Bath Sports and Leisure Centre Fabric Ducting Case Study

Projects Technical

Bath Sports and Leisure Centre Fabric Ducting Case Study

Since the 1970s, Bath Sports and Leisure Centre has been the premier destination for residents from the city and the surrounding areas to keep fit. Management of the centre passed over to GLL (self-styled “Better”) which then embarked on a huge remodelling and refitting program worth £8.5m on the facility to bring it into line with user expectations in the 21st century. And Prihoda were a proud part of this important local project.

The refit was managed by leisure design and build experts, Createability, whose Deputy Managing Director Roy Clark said that “[t]he 1970s centre was run down and poorly maintained…When GLL took over management of the site they wanted to extend the lifespan of the centre and offer better facilities, in line with their Better branding.

“As well as the extensive work to remodel the entire inside of the leisure centre to offer, modern, relevant leisure activities for the local community, we also carried out work to recover 80% of its roof.”

Nothing was overlooked. The centre had a new mezzanine floor with 573m2 fitness suite, two purpose-built fitness studios, and a dedicated 124m2 martial arts studio. A new café and dining area was added to the ground floor together with a trampoline park, an eight-lane bowling alley, three party rooms, and a soft play centre.

The big feature of the remodelled sports and leisure centre was the refurbished 25-metre pool together with the new teaching pool. Showers, lockers, and changing rooms were also overhauled.

Prihoda was involved in installation of a new air ventilation system which stretched the entire length of the pool, contracted to provide the work by our partner Hydro Heating Solutions.

Swimming pool air conditioning

The existing building suffered badly from condensation on the walls and on the glazing. After a period of deliberation from Hydro Heating Solution’s team of experienced project managers, it was Prihoda’s ideas and vision for the project that led to our team winning the swimming pool ventilation project.

The ducting on our system is especially lightweight, making it particularly suitable for safe mounting to the wooden roof structure. The purpose behind the fabric ducting installation was to provide air to the pool but also to different aspects of the structure so that the condensation problem affecting the walls and the ceiling would be solved.

How did we solve it?

For the ducting over the main pool, we used arc suspension achieved via the deployment of dual support rails. This allowed us to create a single point of suspension to support both rails.

We used swept elbows to reduce pressure loss by two thirds with a curved and aesthetically appealing track. The ducting itself is Ø900mm x 58m long which delivers an air volume of 3.89m3/s at 150pa.

We employed the same technique for the leisure pool duct at a length of Ø600mm x 42,500mm delivering an air volume of 1.73m3/s at 150pa.

For both installations, we used non-hygroscopic, washable, and non-permeable Prihoda Classic material. Fabric nozzles of Ø20mm were employed. They are both flame retardant and sonic welded to the material used in the ducting. This gave the Centre the peace of mind that they would not fall out or damage the duct material when it was being washed.

Our work on the project was completed in February 2018 and the grand re-opening of the leisure centre took place on Monday 23rd July, 2018. You can see a report on the project on local news website, Somerset Live.

Speaking to the site, Barnaby Rich, the centre’s general manager shared that “ We are delighted to announce the re-opening of the pools at Better, Bath Sports and Leisure Centre.

“However, we’re confident that the new and improved facilities will have been worth the wait and look forward to welcoming visitors into new pools.”

Fabric Ducting

Fabric ducting offers a viable and economical alternative to traditional metal duct systems and many installations now specify it due to it’s many advantages.

The most obvious benefit is that fabric ducted systems require radically lower maintenance than metal ducted installations. Rusting and corrosion is not an issue and cleaning is achieved by literally putting the fabric in a standard washing machine. When in use embedded silver in the fabric prevents biological contamination and contributes to continuous high air quality. Comparative ease of installation is also a contributing factor in it’s increased popularity.

Being selected as a supplier on Bath Sports and Leisure project was a proud moment for Prihoda. The installation had exacting requirements and our experience in air conditioning in challenging environments, along with our class leading products, ensured that all outcomes were achieved.

Contact Prihoda

Environments that would present issues with traditional systems are well within the scope for fabric ducting installations. With customers and staff demanding a comfortable environment wherever they are, then the benefits of fabric ducting will continue to be appreciated.

To speak to our team about our range of fabric ducting materials on offer together with our additional services for end users and for specifiers, please call us on 0207 866 2496 or email info@prihoda.co.uk if you’re in the UK. Our ROI customers should call 01 961 0031 or email info@prihoda.ie.