Innovative underwater construction in Drachten

Aquatech Group is a leading company in civil underwater construction, consisting of Aquatech Diving and Aquatech Offshore. The first branch is headed by Steven Spanhaak and focuses on civil water works both inside and outside the Netherlands. This includes parking lots, locks and port areas, but also innovative underwater installations such as for the De Welle swimming center in Drachten.

Aquatech Group has now established a solid reputation as a specialist in underwater construction. A recent and notable project for Aquatech Diving is the realization of the new swimming center De Welle in Drachten. "Part of the construction is an Olympic swimming pool of no less than 50 meters long," says Spanhaak. "This pool can be split into two 25-meter pools thanks to a liftable intermediate wall. It was up to us to realize this underwater foundation."

When the full 50 meters of the pool are used, the partition wall sinks more than seven meters into the ground. "That deep into the ground you're dealing with groundwater and during construction other techniques come into play," Spanhaak continued. "Those techniques are unknown to regular builders. It is therefore extra fun for us to be involved in the realization of an underwater project from the very first moment and to share our expertise with the other parties."

Builder and consultant

The project a stone's throw from the Aquatech Group headquarters was not just any old one: "How often is an Olympic-size swimming pool built? It is certainly special to be able to contribute to that," Spanhaak states. "The cooperation with local contractors is very nice and the role of both builder and consultant in this project suits us well. We can't wait for more innovative and technically challenging projects like this."