Swimming pool design

[PanamaStrEng]

I´m involved in the structural design of a fairly large swimming pool for a hotel facility. It is not a rectangular pool, but a very irregular one in plan.
The structural design is straightforward enough, however, I´d like some assistance specially in the detailing part:
1. Spacing, type and detailing of joints (walls and floor), if needed. The pool is more than 50 meters (160ft) long.
2. How to conceal these joints. The pool will be covered in tile and we'd like to avoid any cracking in the tile.
3. Any standards or literarure that might help
Thanks in advance

 

[msquared48]

Whether an inside or outside pool, the only cracking I can visualize is from shrinkage during the drying process. The reason I say that is that with the pool full of water, the temperature should be a constant, the water acting like a heat sink, along with the ground, to minimize any temperature change. That being said, if the initial cracks due to shrinkage are patched and sacked prior to laying the tile, there should be no further cracking once the pool is full.

The problem could be prior to filling the pool, and if it is ever drained for maintenance.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[csd72]

You dont put joints in pools, normally the practice is to put in sufficient steel that the service steel stress is low and cracking is basically prevented.

I would suggest you find out what your local code is for liquid retaining strutures and design for that.

 

[hokie66]

I agree in general with csd. Many pools have some type of control joints, but invariably these are the places where they leak. It is just too difficult to provide an effective watertight joint, particularly on the horizontal.

Where I live, a big freeform resort pool would never be tiled. We use a fine pebble quartz mortar finish, and all the internal corners are well rounded. For a tiled pool, you need a lot of help from the tile materials manufacturers, including the adhesive and grout suppliers.

 

[PanamaStrEng]

Thanks for the help. I was already trying to design a jointless pool. Any more opinions will be greatly appreciated.
What do you do in construction joints, waterstops?

 

[phuduhudu]

Yes, put in waterbar. It's basically an in ground water tank so you just design it like you would a water tank.

Carl Bauer

http://www.bauerconsultbotswana.com

 

[PanamaStrEng]

Thanks, all....