Commonwealth pool complex has state of the art corrosion protection
Commonwealth pool complex has state of the art corrosion protection
Keywords International Protective Coatings, Coatings, Corrosion prevention
We are informed that the UK's massive new Manchester Aquatic Centre is protected by products from International Protective Coatings.
As one of the country's most comprehensive swimming facilities, the complex(Plate 2) contains the largest volume of water in any British sports venue and will house the swimming events for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
Plate 2The Manchester Aquatic Centre. Photo courtesy the Builder Group, photographer Andrew Crowley
The £32.2 million project is funded by a lottery grant from the English Sports Council of £21.9 million, with match funding of £10.3 million from Manchester City Council and three universities – Manchester,Manchester Metropolitan and UMIST. Situated near the centre of Manchester, it is the first sports facility to be built as part of the government's newly constituted English Institute of Sport and will provide a community facility.
The site encompasses an eight lane 50m competition pool and a four lane 50m training pool, with physiotherapy suites alongside, in the basement. There are diving and leisure pools, a permanent seating capacity of 1,500, increasing to 2,500 for the Games, plus a 200 metre square aerobics area. The centre is the UK's first indoor swimming complex to contain two pools and the first double-decker pool complex in the country.
There are also health and fitness suites, a dance studio, team room, saunas,spa pool, childrens' adventure play area, créche and parents' area.
As a further refinement, the pools are fitted with what is thought to be the world's largest area of moveable floors and booms, which can be reconfigured to create a series of pools of different sizes and depths, adding to the venue's flexibility.
Swimming pools present particular problems for anti-corrosion regimes. They are warm, constantly moist environments and the chemicals in the water, a result of the purification process, present further challenges.
The pool complex, in the heart of the university district, was designed to complement the new Manchester School of Management next door.
Architects for the scheme were FaulknerBrowns, with local firm Poole, Stokes and Wood acting as project managers. Laing were the main contractors. Consulting engineers are Ove Arup and Partners of Newcastle upon Tyne and the structural steel was fabricated by Archbell Greenwood Structures Ltd of Fleetwood.
The innovative design incorporated 800 tonnes of mainly tubular steel. Coatings have to withstand the aggressive environment for 15-20 years before first maintenance, which means the coating system must withstand the effects of chlorine leaching into it.
The system selected was Intercure 200HS, described as a rapid cure, high solids, low VOC epoxy primer; Intergard 475HS, said to be a cost-effective,high-build barrier coating, ideal where a non MIO coloured intermediate is specified; and Interfine 629HS topcoat, an isocyanate-free acrylic with a gloss finish. All three coats were applied to the steel at Archbell Greenwood's own works.
"IPC were one of two or three approved suppliers specified by the consulting engineers", explained Kevin Cullen, formerly contracts director at Archbell Greenwood, now project manager at Watson Steel.
"They were selected for the cost-effectiveness of their proposed coating system. Their reputation also had a bearing and the technical advice and backup offered was another important factor".
International Protective Coatings has also supplied the steel anti-corrosion system for the Commonwealth Stadium, now under construction in east Manchester. The Manchester City Stadium is at the heart of a new £150 million "Sportcity",which includes retail facilities, a hotel, Indoor Tennis Centre, and the English Institute of Sport (incorporating the National Squash Centre, an indoor four-lane 200m track and an outdoor athletics track).
The £90 million, 31,800M2 stadium will seat 38,000 for the Commonwealth Games, expanding afterwards to 48,000, when the new venue will serve as the home ground of Manchester City Football Club. Architects for the stadium are Arup Associates, with Ove Arup and Partners as structural and services engineer. Laing is undertaking the construction of the stadium, which is due to be finished later this year.
Watson Steel of Bolton is the structural steel fabricator on the project. The coatings are being applied by Intublast Protective Coatings Ltd.
The system was selected to offer 20 years to first maintenance. The primer is Interzinc 52HS (a metallic, zinc-rich epoxy primer), followed by Intercure 384(a high solids, low VOC epoxy MIO coating) and Interlac 658 MIO (a single component urethane modified alkyd, pigmented with micaceous iron oxide for additional barrier protection). Details are available from: International Protective Coatings. Tel: +44 (0) 207 479 6000; Fax: +44 (0) 207 479 6555;E-mail: jim.zavanagh@.uk.akzonobel.com;Web site: http://www.international-pc.com.uk
