Huia Pool project reaches construction milestone

About 630,000 litres of concrete, enough to fill 108 concrete trucks, has been poured at the Lower Hutt construction site where two new pools will be added to the Huia Pool complex.

The concrete, along with 2.45 tonnes of steel, has created a foundation layer, known as a raft slab. It follows the removal of more than 2800 cubic metres of dirt from the site.

The raft slab is crucial in the construction process for the $9.3 million project and as the base for where the complex’s new learn-to-swim pool and programme pools will be built.

Project managers RDT Pacific, Naylor Love Construction and subcontractors completed the raft slab during a nine-hour stint on 22 July.

Hutt City Council’s Facilities Manager Stephen Keatley says completion of the slab is one of the first milestones for the project since work began in May.

The two new pools will meet an ever-growing demand from Lower Hutt residents, he says.

“We have a waiting list of more than a 1000, ranging from toddlers to adults for our Learn to Swim lessons.

“The new programme pool is designed to meet some of the hydrotherapy needs of many, from the disabled and elderly to people recovering from injuries, which is currently lacking in the Hutt Valley.”
Completion of the raft slab means that over the next eight weeks residents and pool users will see construction work begin at ground level.

Mr Keatley praised Naylor Love Construction for completion of the slab in one day. The team began work at 5.30am and finished the job by 2.30pm, which was under the time planned.

As well as Naylor Love Construction and RDT Pacific, the project’s partners include Architecture HDT, and structural and services engineers.

The two pools and other new facilities are due to open in July 2017.