Design, construction and maintenance in one hand

Three modern swimming pools

A brand-new swimming pool was completed in Veldhoven. The pool - like its predecessor - is adjacent to the sports hall, but on the other side. Thus, from one day to the next, Veldhoven residents were able to switch from their familiar Ekkerman to the new Citysport Veldhoven. 

Van der Horst contractors won the contract to build the pool under a UAV-GC contract. Design, Build & Maintain (ten-year maintenance) of the new swimming pool were therefore entirely up to her, with the design having to meet the Program of Requirements, the ceiling budget, the maintain requirements and the preconditions of Veldhoven Municipality. With a dedicated project team, she designed a plan with recreational, target group and therapeutic pools, including associated facilities and catering. 

From VO to UO

The creation of the plan was an intensive process. "During the tendering process we had three months to come up with a plan that met the call for tenders and the budget," says project leader Plan Development Gerben Elzer of Van der Horst contractors. "During this period, the designing and executing parties sat around the table together and, from time to time, the client as well. Once we had won the tender, the plan was developed into a final and implementation design."

Environmental Communication

Throughout the implementation period, the existing sports complex and the "old" swimming pool had to remain safely accessible. "This is what we tailored the entire planning to," Elzer explains. "In addition, we had kept the surrounding area well informed. Thanks to an information evening and regular updates via a group app with the presidents of the neighborhood associations, local residents knew exactly what to expect."

Waterproof

A challenge of a different order was the waterproofing of the baths. For this, the entire concrete structure was poured on site, with a bilge - half in the floor and half in the wall - securing the watertightness. Where two walls connect, the watertightness was realized with rubber impression profiles. Together with the structural engineer and concrete technologist, a special concrete mortar was formulated to minimize shrinkage. "The watertightness was tested with a GEO-electric test," explains project leader Wouter van Erp. "For this, the basins did not have to be full of water for two weeks. This saved a considerable amount of time and also not unkind: no leaks were found."

Chloride fumes

Special measures were taken to protect against the chloride fumes present. Van Erp: "The superstructure was built with a steel structure. To protect the steel beams from being affected by these vapors, they were treated with a special alloy. This was applied by the steel supplier; we checked the layer thickness and registered it in our quality assurance system. In the same context, the airtightness of the building was also important. This was tested using positive pressure."

In November 2021, Citysport Veldhoven was ready for use. Now the old pool could be demolished.