www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
ConcretePools DEC 2010 SPN
61
CONCRETE GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH!
Concrete may be the oldest method of swimming pool construction but, the fact remains that the concrete pool still has a lot to shout about – always being seen as the most flexible of all options and one which will hold its value and appearance and still offer the customer a ‘wow’ factor when it comes to design
C
oncrete pools are the most time-honoured form of pool building.
They do not require a liner membrane so have to be completely watertight and are therefore normally constructed using a double layer of concrete blocks and steel reinforcing. The shell is then waterproofed by the application of a proprietary render. Another popular construction method is carried out using a continuous steel framework reinforced and finished with gunite or shotcrete. Gunite is a ‘dry spray method’ of spraying concrete. Sand and cement are fed into a special machine and is then forced through the line by compressed air to the nozzle. The nozzle is fitted with a water tap, which is used to hydrate the dry mix. This method is often used in smaller installations or where access is limited.
Shotcrete varies in that the cement, sand and water, are premixed and delivered to site using an agitator pump vehicle to prevent the mix from drying. The blend is then pumped out of the truck through a nozzle where compressed air blows the combined mix onto the substrate to form the shell.
The one thing all these pools have in common is that they must be built by a professional pool building company as there is no room for error
and if the build is not carried out to the letter expensive updates may soon be needed if cracking occurs.
Concrete pools are wonderfully versatile as they can be constructed to any shape or size (freeform) including the opportunity to add walk in steps of a variety of designs and other unique features not possible in other build methods. As to the pools final ‘gloss’, tiles are often a popular choice as is marble based cement plaster which provides an attractive and smooth finish. Once used it is not possible to add mosaic tiles at the waterline to this type of surface as the tiles would not effectively adhere.
CUTTING TIME AND MONEY NOT CORNERS Sprayed Concrete Services (SCS) are well known to the UK pool trade and have over 20 years experience in all areas of pool construction, from small residential pools to large commercial projects.
In a day and age where building space comes at a premium, SCS lends itself as an excellent construction method for any concrete structure particularly when faced with sites that have difficult access. Working closely with structural engineers, the speed and ability involved in the process of the SCS method gives any pool contractor confidence and greater scope to
take on projects that would normally be undertaken by a civil engineering company or major contractor.
To use an example, SCS recently helped out a pool contractor with a particular 18m x 4m pool project where the main contractor did not want to take responsibility for the integrity of the swimming pool shell and its integration with the pools underground plant room; plus the enclosure’s foundations. SCS not only took on the job they completed the work within budget and cut down anticipated construction time by a full six weeks. David Bland Director of SCS comments: “Both the client and the building contractor were extremely pleased to see the project gainfully progress in such a short space of time, saving them both much valuable time and effort.”
The company is able to spray concrete to that of standard swimming pool dimensions, or free- form design projects. SCS also have a vast experience in not only spraying the pool shell, but also the balance tanks, cover caves, counter- current units, spa pools, skimmer pools and infinity edges. SCS’s sprayed concrete pool shell produces a monolithic, extremely strong concrete structure which is particularly suited to pool construction and provides a fast, efficient build that is also cost effective.
The flexibility of shapes and designs offered by concrete are clear in Sprayed Concrete Services ‘work in progress’ on pools By Karen Witney
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