industry feature Covers and enclosures The enclosed pool in Cambridge, nZ t here are a number of different ways residential and commercial swimming pools and spas can be covered and enclosed – here we look at a few examples. Indoor or outdoor in minutes outh Pacific Pool Enclosures recently installed a Laguna Grande enclosure Sfor a residential pool in Cambridge, New Zealand. It is almost 10m wide by 17m long and varying from 2.5m to 3m high. It has seven telescopic segments, ena- bling the pool to operate as either an indoor or an outdoor pool – and it can be closed or opened up in minutes. The enclosure saves on running costs year round, and makes the The pool also includes a pool blanket for further heat retention pool much more pleasant for swimming in the winter and shoulder seasons. This enclosure arrived disassembled from The Canberra Olympic to be a clear-span design with curved roof- Europe and installation was completed in Swimming Pool ing in the shape of a dome. PVC tensile seven days on-site. Three different types of The Canberra Olympic Swimming Pool de- fabric with a blue and white colour scheme polycarbonate were used; 4mm compact velopment was an ACT Government funded was specified to match the existing struc- clear on the sides and faces up to 2100mm initiative to remove, replace and recycle the ture design. on the arch, 8mm twin wall clear on the existing 22-year-old air-supported mem- Key design criteria included the need to roof and at the clients request the attached brane enclosure in order to upgrade the improve the functionality and visual ap- equipment room was in 3mm embossed. look, feel and functionality of the facility. pearance compared to existing structure; All the polycarbonate is UV protected, Universal Fabric Structures (UFS) was it had to be easy to clean, maintain and re- profiles are aluminium and it’s fixed to a awarded the contract to complete the exten- pair, with the ability to replace side panels unique aluminium flat track system which is sive $1m refurbishment. if necessary; it had to provide a comfort- recessed to the same level as the tiles. The replacement structure was required able, light and airy internal atmosphere www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 49 industry feature Showing the new Canberra enclosure with its open sides without excessive heat or humidity through control; had to be capable of supporting their standard Supa-Span-C design to all seasons of the year; and they needed heavy duty roof fans, artificial lighting and incorporate the key project requirements. the ability to open the sides in summer for electrical cabling; and have corrosion pro- The steel truss framing was engineered to weather control. tected structural steel framing suitable for integrate the required electrical and fire It also had to incorporate a hanging an indoor chlorinated pool. detection systems, and was manufactured framework for flags, ropes and other equip- They also needed to remove the existing with a special three-coat high build paint to ment; a mechanical ventilation system and air-supported membrane and recycle it in avoid erosion. Ferrari 702s membrane was a suspended internal ceiling liner within accordance with the ACT No Waste Strategy. chosen to clad the structure with the 502s the roof space to aid internal environmental Universal Fabric Structures customised range selected for an internal liner. New Zealand 50 | SPLASH! www.splashmagazine.com.au industry feature Guiding light for pool covers pool and spa covers, to ensure they S MART Approved Watermark is a voluntary, elite are fit for purpose. not-for-profit program that helps consumers you can view the draft guidelines make informed choices about saving water which have been put out for consulta- around the home, garden and pool. Products tion by going to www.smartwater- and services with the Smart Approved mark.info or by using a QuickLink at Watermark label have been assessed by an www.splashmagazine.com.au. independent technical expert panel. if you have any questions or Last year, Smart Approved Watermark comments about the guidelines, and the Pool and Spa Cover Association of contact the Smart Watermark by Australia (PASCAA), worked together on calling (02) 9223 3322 or by email at developing a set of guidelines for swimming [email protected]. Supreme The SPASA Industry Trade Expo is now recognised as a ‘must attend’ item on the industry calendar. The 2011 Trade Expo will be held at Rosehill Gardens, Sydney 10.00am - 6.00pm Friday 17th June. All the Industry is invited to attend. Builders can obtain 3 CPD points by simply attending. Tel: 02 9747 6644 Email: [email protected] | www.spasa.org.au www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 51 industry feature With the use of translucent membranes recycled using the Ferrari Texyloop proc- allowing natural transmission of sunlight, ess. Until the arrival of Texyloop, these the requirement for daytime lighting was composites were not fully recyclable due significantly reduced. To support and regu- to the difficulty in separating the PVC from late climate control, a mechanical ventila- polyester fibres. Now these textiles can be tion system operates between the external separated, minimising the impact of raw membrane and interior liner creating an material consumption and landfill or pollu- insulation air gap, and mesh vents along the tion through incineration. sides of the structure provide the required Installation of the structure was very air and moisture release. A retractable difficult due to the limited site access and curtain walling system has also been im- construction over the existing in-ground plemented to allow cross ventilation during swimming pool. Steel assembly was com- The new ufS enclosure warmer weather. pleted in the adjoining car park with the In an Australian first, the existing air completed arches crane-lifted onto the site. supported structure was dismantled and The fabric was also crane lifted from the car The old inflatable membrane at the Canberra pool Pinz spa covers have the Smart 1-3 Page Industry Expert Ad (Bleed):Splash ApprovedBleed Water 2/10/09mark 1:47 PM Page 1 inside the Canberra pool with its old membrane Sold only by Experts. daisy Make sure your Daisy product knowledge is as good as your pool covers & rollers customer’s. Internet enquiry is high and all quote requests are directed to our Daisy Experts. For Daisy Training contact your Area Manager. 52 | SPLASH! www.splashmagazine.com.au industry feature park to the top of the completed frame and then spread out over the steel frame, fixed, Vinyl gets recycled to reduce greenhouse emissions and then tensioned. The installation was A comparison of greenhouse gas emissions from common products in europe has completed in approximately four weeks. revealed that the consumption of lamb and cheese can result in higher Co2 emis- sions than from the production of a common plastic, PvC. Keeping the warmth in spas The greenhouse emissions from virgin PvC resins are comparatively low Pinz has recently carried out research and compared to other materials such as cheese and aluminium products, as can be testing into evaporation in spa pools with a seen below. focus on spa covers as a water saving device. However, data from the university of manchester’s carbon footprint tool During their testing they found that one calculator shows that recycling PvC can reduce emissions to one sixth those of of their properly fitted spa covers could save virgin PvC. more than 52,000 litres of water per year. Pinz equivalent footprints per Kg of manufactured products: says this is almost the same as the amount of Lamb = 14Kg Co2 water the average person uses in the shower Cheese = 11kg Co2 each year. It was also interesting to note that Aluminium = 10Kg Co2 water loss through evaporation was virtually frosties (cereal) = 1.9Kg Co2 nil when the spa was fitted with the spa cover. PvC = 1.9Kg Co2 There are a number of government sup- Recycled PvC = 0.3Kg Co2 ported programs available to encourage The vinyl Council of Australia (vCA) is working to advance the sustainability of consumers to achieve greater water savings the vinyl, or PvC, industry in Australia. its members are drawn across the supply inside and outside the home and to sup- chain of the vinyl industry. port products that help to reduce domestic “Recycling PvC offers a great opportunity to produce low carbon products,” water use. Up until the end of March the says Sophi macmillian, Chief executive of the vCA. “most PvC is used in building South Australian government through SA products such as pipes, walls, floor coverings, cabling and window frames. Water and the H2ome program was offer- improving recovery of PvC waste and identifying where recycled PvC can increas- ing rebates of $200 off the purchase of an ingly be used in such applications will help improve the carbon footprint of build- approved pool or spa cover. A Pinz represe- ings and our lifestyles.” natative said they are disappointed that this The vCA convened a summit specifically focused on advancing PvC recycling fantastic program has been discontinued, in may. The 2011 ReSource Summit used an interactive workshop approach and can only hope that it may be revisited to identify strategies to address current challenges in recycling PvC products again in the future or considered by other within Australia. states as a great consumer motivation to- Through engaging a wide range of stakeholders – not just the PvC industry – it wards the purchase of effective water saving is hoped opportunities will be discovered in product design and new markets for devices for pools and spas.