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Swimming Pool Isolation

Swimming Pool Isolation

Swimming Pool Isolation

 

Tackling Vibration Challenges in Rooftop Installations

 

Rooftop swimming pools in hotels and apartment buildings offer an alluring amenity, yet they present unique challenges tied to vibrations. These challenges affect various aspects of the pool, from bather comfort to the structural integrity of the building. In this article, we delve into the intricacies of these vibrations and how to achieve swimming pool isolation from the rest of the structure.

 

Understanding Swimming Pool Vibrations and Their Impact

 

Let’s explore the vibration and noise issues associated with rooftop swimming pools: You will see it is not just about the swimming pool but the associated supporting machinery and the use of the pool itself.

 

  • The Swimming Pool

Water’s incompressible nature makes it an excellent conductor of vibrations. Unlike air, water molecules are closely packed, allowing vibrations to travel efficiently. When a swimming pool is filled with water, any movement or turbulence generates waves that create vibrations. These vibrations can traverse through the water and into the building’s structure.

These water-induced vibrations can lead to structural stress and potential long-term damage. Furthermore, they can affect the comfort of building occupants.  We need to isolation the swimming pool from the rest of the building to alleviate these issues.

 

  • Supporting Equipment

Operating a swimming pool involves several pieces of supporting equipment that can contribute to vibration and noise challenges.  So achieving swimming pool isolation is not enough, These issues become paramount in sensitive environments like hotels and apartment buildings.

 

  • Human Activity

Swimmers and foot traffic around the pool deck can contribute to vibrations. These vibrations may transmit to other parts of the building, potentially causing discomfort for occupants and structural concerns over time.

 

Swimming Pool Vibration Isolation

As highlighted earlier, the pool itself is a significant source of vibrations, emitting low-frequency waves in the 20–63 hertz range, which can be particularly bothersome for humans. During pool construction, it’s crucial to decouple the pool structure from the rest of the building.

Typically, the pool structure is supported by a high-density inertia base made of materials like concrete, providing stability and some noise and vibration damping. However, to ensure the utmost comfort for residents or guests, further measures are essential.

Megapoint anti vibration pad for swimming pool vibration isolation

By installing Megapoint vibration pads beneath the concrete floor and behind the concrete walls during construction, you can achieve the necessary vibration damping to fully decouple the pool from the building. Megapoint pads possess ideal characteristics for this purpose:

 

  • Only 25 mm thick
  • Easy installation: roll out, tape down, and pour concrete over it
  • Effective at handling low-frequency waves from pool activity
  • Waterproof backing layer
  • Equipped to support high-thickness inertia bases
  • Self-draining and freeze-thaw resistant

 

Equipment Vibration Isolation

Various support equipment is crucial for the safe operation of a swimming pool:

  • Pumps: Essential for water circulation, pumps can generate vibrations and noise if not properly isolated or maintained.
  • Filtration System: This system, including sand or cartridge filters, can produce noise during operation. Motors and moving parts within the system can contribute to vibrations.
  • Heating System: Gas heaters, electric heaters, or heat pumps can create noise during operation, with heat pumps being particularly prone to generating vibrations.
  • Air Handling and Ventilation Systems: Indoor pools require ventilation systems to control humidity and air quality. These systems often include fans and components that can create noise and vibrations.
  • Water Features: While aesthetically pleasing, fountains, waterfalls, and jets can create noise and vibrations, especially if they are large or powerful.
  • Chemical Feeders: Automatic chemical dispensers might include pumps or other moving parts that can generate noise or vibrations.
  • Automatic Pool Cleaners: Robotic or automatic pool cleaners have motors and moving parts that can create noise during operation.

 

Vibration Isolation of Equipment Using Anti-Vibration Mounts

anti vibration mountsAnti-vibration mounts are vital for machinery such as pumps, filtration systems, and heating equipment. Buildtec Acoustics offers anti-vibration mounts with these key features:

  • Constructed from materials that effectively absorb and reduce vibrations, crucial for continuous operation machinery.
  • Designed for targeted isolation at specific contact points, preventing vibrations from transmitting to other parts of the building.
  • Resistant to oils, greases, and chemicals, making them suitable for pool environments.
  • Can withstand varying temperatures for both indoor and outdoor installations, ensuring long-term performance regardless of environmental conditions.

 

Isolation of Vibrations from Human Activity

 

Pools are bustling hubs, with a lot of human activity causing vibrations that can discomfort building occupants. Isolgomma Under Screed Acoustic membranes, when placed beneath the pool deck, reduce vibrations from foot traffic and other human activities nearby. These acoustic membranes offer the following benefits:

  • Easy installation during the construction process.
  • Reduces the effect of swimming pool footfall traffic on other building occupants.
  • Manufactured from recycled materials.
  • VOC Free.
  • Cost effective

As showcased, Buildtec Acoustics offers solutions for all vibration and noise challenges encountered when installing a rooftop swimming pool on an apartment block or hotel. If you have any questions on swimming pool isolation or require further information, please contact our expert support team at 07553473877.

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