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Bright Idea Glows In The Dark

Category: International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

ABOVE: Mark Hempleman-Adams has put his chemical background to good use with the development of a new range of safety coping for swimming pools.

It was Edison who said that genius is one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration. Mark Hempleman-Adams of Global Resins Ltd., can vouch for that.
Mark is the brains behind one of the best new products to arrive on the water leisure scene for some time – a new style of safety coping that is water, chlorine and UV resistant; soft, anti-slip and if that were not enough… it even glows in the dark!
The new style of coping may be lightweight but it packs a punch. It is made from similar materials used in the challenging environments around deep sea oil rigs.
It is easy to handle and cuts down on fiddly finishing touches, saving valuable time on site. While soft to the touch, the coping still looks good and is available in a blend of natural looking finishes and a multitude of colour combinations.

LUMINESCENT FINISH
The optional luminescent finish, in aquamarine and green, is not only an added safety feature but also offers huge design potential especially for corporate facilities that can now see their name illuminated on the pool edge.
“I was on holiday watching my children jumping in and out of my brother’s pool in the South of France,” recalls Mark.
“I was trying to relax by the side of the pool but all the time I was worrying that my high spirited youngsters were going to come crashing down and hit their heads on the coping stones around the edge.”
As the managing and technical director of a chemical company I naively thought that I could make such a product without too much trouble. Perhaps not so naively my first call was to a Patent Attorney to get them to do some worldwide searches and to file a patent on the idea and technology I had in mind.

TRIAL AND ERROR
An intensive period of research and development involved several prototypes with one issue after another being overcome.
Mark takes up the story: “After about six months of setbacks, I began to think I would have to give up on the whole idea.
“But at the time, I was doing some work on another project, where I was using a luminescent powder. I wondered how, with what I had come up with so far, it would look if it were luminescent. I gave it a go and wow, it looked amazing.
“This gave me a new impetus to develop the product as, not only would I have a soft safety coping that would reduce the chances of serious injury, but it would glow at night for hours, making it safer for people to see the edge of the pool which would help prevent them from falling in.”
Mark was still a little way from finalising the ideal product which entailed talking to numerous industrial chemists and scientists that he has dealt with in the past – not to mention a few new contacts too!
“I am pleased to say, I have at long last come up with the final product,” Mark reports. “It has been a case of just sticking at it and ensuring it has all the physical properties that are needed and looks great to boot.
“The luminescent copings, I’m convinced, look great although it is merely an option but my brother, in the South of France, has insisted his pool must have them.”
Mark is now exploring various routes to market across the UK and Ireland and globally. He is keen to establish distributor partnerships around the world as well as talking to pool installers directly.

Global Resins Ltd
Tel. +44 (0)1249 715566
http://www.globalresins.co.uk/

Making A Difference

Category: International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

ABOVE: Prince William chats to an aquajogger as he officially opens Headley Court.

The Help For Heroes campaign, that has captured the imagination of the British public, has unveiled its crowning glory with the recent opening of improved facilities for wounded servicemen and women.
The revamped rehabilitation complex for injured soldiers at Headley Court in Surrey, featuring a 25m pool and state of the art hydrotherapy facilities, was officially opened by Prince William, last month, himself a serving RAF pilot.
The newly unveiled improvements are a major boost to the site’s existing facilities and features the pool with a moving floor, an ‘Aqua Jogger’, a new and improved gym, and new medical rehabilitation facilities.
The pool built by Buckingham Pools has been designed so that two different groups of patients can exercise at the same time. At the deep end of the swimming pool, jets are installed for patients to swim against or use for resistance training. There is also a separate spa for relaxation and an existing hydrotherapy pool.
Prince William could not contain his delight when touring the facility: “Help for Heroes has galvanised the entire British people,” he said.

PROACTIVE SUPPORT
“Always supportive of its men and women in uniform, this country has been elevated by Help for Heroes to a state of realisation and proactive support for our military that has made me very, very proud to be British, and a member of our Armed Forces.”
He said he and his brother Prince Harry, 25, also in the RAF had been extremely moved by the servicemen they have met at Headley Court since the charity’s launch two-and-a-half years ago: “We were unsure about what to expect. We expected to find a place of suffering with, perhaps, a pervading atmosphere of desolation.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. Here reigns courage, humour, compassion and, above all, hope.
“Part of it is down to the extraordinary spirit and indomitable nature of the British soldier, sailor and airman.
“This great day has been brought about by this unique charity and the millions who support it.”
Headley Court provides care and rehabilitation for soldiers returning from battlefields in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq with serious injuries that often lead to amputations.

STATE OF THE ART
The state-of-the-art pool and gym complex at Headley Court, Surrey, will help troops injured in battle accelerate their recovery time. The Help For Heroes campaign, supported in particular by The Sun newspaper, has raised £54m through events ranging from sponsored runs and bike rides to cake sales and buying wristbands.
About £34 million of the fund has been earmarked for the Headley Court development. For most combat casualties, Headley Court is the final stage of the recovery process. It has 200 military and civilian staff providing care for 6,500 patients a year. The facilities, set in 85 acres of landscaped gardens, include the hydrotherapy pool, four fully equipped gyms and a state-of-theart limb-fitting and amputee centre.
The main contractors, Capita Symonds, provided a range of multidisciplinary services on the project – including architecture, civil and structural engineering, ecology, landscaping and environmental – on behalf of Interserve Building which in turn is working on behalf of PriDE – the Ministry of Defence’s Prime South East Contractor.

Buckingham Pools                                              

ABOVE: The pool has been designed so that two different groups of patients can exercise at the same time.

Tel. +44 (0)926 852351
http://www.buckinghampools.com/

Capita Symonds
Tel. +44 (0)20 7799 1525
http://www.capitasymonds.co.uk/

To Infinity …And Beyond!

Category: International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

ABOVE:The pool on top of the recently opened £4 billion Marina Bay Sands Hotel is three times the length of an Olympic pool.

You will need a head for heights to take the plunge in this pool that offers the best views of Singapore.
The Skypark pool is 650ft and 55 floors up, at the very top of the recently opened £4 billion Marina Bay Sands Hotel – officially the most expensive hotel in the world.
It pays not to look down as you take a dip in the 150m long SkyPark pool, three times the length of an Olympic size swimming pool.

BOAT SHAPED
The boat-shaped pool is the largest outdoor pool in the world at that height and spans the three towers of the hotel on a cantilever that is thought to be one of the biggest ever built.
While appearing to flow into the horizon, the infinity pool actually spills into a catchment area just below where the water is pumped back into the main pool. The pools have two circulation systems. The first functions like that of a regular pool, filtering and heating the water in the main pool. The second filters the water in the catch basin and returns it to the upper pool.

DECK OF CARDS
Based on a design of a deck of cards by architect Moshe Safdie, the 2,560 room hotel, costing from £350 a night, was officially opened with lavish opening ceremony and a concert by singing legend Diana Ross.
The resort will employ 10,000 people directly and generate up to £48m each year. The hotel is expected to welcome 70,000 visitors a day once it is fully open. Entrance to the casino alone is nearly £50 a day – but an average of 25,000 people visited its casino in the first two months of its opening.

Marina Bay Sands
Tel + 65 6688 8868
http://www.marinabaysands.com/

Use It, Or Lose It Warn Calorex

Category: International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

ABOVE: Calorex managing director Richard Carrington says interest free loans are a win, win situation for eligible businesses.

As almost daily news is announced of further government cut backs, Calorex Heat Pumps is urging small to medium size business to apply sooner rather than later for interest-free, energy efficiency loans from the Carbon Trust.
Holiday parks, health clubs, schools and hotels are all eligible for up to £100,000 in interest free loans to finance conversion to more energy and cost efficient heating and ventilation on their swimming pools.
Last year, the Carbon Trust loaned £6.8m, at zero per cent, to SMEs in the hotel, leisure and tourism industry, for a plethora of technologies and equipment, including lighting, heating, motors and drives, and insulation.
“In the short term, savings on energy bills within the payback period, more than offset the cost of the loan repayments while offering on-going savings long term,” explains Richard Carrington, managing director of Calorex Heat Pumps.
“The criteria for the scheme has been tightened this year and we fear customers must use this incentive scheme before we lose it.”
Small to medium sized swimming pool operators can more than halve their annual energy bill and reduce CO2 emissions and climate change levies by up to 70% by switching to a Calorex heat recovery system.
Research by Calorex puts the annual energy costs for a typical pool fitted with a Calorex heat recovery system at £31,885 with CO2 emissions at 222 tonnes with climate change levy cost at £2,223.
This translates to less than half of the £69,334 equivalent cost if run on a Desiccant AHU, 37% less than the £50,407 bill if run on a Recuperator AHU and a whopping 66% less than the £94,746 run on a full Fresh Air system. Comparable reductions in CO2 and climate change levy show savings of 42% on a recuperator AHU; 58% against a desiccant AHU and a staggering 70% improvement on the figures of a full fresh air system.
Recent Calorex successes include Northampton’s Oundle School. Despite increases in energy fuel costs, the introduction of a Calorex heat recovery system has seen running costs tumble from £22k to £11k per annum with total kW/hr usage figures reduced by one third. Associated CO2 emissions were also reduced from 422 to 224 tonnes per annum, a reduction of over 45%.
The Carbon Trust loan scheme has a straightforward and fast application process with no arrangement fees. The maximum loan value on the scheme has been reduced from £150,000 to £100,000 and the amount of CO2 that must be saved per £1,000 of loan has been increased from 1.5 tonnes CO2 to two tonnes CO2.
An added benefit is that the Calorex heat recovery dehumidification range feature on the Government’s Energy Technology List and a 100% capital allowance can be claimed in the first year of purchase. This, together with an interest-free carbon trust loan, makes a really viable proposition, with massive long term energy savings.
More information can be found at www.carbontrust.co.uk/ loans or simply by contacting Calorex.

Calorex Heat Pumps
Tel. 01621 856611
http://www.calorex.com/

Making A Splash

Category: Home Pools & Spas, Hot Tubs & Spas, International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

ABOVE: The Wavesurfer will be a crowd pleaser at this year’s LIW show.

Visitors to next month’s Leisure Industry Week exhibition will be able to see one of the newest water leisure attractions in the Pool & Spa section of the show – the Wavesufer.
Showcasing for the first time in the UK at LIW the Wavesurfer is the Ultimate aquatic attraction for body boarders, surfers, wake borders and even skate and snowboarders. It provides a soft riding surface allowing users to fall without hurting themselves making it ideal to learn and practice new tricks and moves for people of all ages and abilities.
The Wavesurfer team of professional surfers will be presenting live demonstrations of this innovative new feature within the Pool & Spa area at LIW.
Running from September 21 to 23 inclusive, this year LIW is set to be another exciting and visually stimulating show incorporating the newest products from the out-of-home leisure industry.
The show will be split into seven areas which cover different leisure sections including Pool & Spa, Health & Fitness, Leisure Facilities, Sport, Play & Attractions, Eat & Drink and Licensed business. LIW will be held at Birmingham NEC.
Commenting on the new features at LIW, Chris Brown, event manager, said: “The features we have developed for this year’s show will really benefit both visitors and exhibitors and give people more opportunities to do business and network. Our aim year-on-year is to improve and give visitors what they want; the new features will ensure this.”
The Swimmind Pool and Allied Trade Association will be putting on a series of seminars which will cover all areas of those topics most important to companies in the water leisure industry. The seminars will be delivered by leading figures from within the industry and are designed to inspire new ideas to take business within the sector forward and help with any challenges companies face within the sector.

FLYING THE FLAG

Category: International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

This tiled outdoor swimming pool for a customer in the South of France took Polypool just weeks to complete, from design concept to installed pool.
With over 40 years of experience in swimming pool construction technology, Polypool has a clear lead in factorybuilt insulated pool wall and panel systems that combine the benefits of affordability, ease of installation, and effective heat conservation. The complete kit of prefabricated panels, tracks and accessories is easy to export in ‘flat-pack’ form for swimming pool projects in continental Europe, and further afield.
Manufactured in its modern factory in Hampshire, in England Polypool’s domestic and commercial swimming pools are successfully installed all over the world.
Unlike a one-piece shell, Polypool panels can be conveniently and cost-effectively transported on pallets, with no need for heavy lifting equipment on site. Pools can be supplied for DIY assembly projects, or customers can use a local contractor. Alternatively, Polypool is happy to supply its own experienced installation team as part of a complete package.
Polypool’s patented insulated wall and floor panel system retains up to 96% of heat that would otherwise be lost through the pool walls and floor using traditional construction methods. The insulated swimming pool basin achieves an impressive U-value of 0.018W/m2K, which means customers can enjoy lower running costs through energy savings, wherever they live.
As an alternative to a liner, Polypool panels can be specified to be suitable for tiles. Customers can choose their own tiling or select from the extensive range of frost-proof, anti-slip tiles and edging offered by Polypool. Tiles can be personalised with a choice of tilebands and motifs.

Polypool
Tel. +44 (0)1489 890800
http://www.polypool.co.uk/

WORLD BEATER

Category: International, Wellbeing | Comment (0)

Believed to boast the largest hydrotherapy circuit in the world, the Chairama wellness centre, in Bogota, Colombia was created in collaboration with AstralPool. Its 2,000 m2 devoted to health and wellness is spread over four floors.
The spa’s central area comprises a water area made up of a swimming pool with relaxing effects such as cascades, swanneck jets, hydro-massage beds and jets.
Following on from the pool area there is a hot tub and a cold tub, which are ideal for a contrast in temperatures.
Other facilities include a ‘floatarium’ in which to experience the soothing, anti-stress effects of zero gravity and a hot-cold footbath.
Surrounding the water area is the temperature area, which includes heat fixtures, a sauna, steam bath and Roman bath, as well as a cold grotto with an ice fountain.
The relaxation area, located next to the central water area, comprises loungers and a ‘liquid’ recovery area where various herbal teas and cleansing tonics can be enjoyed.
This is also the space in which the treatment area is found, where users go through to the last stage of the circuit in the various massage booths and the Vichy shower.
In addition to designing the spa circuit and its components, AstralPool’s wellness division devised three hydrotherapy circuits for the Chairama spa in which the therapeutic properties of each element were taken into account.

AstralPool
Tel. +34 937 136 344
http://www.astralpool.com/

Procopi Unveils Spafrance Range

Category: Home Pools & Spas, Hot Tubs & Spas, International | Comment (0)

Procopi is one of only a handful of European spa manufacturers and with 15 years experience, it is no wonder it produces equipment and finish of the highest quality.
Four years ago, Procopi moved the manufacturing facility from the south of France to a purpose-built factory in Brittany.
Its most recent range is the SpaFrance. Consisting of four models, from three to seven person and between 19 to 44 massage nozzles depending on the model chosen. Features include stainless steel jets, multi-coloured LED lights, ozone, cabinet and steps in red cedar or composite wood in nine colours complement the range.
With excellent point of sale material, including a 52-page full colour brochure, now may be the time to take a fresh approach for your spa supplies.
Procopi UK
Tel. +44 (0)1622 832800 Web
www.spafrance.co.uk

Entrapment Dangers

Category: Home Pools & Spas, International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

ABOVE: MSI’s Amanda Slade says the company is working to increase awareness of the risks posed by entrapment.

Pool companies need to be alerted to the continuing dangers of entrapment, warn MSI, the supplier of the leading antientrapment device, the Vac-Alert.
Human entrapment on suction outlets in swimming pools happens; despite the 1999 SPATA recommendations that two main drains be installed to lessen entrapment risks.
An estimated 200,000 pools were already built with a single main drain prior to the introduction of this standard, and, in the majority of cases, will still be operating with a singular bottom drain. Just like vehicles need seatbelts and airbags to prevent us from accidental injury or death, as an industry we need more safety measures implemented in and around domestic and commercial swimming pools.
Eminent pool consultants agree that installing a safety vacuum release system, (SVRS) is the only way to ensure entrapment is wholly circumvented. Vac-Alert™ is one such device and operates with a hair trigger mechanism that responds in milliseconds when it senses an increase in pump suction vacuum created by an obstruction, immediately breaking the vacuum and diverting potentially life threatening situations.

FURTIVE DANGER                                                                   

ABOVE: The Vac-Alert™ responds in milliseconds when it senses an increase in pump suction vacuum created by an obstruction.

MSI’s Amanda Slade says: “We are hoping to work closely with the various organisations including the BSPF, RoSPA , ISPE and STA to ensure that the dangers of entrapment in domestic or commercial pools and spas is recognised by all concerned as a furtive danger and more importantly, that this danger is eradicated.
“Vac-Alert™ is a solution to the peril of entrapment and we want it to be accessible to all established pool companies. An experienced engineer should be able to install a Vac- Alert™ in less than two hours at a cost to the end user of between £800 to £1200. This is a ludicrously small sum to pay for the long term safeguarding of bathers.”
The 1974 Health and Safety Act clearly states: ‘Under the various sets of health and safety regulations (particularly under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations,) management is required to carry out risk assessments and to put into place safe systems of work, where hazards cannot be removed.’
Amanda explains: “We all have a duty of care and any company that deals with filtration, working within the commercial arena should inform their customers of the need to carry our risk assessment to make sure public pools in hotels, schools, holiday parks and leisure centres are 100% aware of the dangers of entrapment and exactly what they can do to prevent it.”
Converting existing pools with a singular main drain to dual drain systems is extremely costly in time and money. However, installing a Vac-Alert™ is a simple and far less costly job for a pool professional.

MSI                                                                                           

Tel. +44 (0)1825 790524
http://www.mineralsi.com/

Major Milestone For Carshalton Complex

Category: International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

above: Work on the new leisure complex at Carshalton College is due to be completed this month.

Building work on Carshalton College’s new state-of-the-art leisure complex is due to be complete this month.
The leisure centre will comprise of an 18m swimming pool, luxury sauna, sports hall, quality changing facilities, two dance studios and a 70 station Pulse Fitness suite. The facility will accommodate more than 2,000 members and will be open to the local community as well as College students and staff.
The £4.3m project is the result of a partnership between Carshalton College and Pulse, the UK’s leading Total Leisure Solutions. Pulse are responsible for the design, build and operation of the new leisure facility.
The new venue will also enable the College to offer prospective students the much-anticipated Foundation Degree in Sport Science from September 2010, perfect timing in the lead-up to 2012 London Olympics.

Pulse Health and Fitness
Tel. +44 (0)845 474 0647
http://www.pulsecarshalton.co.uk/

Plymouth Life Centre Taking Shape

Category: International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

above: Huge steel beams provide the main building structure to Plymouth’s new Life Centre.

Huge steel beams providing the main building structure for Plymouth’s new Life Centre have been lifted into place.
Being built next to Plymouth Argyle’s football ground, the Life Centre will use 220 tonnes of steel in total, delivered in dozens of sections.
The main excavation and foundations for the Life Centre are now complete and this steel structure will sit over the new bowls area. Once the steel beams were in place, main contractor, Balfour Beatty could begin work the rest of the building including the swimming and dive pools. The Life Centre will open to the public in the autumn next year. Facilities will include:
• A family leisure pool with flumes, ‘beach entry’ and bubble pool
• A 10-lane, 50-metre swimming pool with moveable floors and submersible ‘booms’ allowing flexible use
• One of the top four diving pools in the country, also offering a moveable floor so it can be used as a standard pool
• A dry side training facility for competitive divers
• A relaxing oasis with sauna, steam rooms and showers
• Multi-purpose areas for dance and martial arts, which can also be used for a crèche and soft play
• A youth gym, squash, training and studio space The Life Centre is Plymouth’s single biggest investment in leisure facilities and its flexible use will bring huge benefits for the local economy and further strengthen inward investment for the city.
As one of the best leisure facilities of its kind in the South West and one of the country’s leading centres of aquatic excellence, the Life Centre will underline Plymouth’s growing credentials as a premier venue for local, national and even international sporting events.

The Life Centre
Tel. +44 (0)1752 307013
www.plymouth.gov.uk/lifecentre

Livening Up Global Water Venues

Category: International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

The Loyal Grove team had replaced two old slides at Maidstone Leisure Centre with a state of the art flume attraction.

The specialist flume and play team, Loyal Grove, has recently completed work at the Maidstone Leisure Centre, Kent.
The Loyal Grove team removed two old slides previously terminating into a splash pool and installed a new faster body flume complete with a black hole and hyperspace theme, rider speed/time display and an aquacatch exit unit. Loyal Grove undertook the work on behalf of Biwater Leisure and SERCO.
Other recent Loyal Grove projects include the Blandford Leisure Centre, Dorset which included the installation of several children’s play features including a wavy snake spray and water curtain arch on poolside and a Loyal Grove spray factory feature in the pool consisting of water jets, tipping cones, and deluge showers.
Loyal Grove Leisure is a flume and water slide specialist based in the United Kingdom but with a worldwide client list.
The team offers a turnkey water slide package from design and build of new facilities to modifications or refurbishment of existing installations.
All new water slide installations are designed in accordance with current standards (BS.EN.1069 part 1) and manufactured and installed to the appropriate British standards.
In addition to flumes, Loyal Grove also has a growing and varied range of children’s play features suitable for municipal swimming pool environments and wet leisure areas. Its standard range of play features includes an assortment of toddler slides, interactive play features, water cannons, tipping cones, water jets and sprays to name a few.
The company works closely with clients to design and manufacture bespoke features using the latest 2D/3D CAD and visualisation software in the process.   

The Loyal Grove team has updated play equipment at Dorset’s Blandford Leisure Centre.

Loyal Grove Leisure
Tel. +44 (0)1543 677694
http://www.loyalgrove-leisure.co.uk/

Seaside Hotel Opts For Delta

Category: International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

ABOVE: Hotel pools can be more energy and cost efficient with heat pump technology.

The owners of a seaside hotel in West Cork, Ireland, chose a Calorex Delta, for the environmental control on its basement swimming pool. As a result they have dramatically slashed both energy bills and CO2 emissions while maintaining ideal water and air temperatures at its leisure club.
The 30-bedroomed Harbour View Hotel enjoys spectacular views overlooking the beautiful Schull harbour.
Boasting a 16m pool, a children’s splash pool, spa, sauna and steam rooms not to mention a fully-equipped gym, the hotel’s leisure centre is proving a valuable asset both for attracting guests and fast-growing membership of 250 plus.
But, being built under ground, environmental control is crucial to enjoyment of both guests and members of the basement level leisure centre.
The Delta is a compact yet powerful unit that offers outstanding energy efficiency as it works as a combined heat pump dehumidifier with automatic heat recovery. Typically, for every unit of power that a Calorex Delta consumes, it will convert three times this amount to useable heat. The potential energy savings are huge. In fact, compared to traditional heat and ventilation energy, cost savings of over 60% are not unheard of. Corresponding C02 emissions can be dramatically reduced by up to 70%.

Calorex
Tel. +44 (0)1621 856611
http://www.calorex.com/

Switch To Low Energy Bills

Category: International, Swimming Pools | Comment (0)

ABOVE: A combined heat and power unit is making a difference at the All Seasons leisure centre in Chlorley.

In a bid to save money and help protect the environment the water at Chorley Council’s All Seasons leisure centre is being heated by a combined heat and power unit, which produces 60% of the venue’s required electricity.
The environmentally-friendly heating system expected to save 88 tonnes of carbon per year – the equivalent to driving in a car from Chorley to London more than 800 times.
The combined heat and power unit works with a gas turbine that is coupled to a generator which makes the electricity. The exhaust heat from the turbine is diverted to heat exchanges, where the heat is extracted to heat the pool and showers.
The £126,000 scheme was funded by Chorley Council, with a £46,000 grant from Foundation, a new fund-raising organisation which is helping the North West to reduce its carbon footprint by supporting environmental projects across the region.
Foundation collects donations from companies and individuals and then provides grants for carbon reduction community projects. Since it was launched in April 2009, it has supported 18 projects across the North West and is on target to save 10,850 tonnes of CO2.