Aquatics Facilities

1
Aquatics Facilities

• Chapter 13

2
Selected Aquatic History in the USA

• 1887 First city poolBrookline, Mass.
• 1950s 184,200 pools in the USA
• 1975 The White House gets a pool
• 1979 The first true waterpark wet-n-wild
• 2003 Excess of 6.6 million pools in USA
• 2000-2006 The indoor waterpark industry grew
  eight fold

3
Major Growth in Aquatic Facilities

• Came after WWII good economy plus U.S. was a
  nation of non-swimmers prior to the war and
  returned as a nation of swimmers following the
  war.
• Traditional, competitive pools built in the
  1950s-1970s
• Waterparks and leisure pools began in the USA in
  the mid-1980s

4

• Leisure pools tend to recover significantly more
  income than traditional competitive pools.
• When planning a new facility, identifying the
  priority user groups is of the utmost importance.
• Visiting other relatively new aquatic facilities
  is strongly recommended.

5
Outdoor vs. Indoor Pools

• Outdoor Pools less costly to construct but have a
  2-3 month season.
• Indoor Pools more costly but are open 12 months a
  year.

6
Outdoor Pools Today

• Need to add an abundance of shade structures
• De-emphasize shallow water baby pools
• and now spraygrounds instead, without standing
  water.
• Outdoor pools use stabilized chlorines, indoor
  pools must not.

7
Competitive Pools

• Somewhat easier to plan because dimensions are
  similar.
• 78 81 degrees F
• Springboards and Diving Towers need deep water
  (12.5 17 feet).
• Wider pool decks are desired but at great expense
  because the footprint of the building is
  expanded.

8
Pool Decks/Floors

• Tile is by far the most versatile finish but also
  the most expensive.
• Non-slips decks are a must and must be tested
  first.
• Fabric floor (carpet) and deck finishes are not
  recommended for wet environments
• (mold, mildew, bacteria, etc).

9
Deck drains

• Continuous trench drain vs. intermittent drains.
• Keep slot drains away from pool edge possible
  contamination of pool water.
• Deck must be sloped to drains.

10
Pool lighting (indoors)

• 125-150 foot candles recommended for new
  facilities hosting elite competitive events
• 100 foot candles for other competitions
• 30-50 foot candles for recreational and
  non-competitive aquatics.
• Should be able to switch to various light levels
  for various user groups.

11
Indoor Lighting

• Place fixtures strategically for ease of
  replacing bulbs.
• Bulbs lose their brilliance quickly.
• Lights should not create glare of blind
  competitors, patrons, or lifeguards.
• Windows/skylights add aesthetics while producing
  glare and algae if not designed and installed
  correctly.

12
Underwater Lighting

• Often required for safety and aesthetics
• Typically troublesome in pools leakage and
  electrocutions

13
Interior finishes

• Tile is best by far but also most expensive.
• Others finishes work well but stain and do not
  last as long.
• All pool finishes must be either white or very
  light except for diving platform wells, where
  dark blue is often used.

14
Movable Floors

• Great for increased programming
• Expensive
• Can require maintenance

15
Indoor Air Quality

• Significant problem for energy efficient indoor
  pools
• Much fresh air is needed of good air quality
• The busier the pool, the more likely it is to
  have air-quality issues
• ASHRAE standards may not be adequate

16
Filtration

• Pressure vs. vacuum systems
• Media Types
• Sand, D.E., Cartridge, Glass, Zeolite
• Turnovers are important usually the faster the
  turnover, the better for filtration

17
Chemistry

• Chlorine
• Bromine
• Ozone
• U/V light
• Others (ionizers, chlorine generation, etc.)

18
Heating

• Gas
• Solar
• Combination
• others

19
Planning Leisure Aquatic Facilities

• Leisure pool movement arrived in the U.S.
• in the 1980s
• Successful in Europe and Canada prior to
  acceptance in the USA, particularly indoors
• Construction costs tend to range from 1-2
  million for small communities (8,000 sq. ft.) to
  up to 10 million for larger communities (24,000
  sq. ft.)

20
Income Generation

• Leisure pools tend to generate more income than
  traditional pools
• However, even the best managed leisure
• pools have a difficult time turning a true
  profit
• Food and beverage concessions tend to be large
  income generators at leisure pools

21
Ancillary Areas

• Shade structures/areas
• Sand play areas
• Sun turf areas
• Concessions
• Seating areas
• Landscaping/theming

22
Water Attractions

• Waterslides
• Lazy rivers
• Water features/toys
• Multiple pools with different temperatures

23
Trends in Water Safety

• Supervision of the lifeguards is key
• Video both land based and underwater
• Drowning detection systems using both computer
  and video technology
• Larger lifeguard stations for movement
• 5-Minute Scanning Strategy
• 5/30 model of Aquatic Accountability
• AEDs, oxygen, etc.

24
Leisure Pool Features

• Water falls
• Fountains
• Whirlpools
• Current channels
• Lazy river
• Participatory water play apparatus

25
Leisure Pool Design Considerations

• Cost
• Operating costs
• Life cycle costs
• Long-term popularity

26
Planning Considerations for a New Swim Center

• Need analysis
• Programming
• Funding
• Future needs

27
Design Options

• Basements
• Pool shell construction
• cast-in-place concrete
• Pneumatically applied concrete
• Structural features
• Fenestration
• Dehumidification
• Materials and finishes

28
Technical Considerations

• Dimensions
• Interior Finishes
• Gutter Systems
• deep recessed
• deck level
• rollout
• Gutter construction
• cast-in-place
• fabricated or steel

• Pool filters
• sand
• diatomaceous earth
• cartridge
• Chemical treatment
• Movable bulkhead
• Movable floors
• Diving facilities

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Technical Considerations

• Drainage
• Building envelope
• Support spaces
• dressing rooms
• offices
• first aid area
• meet management area
• Dehumidification

• HVAC
• Maintenance and repair
• Safety features
• signage
• safety equipment
• safety ledges
• recessed ladders