Parap Pool, Darwin / Australia
Chemistry to build on
Project Wholesale refurbishment of 40-year-old swimming pool Construction of FINA-certified, 50-metre competition pool
Signboard Applicator
Ceramic Solutions, Australia
Client
City of Darwin, Australia
General contractor
Sunbuild PTY Ltd., Australia
Contract volume
Approx. 1,600 m2
Completion
October 2017
Products Sopro's No.1 flexible tile adhesive (order no. 400) Sopro MEG 665 megaFlex S2 highly flexible tile adhesive Sopro TF+ high-strength tile grout Sopro FL plus flexible tile grout Sopro DSF 423 two-component flexible sealing slurry Sopro EPG 522 epoxy primer Sopro PU-FD 570/571 surface sealant for walls/floors
Parap Pool Darwin, Australia I www.sopro.com
www.sopro.com
Finished scheme
Parap Pool, Darwin / Australia I www.sopro.com
Construction phase
Parap Pool, Darwin / Australia I www.sopro.com
Construction phase
Parap Pool, Darwin / Australia I www.sopro.com
Parap Pool, Darwin / Australia
FINA-certified swimming pool in northern Australia
Perfect tiling results delivered by Sopro's system products even at tropical temperatures The Parap Pool, a swimming centre in the Australian city of Darwin, dating from the 1960s and boasting a long tradition, recently underwent full-scale refurbishment and extension. In particular, the tropical climate prevailing in northern Australia necessitated the use of extrahigh-performance tile-laying products. With this in mind, the client and design team opted for products from Sopro Bauchemie GmbH's trade range on account of their impeccable track record on countless projects. With a population of around 140,000, Darwin is Australia's most northern city. The Northern Territory's capital serves as the "Gateway to Asia" and is a popular starting point for tours of the Litchfield or Kakadu National Parks. The city also offers expansive, often deserted beaches where crocodiles pose a danger for bathers all year round. A much safer alternative is offered by the city's many swimming facilities – one of which is the Parap Pool, built over 40 years ago on the site of Darwin's first airport. Following extensive refurbishment in recent years, this has been turned into a modern leisure and sports pool facility.
Triumphant marriage of architecture and artwork The showpiece of the revitalized swimming centre is the 50-metre competition pool, which has been certified by the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), the umbrella organization for the national swimming sport associations. Other facilities include a 25-metre pool and a toddlers’ pool as well as café and playground areas, all of which make the complex a perfect leisure-time attraction for young and old alike. Overarching the two adjacent, centrally located pools is a translucent fabric roof supported by a filigree ribbed assembly. Overall, the design concept for the Parap Pool is a marriage of contemporary, vernacular Australian architecture with a tableau of artistic elements. These were contributed by the celebrated Australian artist Jill Chism, whose dynamic sculpture "Under the Surface", which graces the entrance, plays with the elements of sun and water, and depicts swimmers diving into water.
Detailed layout drawings and products dovetailed to requirements deliver best tiling results For all the waterproofing and tiling works, the design and applicator teams opted for the use of tried-and-tested system products tailored to swimming pool applications from the Sopro Bauchemie range. Indeed, prior to the start of works, specialists from the Wiesbaden-based company provided comprehensive system recommendations, detail drawings and other expert advice, such as an assessment of shrinkage in the pool's structural concrete. The selection of appropriate tile-laying products was dictated not least by the climatic conditions. Darwin's tropical climate is characterized by clearly defined wet and dry periods which, at times, entail extremely high air temperature and humidity values. The guidelines prepared by Sopro had to factor in these conditions. The coverings were installed by the Australian company Ceramic Solutions, a distinguished and highly specialized tiling contractor that successfully handles complex, high-spec contracts throughout Australia. The primer used in the overflow tanks was Sopro EPG 522, a solvent-free, two-component epoxy product for the pretreatment of concrete and steel prior to the application of waterproof membranes. The low-viscosity product, which permeates the finest pores and capillaries, is resistant to water, sea water and wastewater/ sewage. One of the specified waterproofing products was Sopro PU-FD, a highly chemicalresistant, white-pigmented, solvent-free, twocomponent, liquid polyurethane resin for the installation of waterproof barriers. It is supplied in a sag-resistant consistency (Sopro PU-FD 570) for walls and self-levelling consistency (Sopro PU-FD 571) for floors. The surfaces below the tile coverings in the pools were reliably waterproofed with Sopro DSF 423, a high-performance, two-component, cementitious sealing slurry used to install crackbridging membranes. Apart from swimming pool facilities, it is also suitable for wet spaces as well as on balconies and patios. The two-component system offers reliable curing, especially for works performed under difficult climatic conditions. Further key merits of the fibre-reinforced sealing slurry include its extra-high flexibility, very low consumption rate, creamy consistency and smooth workability.
Tile laying and grouting with Sopro's high-performance products The tile coverings and ceramic swimming pool fittings supplied by manufacturers Agrob Buchtal and Deutsche Steinzeug were expertly and reliably installed using Sopro MEG 665, a waterproof, two-component, cementitious floating-bed adhesive that excels by its extremely high adhesion strengths. This is compounded by its very high saponification resistance and flexibility due to non-redispersible liquid polymers, and very low water absorption. The stress-relieving effect of the mortar matrix makes Sopro MEG 665 particularly suitable for application to critical concrete substrates. Another flexible tile adhesive, Sopro’s No.1, was specified for the wall coverings. As its C2 TE S1 rating certifies, this product is both highly deformable and, by virtue of its high polymer modification and fibre reinforcement, highly sagresistant. Other crucial benefits for applicators include the smooth, creamy workability of the very-low-emission product. The joints in the coverings were finished using Sopro TF+, a flexible, extra-heavy-duty, rapidset, cementitious tile grout (meeting CG2 WA requirements to DIN EN 13888) for the smooth grouting of indoor and outdoor wall and floor coverings with 1 – 10 mm joint widths. The grout produces a brilliantly coloured, lime-film-free finish. Its extremely dense mortar microstructure and high abrasion resistance also make it resistant to steam-jet and high-pressure cleaning equipment. Further key technical features include its high resistance to freeze-thaw cycles and high crystalline water binding capacity. Particularly useful for the applicator, however, is the product's smooth, easy workability. Sopro TF+ also scores top marks for its first-rate joint-filling properties in conjunction with an optimum degree of filling.
Parap Pool, Darwin / Australia I www.sopro.com