We all want the water within a pool to be fast, but sometimes forget how much engineering magic is working behind the scenes to make that happen. Penetron Waterproofing is the company behind the 2017 World Championships site of Dagály Aquatics Complex in Budapest, whose engineering will ensure that groundwater from the adjacent river stays out of the pool water.
“The main building of the Dagály Aquatics Complex not only holds a lot of water in its pools, but it is also situated right on the shores of the Danube River,” explains Sándor Jónás, General Manager of PENETRON Hungary. “This is why the project needed an optimal and robust waterproofing solution for the concrete structures.”
To counter the challenge of the high water table at the construction site, concrete bore piles were driven into the ground and a 250 mm (10”) thick reinforced concrete slab was poured on top of the piles.
“Overall, the Dagály was a massive project. With a 19,000 m2 (204,500 square feet) footprint, including two spectator areas that each added 2,000 m2 (21,500 square feet), over 120,000 m3 (160,000 cubic yards) of earth were moved,” adds Sándor Jónás.
The 2017 World Championships kick-off July 14th and run through July 30th.