a very early stage. Most requirements or unusual requests can normally be incorporated and the floor can even be given a ‘see through’ finish as well as the more conventional tiled or wood.”
ADM feel that the market for moveable floors is growing stronger as private individuals become more aware of the existence of such wonders. “We now find ourselves supplying more domestic floors than public ones particularly in new builds.” Austin continues: “The system can be retrofitted but the floor occupies space and will reduce the maximum available water depth.”
Award winning Heritage Pools recently completed a swimming pool with a movable floor which can be stopped at any point in its path upwards, meaning the depth of the pool can change with the touch of a button. When at its deepest, the pool is 2.1metres but if you want a paddling pool for children then the floor can be raised to suit. As the floor is raised, the water drains down a 8mm gap that surrounds the pool, finally locking
A garden room doubles as a swimming pool at the touch of a button thanks to this floor from The Lifting Pool Floor Company
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