Expert witness swimming pools ADA Compliance

Expert witness discovers that "ADA Compliant" products are not always ADA compliant.

Don't take their word for it...

While designing a project for a disabled Veteran, I was asked to specify an outdoor shower for use after workouts, laboring in the yard and swimming.

I began to research outdoor showers and discovered that there are many models that are labeled "ADA Compliant."  I downloaded the specifications and sat back with an cold glass of iced tea for some rather boring reading.

Being familiar with the ADA codes, I soon realized that almost every one of these outdoor shower products were falsely advertized as being "ADA Compliant."  They in fact, were only partially complaint.

Know the codes

The outdoor showers were only partially ADA Compliant.... they merely had ADA Compliant handles on the water valves and lower shower heads.  Convenient yes, but they had omitted a major safety factor.

Temperature modulation and temperature limits are a mandatory feature of ADA Compliant showers.  If a shower gets scalding hot, a disabled person cannot jump out of the water and scream, "OH, $%&#  !"  Someone who is paralyzed might not even feel the burning water.

Liability

If you are selecting products for a project, it is imperative that you know the codes that apply to those products.  Simply relying upon a manufacturer's label of ADA Compliance can result in the specifier or installer assuming a lot of liability in the even someone is injured.

It helps to know the codes!

Paolo Benedetti Aquatic Artist, Watershape Consultant, Expert Witness 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa ©www.aquatictechnology.com

Soils Reports and Project Structural Engineering are the law

Swimming pool expert witness explains why soils reports and project specific structural engineering are required by law (the building codes).

Structural Engineering 


Swimming pools must be designed to withstand any force that will be exerted upon the structure.  These forces are called "surcharges."  The leading surcharge on an in-ground pool are the soils surrounding the pool itself.

Soils

The soils must be able to support the structure and prevent movement.  Soil conditions can very from lot to lot in the same subdivision.

For example, these soils can be expansive, non-supportive, prone to sliding or vertical uplift or subject to liquifaction.

One cannot ascertain the characteristics of the underlying soils by looking at the top soil.  That is unless they are Superman with x-ray vision.

Structural Engineer needs a soils report

A structural engineer cannot design the structure, without knowing the characteristics of the underlying soils.

Therefore, they need a soils report to tell them what site conditions are present.

Required by Law (Building Codes)

The 2012 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code states:
802.1 Materials of components and accessories.
The materials of components and accessories used for permanent inground residential swimming pools shall be suitable for the environment in which they are installed. The materials shall be capable of fulfilling the design, installation and the intended use requirements in the International Residential Code.
802.2 Structural design.
The structural design and materials shall be in accordance with the International Residential Code.  

The International Residential Code goes into further depth as to the requirement for project specific engineering, soils reports, minimum concrete strengths, foundation requirements, shotcrete strengths, rebar installation, special inspectors, laboratory testing, etc.

Since the 2012 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code has been incorporated into the International Building Code, which is THE building code for the entire United States... it has defacto become the swimming pool code for the United States.  

The Swimming Pool Code's counter reference to the IBC and IRC places a lot of additional minimum specifications and requirements on the construction of a concrete swimming pool or spa (gunite/shotcrete).

It helps to know the law.

Paolo Benedetti 
Aquatic Artist, Watershape Consultant, Expert Witness 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa ©www.aquatictechnology.com

Swimming Pool Concrete Compressive Strengths

http://aquatictechnology.com/pool-designer-services.htm

Some expert witnesses are confused by the terms "permeable" & "waterproof" as they relate to concrete.

Waterproof VS Permeability

Increased concrete densities provide for stronger structures, for which I am an advocate.  However, increased densities ONLY REDUCE concrete's permeability, they DO NOT render it impermeable (waterproof).

Experts need to stop claiming that higher psi concrete's are WATERPROOF - THEY ARE NOT !  Yes, they ARE less permeable, but water will still weep through the concrete - just at a slower rate.

None of the following references (all in my personal library) state that higher density concretes are waterproof:

Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318M-08)
Steel Reinforced Concrete Structures, Mohamed A. El-Reedy (2008)
Reinforced Concrete Designers Handbook, 10th Ed Reynold & Steedman
Engineering Concrete Mix Designs & Test Methods, Irving, 1999
Advanced Concrete Technology Vol. #1 Constituent Materials, Newman & Choo, 2003
Advanced Concrete Technology Vol. #3 Processes, Newman & Choo, 2003
Advanced Concrete Technology Vol. #4 Testing & Quality, Newman & Choo, 2003
ACI 201.2R-01 Guide to Durable Concrete
Reinforced Concrete Design Theory & Examples, Macginley, 2003
Masonry and Concrete for Residential Construction, Beall, 2004
ASTM Steel Handbook, 3rd Ed, Bringas, 2002
Reinforcement for Concrete — Materials & Applications, ACI Educational Bulletin #2, 2006
ACI 506R - Guide to Shotcrete

Other Standards REQUIRE additional protection

Though one may be comfortable with the low permeability of 9,000 psi concrete, other trade standards specify the use of waterproof membranes (e.g. TCNA, CTIOA).   Ignoring these other standards is as egregious as shooting a 2,500 psi pool shell!

Both TCNA and CTIOA require additional waterproofing measures under tile in vessels, tubs, showers, etc.  Until those standards are repealed or modified, one cannot simply chose to ignore them.

Special Protections

The mere use of high density concrete does not provide protection from hydrogen sulfide or chloride corrosion of the concrete.

Protection from these ravages of nature can only be provided with special mix designs, concretes, admixtures and/or waterproof membranes.

The currently accepted ACI permeability tests have inherent flaws.  The chloride ion penetration test (ASTM C1202) does not measure how rapidly the ions penetrate the concrete.  Nor does the test account for variations in hydrostatic pressures, a variable that increases the permeability as the hydrostatic pressures increase.  This is why this test is only used to test mix designs in a laboratory. 
 
Through proper mix design and compressive strengths, one can deliver a low value of chloride ion penetration.  However, there is no test available that allows one to demonstrate the in place chloride ion resistance.  This testing is beyond the scope of the current ACI 318, which is the controlling document of most Building Codes and the IBC. 

Waterproofing is a required trade practice

WATERPROOFING is also required to protect concrete and it's steel reinforcement from sulfates, hydrogen sulfide and chloride degradation.  To prevent water from permeating through concrete basements and subterranean structures, waterproofing is oftentimes applied to the soils prior to the placement of reinforcement or to the outside of subterranean concrete structure prior to back-filling.   

Just because a swimming pool has water intentionally added to the interior of the structure, does that mean that we do not have a duty to protect the concrete from the permeation of water from BOTH sides of the structure?

Paolo Benedetti 
Aquatic Artist, Watershape Consultant, Expert Witness 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa 
©www.aquatictechnology.com