FRP Composite Pool Structure With External Reinforcement Against Warping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional swimming pools face challenges in achieving structural integrity, durability, and ease of installation due to issues such as cracking, corrosion, deformation, and complex construction processes, particularly with fiberglass pools, which are prone to warping and require additional reinforcement for above-ground installations.
Innovation Solution
A Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite swimming pool design featuring a basin structure made of FRP composite with external support assemblies, including stiffened elements, vertical and horizontal members, and a laminated framework to enhance structural integrity and ease of installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional concrete materials are used for swimming pool construction, then structural strength is achieved, but flexibility is lost leading to cracking and leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite materials that combine the strength of fiberglass with the flexibility of polymer matrices. This composite structure provides both the structural strength of concrete and the flexibility needed to accommodate ground movements without cracking, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and flexibility.
2Stability of the object's composition
If vinyl lining is used to provide flexibility, then adaptability to ground shifts is improved, but durability deteriorates due to rapid deterioration from sunlight and chemicals
Solution Approach 1:
The FRP composite material replaces vinyl lining by providing both flexibility and durability through its composite structure. The fiberglass reinforcement provides tensile strength and resistance to UV degradation, while the polymer matrix provides flexibility, eliminating the need for separate vinyl lining and its associated durability problems.
3Strength
If metal materials are used for pool construction, then structural soundness is achieved, but corrosion resistance is poor in high moisture or salt environments
Solution Approach 1:
The FRP composite material replaces metal by providing structural soundness through fiberglass reinforcement while inherently resisting corrosion. The polymer matrix and fiberglass both exhibit excellent corrosion resistance, eliminating the need for protective coatings or cathodic protection systems required by metal pools.
4Ease of operation
If traditional fiberglass pools are used, then ease of installation is improved, but structural integrity deteriorates due to warping and deformation over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates stiffened elements and reinforcement structures during the manufacturing process before installation. These preliminary structural enhancements prevent warping and deformation that occur in traditional fiberglass pools after installation, while maintaining the ease of installation advantage through prefabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The enhanced FRP composite structure with integrated stiffened elements provides both the ease of installation from prefabrication and the structural integrity needed to prevent warping, resolving the contradiction between installation ease and long-term structural stability.
5Strength
If conventional construction processes are used, then structural pools are achieved, but construction time and labor intensity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The pool shells are prefabricated with all reinforcement and structural elements integrated during manufacturing before delivery to the site. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming on-site reinforcement installation and multiple construction stages, significantly reducing construction time while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pool is divided into modular prefabricated sections that can be manufactured separately and assembled quickly on-site. This segmentation allows parallel manufacturing of multiple sections while minimizing on-site construction time, resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and construction speed.
6Strength
If heavy materials like concrete are used, then structural strength is achieved, but transportation and installation become difficult requiring specialized equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The FRP composite material provides high strength-to-weight ratio, delivering structural strength comparable to or exceeding concrete while weighing significantly less. This enables transportation and installation without specialized heavy-lift equipment, resolving the contradiction between strength and weight.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a swimming pool and to a method of constructing the swimming pool. The swimming pool includes a basin structure, and a framework affixed externally to the basin structure. The basin structure is made of a bottom surface and a plurality of walls extending upwardly, defining an internal cavity for containing water. The basin structure is formed of a Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite. The framework includes a plurality of support assemblies positioned exterior to the basin structure. The plurality of support assemblies includes stiffened elements provided on one or more edges and corners of the basin structure and extending across a top periphery of the basin structure. The framework including the plurality of support assemblies is further affixed to the basin structure by applying a lamination of the FRP composite and a polymeric material over the basin structure and the framework.