Bekapool basin for Osnabrück’s Nettebad
The non-swimmer’s pool in the outdoor area of the Nettebad in Osnabrück presented itself in dire need of refurbishment. Broken tiles, leaking drains: the basin, which had been completed in 1973, was past its prime and was no longer profitable in operation due to the excessively large water surface. A quick solution needed to be found that would not obstruct bathing any longer than necessary. In addition to a short construction period, the bath operator called for a cost-efficient system posing low cleaning and maintenance requirements while at the same time meeting high standards in look and feel.
When comparing the offers of different suppliers, it quickly became clear to Jürgen August, decision-maker at bath operator Stadtwerke Osnabrück, that BekaPool manufactured by Steuler-KCH was to be his system of choice. “BekaPool combines all of the advantages that we were looking to realize for our Nettebad. Thanks to the precast concrete element concept, the new basin was completed within a few weeks. The preparations required on site kept within reasonable limits especially because we could simply have the new basin installed inside the old one. For us, this offered the added bonus of being able to decrease the size of the basin to some extent in order to reduce the operating costs and build a new spray park right next to the basin,” August said.
Composite of concrete and plastics
The short time required to install the new BekaPool basin – which in Osnabrück took only five weeks until bathing could be resumed– is owed to the concept of prefabricating precast concrete elements as made-to-measure units. Even the entry, stairs, and channels, as well as the connections for the water technology are provided in the structural elements and just need to be connected on site.
BekaPool consists of a composite material comprising concrete and plastics. The surface is pleasant to the swimmer’s touch but is many times more resistant to vandalism than a conventional film lining. A choice of numerous different colors and surface textures allows each basin to have its own, customized design.
Full service package
Steuler-KCH offered a full package to the operator of the Nettebad which, in addition to extensive consulting services, included planning of the project on the basis of detailed building plans, technical layout with the assistance of a water engineer, production, delivery and installation of the structural elements, as well as supervision and construction management. Four technicians and one project manager were on site to make sure that the project was completed on schedule.
To Jürgen August from the Nettebad operator, one thing is clear: “The new non-swimmer’s basin has convinced our visitors in all respects, and it is with a little pride that we can claim to be among the trailblazers banking on the strong points of BekaPool.”
