Forest School Pool Building Project
Turnkey pool enclosure project (2011)
Swimex Arched Oxford Swimming Pool Building at Forest School, Robin Hood Lane, Wokingham, Winnersh, Berks, RG41 5NE (Wokingham Borough Council) The Forest School, in Berkshire asked Swimex to renovate the school pool and to cover it with a Swimex enclosure. The PTAʼs old original pool was dilapidated and ultimately closed when its steel frame building collapsed after heavy snowfall in 2009. The local Council, Wokingham, took on the project and Swimex won a tender against competitors for provision of a new pool building (a fixed made to measure arched Oxford pool building, suitable for the restricted site) and associated groundwork.
Trial pits revealed that the 30m x 9m pool was effectively a very large “above ground pool”, back-filled with unstable soft soil and sand, so the surrounds needed a new reinforced ring-beam for building support, leaving a top screed for rubber flooring. Working closely with the Borough and a structural engineer, Swimex coordinated local Building Inspectors and a sub contractor to undertake the concrete work. Delay in Building Control meant work started after the term started, requiring extra Health and Safety care for pupils, teachers and parents.
ʻFencing off part of the car park, we unloaded our trucks before the school day and at weekends.ʼ says Swimex Director, Chris Elliot, ʻWe could start building assembly (a rapid 5 daysʼ work) once we had Building Control approval for our concrete.ʼ
Swimex completed the pool renovation when the schoolʼs pool builder suddenly stopped trading, arranging a partner, Ascot Pools to complete the pool work.
Swimex finished the project with its own SafetyDeck rubber safety flooring, including over a new external concrete ramp aligned to existing access paths.
Swimexʼs team thus brought back to life a large and complex unused pool facility with potential for year round community use and the new opportunity for huge savings on pupil transport.
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