www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
StainlessSteelPools JUN 2012 SPN
73
Factory prepared and assembled by Natare into functional sections, the on-site pool activity is greatly reduced
as gunite or shotcrete have developed, but these techniques are generally restricted to residential and smaller commercial pools.
Pool construction is not a regular activity in most communities, and the design of concrete pools often does not follow any recommended technique or established design practice. Typically, there is a limited body of expertise available for each new pool project. Concrete construction varies widely around the world, and ‘best practices’ for such work are often substantially different even within the same country.
In most cases, each pool is designed ‘from scratch’, and the architect, engineer, and designers often struggle to apply concrete construction technology to a swimming pool environment.
Each pool is a unique creation that often developed with little consideration for the realities of swimming pool construction and the inherent difficulties with the challenging environment. As pool designers and contractors looked to incorporate the durability and low maintenance of stainless steel in their projects, they realised that an age-old design and construction problem could finally be addressed. Pools could now be ‘pre-engineered’ to maximise the efficiency of the construction process similar to the way that such systems have been developed for virtually all aspects of modern building construction. Regardless what concrete construction system is used, pool construction typically becomes a process of ‘field engineering’.
Critical aspects of concrete construction such as mix design, placement procedures, reinforcement design, and quality control are left to the inadequacies of the construction process. Construction errors and learn-as-you go becomes common. Cost savings benefit the contractor solely, and decisions are often based on profit rather than long term durability and maintenance costs.
Anyone familiar with concrete pools is well aware of the problems with deteriorating
concrete, cracking, settling, leaking gutter systems and pool piping, and pools that are dimensionally wrong because of the difficulties in properly designing and constructing pools. Older concrete pools were built entirely or largely on site, piece by piece, using a wide range of different construction materials, parts and components from many different suppliers, and the efforts of multiple trades or subcontractors. The obvious disadvantages of building a pool with piece-built construction include coordination between different materials, trades, and construction requirements, delays from construction sequencing as well as weather issues that can shut down the worksite or damage materials.
Even with the best of weather and coordination, such construction is far more time- consuming and the likelihood of serious design, quality control, or cost control issues is quite high. Because of limited choices, pool construction can often be a frustrating process that delivers a pool with a limited life expectancy and high maintenance costs.
As stainless steel has become the material of choice for pool construction, ‘pre-engineered’ systems have evolved for pool construction. Given the economy, efficiency and risk management inherent in such construction, most pools today are able to be built with complete, pre-engineered pool construction systems. As is the case with many construction systems, stainless steel pools are ‘pre-engineered’ to ensure a complete, totally functional, and efficient pool system rather than ‘post- engineered’. No longer does the completion of the project become the beginning of the effort to correct the mishaps, mistakes, and wrong decisions during design and construction. Typically, pre-engineered pools save considerable time and money during construction and provide low maintenance and life cycle costs in years to come.
Many manufacturers offer a range of pre- engineered pools that are available to meet the
WHY STAINLESS STEEL MAKES PERFECT SWIMMING POOLS
The benefits of pre-engineered stainless steel pool construction are proven and include : • Proven design with lower design costs and documentation requirements
• Predictable project costs • Energy efficient and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifiable construction
• 100% recyclable materials • Faster construction and project completion schedules
• No buried perimeter or gutter supply piping
• Lower construction costs • Multiple vendors and manufacturers for comparable competitive bidding
• Significantly higher quality control • Single-source responsibility pool structure construction
• Longer facility life cycle and reduced maintenance
requirements of pool construction projects anywhere in the world.
Pre-engineered stainless steel pool construction makes use of proven designs and construction methods. Concrete is still used, but the use of concrete is limited to economically and easily- placed flat or horizontal work where the structural characteristics of concrete are best utilised. The
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