Rapid realization of architectural pool

Not just any bath, but a stylish mosaic bath with underwater bench seating. In part by clever formwork, Foubert was able to combine the high aesthetic requirements and fast completion time.

In-situ concrete

"You can only realize a pool like this with in-situ concrete," states Foubert. "A precast polypropylene pool is a good alternative if you are working with a liner, but for a lining with natural stone, ceramics or mosaic, a structural pool is a minimum requirement. Yet even a masonry tub would not suffice here. In fact, a lining with mosaic, for example, requires complete waterproofing. To be completely sure of this, and to provide the necessary solidity, we always choose walls 30 centimeters thick, instead of the classic 25 centimeters."

However, the choice of in-situ concrete, especially in combination with the mosaic pool lining, has important implications for installation time. "Concrete needs time to cure. You can't get around that. The same goes for the adhesive used to attach and grout the mosaic tiles. In other words, in this project we already had to allow for two periods of 21 days of waiting time each time. And yet the pool was completely ready for swimming in early August."

Efficient forming and demoulding

A significant share of the time savings Foubert was able to achieve during the formwork process. "Since 2019, we have been using the PERI DUO modular formwork system. This is perfectly suited to withstand the pressure of 30 centimeters of concrete and works a bit like a giant Lego, where you assemble the formwork panels into the right configuration with red connectors. Because of the light weight of the plastic panels, you save significantly on materials, transportation and ease of installation. We don't need a crane for this system, each panel can be carried or even lifted in and out of the pit by one person, and in one day, with two people, we had completed the entire formwork for this pool. The stripping, cleaning and charging takes about fifteen man hours."
Tailored to the pool

The various formwork panels in the PERI DUO range are perfectly tailored to pool construction, according to Foubert. "The largest panel measures 90×135 centimeters and can easily be raised to 90×150 centimeters with a fitting plate. This gives us the ability to adapt the depth of the pool to the user. In fact, 150 centimeters is often used as the standard depth for a pool, but if the user is somewhat smaller in stature, as here, we prefer 135 centimeters. In this way, we ensure that everyone in the household can use the pool comfortably."

The 9×3.9-meter pool was fully formworked with PERI DUO panels, and the wall penetrations were already provided while the formwork was being assembled. "Most of the penetrations, such as the injectors, are 30 centimeters and so we were able to fit nicely between the panels. Since PERI DUO provides fastening options every 15 centimeters, they were also quick and easy to install. Only in the case of the skimmers, which are only 19 centimeters deep, did we have to manually form out some formwork. Even these things ultimately save time."