NeckarPark Sports Pool

By Sebastian Mels, Key Account Manager – Fire, at Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine.

The development of NeckarPark has transformed Stuttgart’s Bad Cannstatt district into a modern urban neighbourhood. A new sports pool, located within NeckarPark, primarily serves local schools, clubs, and competitive athletes. It features a 50 x 21m sports pool with eight swimming lanes, as well as a 25 x 12.5m vario pool with a diving facility.
The steel beams and supports of the sports pool’s eye-catching roof structure were given a two-component epoxy fire protection coating by Sherwin-Williams Coatings Deutschland GmbH. FIRETEX® Platinum technology is especially well-suited for swimming pool facilities due to its exceptional resistance to damp and wet environments, effectively combining both fire protection and corrosion resistance.

Ideal fire protection product for swimming pool facilities

The products used in swimming pool facilities must fulfil specific requirements due to the high temperature and humidity levels in these environments. This includes the fire protection coating of the steel beams and supports of the eye-catching roof construction of the NeckarPark sports pool. Große-Ophoff Korrosionsschutz GmbH, based in Marl, was responsible for applying the necessary coatings. Together with the steel manufacturer, they chose tried and tested Sherwin-Williams products. Max Große-Ophoff, the managing director, explains, “There is a high-level of chloride in a swimming pool. FIRETEX Platinum was the only option for us. The system combines fire and corrosion protection, and enables a visually homogeneous surface, which was important as the steel structure is partially visible.”

Three coats applied with airless spray

The steel beams and columns were coated in the Marl factory on the Lenkerbeck industrial site. It has a continuous blasting system, with eight turbines that can process pieces of up to 20 tons in weight, 4m in width, and 28m in length. Macropoxy® 2706 EG, a two-component epoxy resin coating containing micaceous iron oxide with high mechanical resistance, was used as a primer. The solvent-free 2-component fire protection coating, FIRETEX Platinum was applied on top. The system structure offers high performance and durability, fire protection up to R90, and corrosion protection up to corrosivity class C5 in accordance with DIN EN ISO 12944. When exposed to heat, the coating forms a thermally insulating layer and thus increases the fire resistance of the steel columns and beams. Finally, an acrylic polyurethane top coat Acrolon® 2330 was applied. All layers were applied with a two-component airless system, covering a total area of 9,000m².

FIRETEX® Platinum technology has exceptional resistance to damp and wet environments, effectively combining both fire protection and corrosion resistance.

Manual reworking after assembly

The coated material was transported by the steel constructor on lorries to the construction site in Stuttgart and assembled. Specialists from Große-Ophoff Korrosionsschutz GmbH then re-coated any minimal transport damage and all fasteners such as screws and nuts by hand, using rollers and brushes so that fire protection was guaranteed across the entire steel structure.

Visually successful overall impression, right up to the roof

The new NeckarPark sports pool will be able to host national title competitions. A two-metre movable wall in the 50m pool can be used to divide it in two lengthways. The water depth in the Vario pool can be adjusted, from a few centimetres for swimming beginners to several metres for diving, using a three-metre movable floor. Since the opening, the grandstand has accommodated around nine hundred water sports fans. The steel girders and supports of the roof structure, coated with Sherwin-Williams products, contribute to the extremely successful overall visual impression.

CONSTRUCTION BOARD

PROJECT

NeckarPark Sports Pool in Stuttgart.

COATING PERIOD

June - August 2022

CLIENT

Bäderbetriebe Stuttgart

PRODUCTS USED

Macropoxy 2706 EG
FIRETEX Platinum
Acrolon 2330