Platform on concrete and steel in construction
Summer or winter, the water of swimming pool De Koerbelt in Rijssen is always pleasant and that without additional energy consumption. Right next to the old location, the municipality of Rijssen-Holten built a sustainable new swimming pool with a 25-meter competition pool, recreational pool and renovated 50-meter outdoor pool. The outdoor area also received a green makeover, with water-passive paving that delays rainwater runoff.
You don't build a new swimming pool overnight; a lot goes into it. In 2017, the municipality decided that a new pool should be built and the first sounding board group was formed. In 2023, the new pool was inaugurated. The finishing touches are now being put on the outdoor area by contractor Twentse Weg en Waterbouw.
The result is impressive: the pool is one of the most sustainable in the Netherlands and perhaps in Europe. This stems from the municipality's vision: it chose to have the pool designed on the basis of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) rather than on the basis of acquisition costs, with an eye for possible revenues, installation costs, maintenance costs and replacement costs. Reitsema + partners architects and Wehrung architects were commissioned to create an appropriate design for this.
All the heat needed in the pool is generated by the sun. Excess heat is stored in saltwater batteries. Thanks to thermal storage, this heat is available throughout the year to maintain swimming water and climate. In building and furnishing, sustainability was also chosen wherever possible. For example, many materials from the old pool have been reused. The slide was given a place in another pool, and frame wood, steel and concrete were also reused elsewhere. This saved about 66 percent of the CO2 released.
Not only was the pool in need of renovation, so was the outdoor area. Here several wishes came together. The outdoor space had to match the appearance of the new building and also be functional. In some places functions come together, such as sustainability and climate resistance. Façade Concrete supplied concrete products for the outdoor space, such as various stones and tiles, stairs and edges. "We were able to combine different concrete applications in this project, matching the design and sustainability requirements," says Richard Hermans of Façade Beton.
A special color was used for the products applied around the pool. "This is a kind of beige/gray, which is very light in color," says Hermans. "This prevents heat radiation that comes from dark surfaces on sunny summer days. The color provides optimal light reflection, so the paving doesn't get too hot. We developed the color together with the client and general contractor and it has been approved by the architect." Extra hydrophobic has been applied in the overlay so that dirt cannot penetrate deeply into the stones. "However, we did not select the tiles and stones solely on color and aesthetics," said Jürgen Pleizier of the Rijssen-Holten Municipality's Engineering Office. "They also had to have a certain degree of skid resistance, to prevent slipping with wet feet."
Water-passable stones were chosen for the parking lots. "We are in the fortunate circumstance here that we have a good permeable sandy soil, so water is generally drained quickly," Pleizier explains. "We deliberately chose this type of paving to avoid puddles and still maintain the green look." These are square and rectangular tiles with a three-centimeter joint. This ensures good water passability. One of the advantages of these concrete pavers is that they retain their shape, making them easier to apply. "In addition, it is pleasant for visitors to the swimming pool to walk on this type of paving," he said. The area where the pool is located has many differences in elevation. "We have therefore provided an additional temporary water storage area. Excess water will be drained to this, should it be necessary."
Recycled concrete rubble was used in the material applied. Hermans: "Materials that are returned are crushed at our site and then reused in the core concrete. The core concrete is made of sand, gravel and cement. In this case, half of the sand and gravel was replaced with recycled concrete, both in the clinkers and in the pavers." The sustainability claims of concrete producers are defined in the BRL K11002. The assessment guideline tests whether producers manufacture their products in accordance with the required environmental profiles. The (project) sustainability declaration issued to the producer leads to a guaranteed MKI value, which the client can rely on. "This high level of recycled concrete rubble also fitted nicely into the sustainability ambition of the municipality of Rijssen-Holten for this project," concludes Pleizier.
Concrete House Paving is an association dedicated to the application and development of sustainable concrete solutions in public spaces. The association consists of specialized manufacturers of concrete paving materials. Betonhuis Bestrating informs clients and other stakeholders about innovations and environmentally friendly applications within the sector. An important tool for this is the BRL K11002, the assessment guideline for concrete paving stones, tiles and elements. This BRL guarantees the quality, safety and durability of concrete products supplied under KOMO certification. The members of Betonhuis Bestrating produce in accordance with this guideline, so that clients can rely on a consistent product quality and a demonstrable environmental performance.
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