Case Study: DURADEK® Cut Costs in Olympic Pool Operation
Thompson and Associates, Consulting Engineers of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has for several years specialized in the design of Olympic swimming and diving pools using DURADEK® fiberglass grating to cover “surge trough gutters” than run the full perimeter of the pools.
The Olympic pool in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, shown here was completed in 1989. The “trough gutter covers” of DURADEK® run 168' long x 12" wide on each side of the pool and 75' long x 12" wide at each end of the swimming pool. The adjacent diving pool is 53’4" wide x 66’7" long and the DURADEK® trough gutter covers run the perimeter of this pool also. (A total of over 8,500 square feet of DURADEK® fiberglass grating was used for the gutter covers.)
This pool has been the site of the Olympic Festival for several years. This is an event for world class swimmers and divers that occurs during the Olympics and the materials used in the facility must meet strict specifications and have an attractive appearance.
| TECHNICAL DATA |
|---|
| Product: Pool Trough Covers |
| Process: Pultrusion |
| Materials: Fiberglass reinforced isophthalic polyester, white |
| Sizes: DURADEK® T-1800 1" grating, 12" lg. bars (currently DURAGRID®) |
| For: J. T. Ryerson & Son |
| User: Thompson and Assoc., Consulting Engrs. |
“DURADEK® grating was selected because it is corrosion resistant to chlorine, easy to install and has the strength to withstand people walking on it,” said Bob Thompson, President of Thompson and Associates Consulting Engineers. “Our only alternative was stainless steel and it was too expensive.” Thompson and Associates specified DURADEK® on two other Olympic size pools in Ft. Riley, Kansas and Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
“There is a constant flow of chlorinated water over the trough gutter covers. The gutter cover function is to conserve water, chemicals and heat in these huge pools. If the covers perform properly, this represents a big cost saving. The DURADEK® installed three years ago in pools in Kentucky and Kansas show little sign of wear and are performing very well,” reported Thompson.