www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
MovingFloors DEC 2012 SPN
51
MOVING FLOORS – ON THE RISE
Many new pool projects across the UK now feature a moving floor option of some sort. Despite costs, the additional flexibility they provide to both domestic and commercial pools is hard to ignore. Pools featuring a moving floor looks like a trend that is not only likely to continue, but one that is on the rise
some offer and the amount of permanent space they can occupy. It’s fair to say lots of swimming pools provide a single function and because of this, they can sit dormant for a lot, if not the majority of the time. So too does the building they reside in. In addition, when not being used, owners also have to ensure that the pool is safely secured. When you think about it, it’s hardly an ideal scenario and should you need additional facilities to accommodate other uses, unless you have the luxury of unlimited space you can only conclude that a single use pool is not the best use of an area. So with space at a premium for most and a building required for the pool, what if the footprint of even the smallest pool could change to be multi purpose and make the most of an area? Imagine the possibilities that could be used – and that’s where moving floors come in. Over recent years, the growth in installations featuring a moving pool floor has rapidly become nothing short of a phenomenon within the specialist pool industry, and the provision of a moving pool floor now opens up a whole new world of exciting possibilities. Games rooms or entertainment areas for homes have now become realities, so too have multi-use pools with better
W
hether in the home or at a commercial facility, one obvious downside to many swimming pools is the lack of flexibility
access for the young and disabled and even additional sports halls for commercial facilities. In short, the wide variety of uses of moving floors technology is nothing short of astounding. Moving floors aren’t cheap though and whilst the cost of each system varies based on a number of factors, it seems for many the investment is worthwhile thanks to the flexibility that they provide. In fact despite their costs, it is estimated that half of all new commercial pools being built will have a moving floor option of some sort. That figure is slightly surprising given swimming pool facilities are already notoriously expensive to build and operate, but the flexibility afforded by a moving floor provides additional revenue generating opportunities for commercial operators. In addition to their flexibility use wise, when in position, they retain heat within the pool water and reduce the amount of chemicals needed, so running costs are reduced. They also provide the priceless peace of mind that the pool area is a fully secure and safe environment. Already available for a wide variety of pool sizes, as technology develops and improves so do the mechanisms, styles and finishes and there are already a wide range of options available to suit the majority of needs.
THE PRESTIGE OPTION The Prestige Pool Floor (PPF) company has
completed a number of large-scale moveable pool floors for leisure centres across the UK. PPF floors can allow for a variety of movement – permitting the user to set the deep and shallow end depths separately and tilt the floor. Management of the pool depth is controlled by a touch screen control panel at poolside, making any adjustments simple and the chosen depths are shown on LCD displays around the pool in order to communicate this varying information to the public and inform them if diving is permitted. 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 at a rate of approximately 450mm/minute.
The floor depth is varied by a selection of cables and pulleys under the floor and powered by hydraulic rams located in a nearby plant room. The advantage to having the rams outside of the water is that in the unlikely event that there is a problem with one of the rams, it is easily accessible and will not leak oil or grease into the pool environment – an expensive and inconvenient problem.
The frame of the pool is made from stainless steel beams to provide the high strength and durability against the water and pool chemicals.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92