Pool under construction
We are building a brand new swimming pool for our campers!
December 4, 2007 is the date when construction on the new Glisson swimming pool got underway. A crew from Wilson Pools arrived on a chilly Tuesday morning to begin work on this project.
The decision to proceed with pool construction was made in late November. With enough funds on-hand to build the pool itself, but not enough to build the bath house just at that time, the Glisson staff decided that the best stewardship would be to replace that 39-year-old, leaky pool with the expectation that the bath house would be built once those funds are secured. The Lumpkin County Health Department forced a change in that plan by declaring that the pool cannot be opened for use without a permanent bath house. This forced our hand - we had no choice but to build that bath house structure so that our campers can enjoy this new swimming center this summer.
Project status update: The project is on-schedule - the pool will be open when our first campers arrive on June 1. We remain approximately $30,000 under our fundraising goal, although the total costs will apparently be right on-budget. For information on the history of this project, the life span of our old pool and the status of our fundraising, please visit the following page:
History of the pool
Photos showing the progress of this project are posted below.
May 9, 2008 - The end is near
- The Wilson Pools crew is making preparations for the PebbleTec pool surface - which will be applied this weekend - the last step before we start putting water in the pool. At right, with the Wilson Pools team continuing their prep work, this view shows a view of the pool fence.
- As you can see, the bench seats are now inside the fence.
- The area to the right of the pool has been back-filled to create a level side "yard" where other activities can be held. In the past, this area was unuseable.
May 5, 2008 - We're being fenced-in
- Our new six-foot-high steel security fence is being installed this week. It will take a few more days to get the nearly 400 feet of fencing installed all the way around the pool and bath house. Once the fence is complete, we will soon see the PebbleTec surface being installed inside the pool. Once the PebbleTec is in, we will immediately begin filling the pool with water.
April 29, 2008
- In this birdseye view, you can see three distinct stages of the pool deck. The lighter area around the deep end is the part which was poured Friday and cured over the weekend. The darker part around the bath house structures is fresh concrete being poured today. The one remaining area to be poured is the gravel area to the right of the photo.
- In addition to the concrete being smoothed by the concrete team, the Wilson Pools team is finishing the grout work on the slide.
April 25, 2008 - All decked out
- The decking around the deep end of the pool was poured today. The color seen here is a bit darker than the finished product will be once everything dries completely.
- The process involved pouring the ochre-colored concrete, then smoothing it out with the smoother and finally finishing up with the broom finish. The broom finish essentially adds texture to the deck so that swimmers' feet won't slip on the surface.
April 24, 2008
- As we get closer to pouring the decking, the stone work around the slide is nearing completion. At right, the view of the bath house structures as they appear from across the pool. The entrance gate to the pool will be in the gap between these two structures.
April 18, 2008 - Where the boys are
- A group of volunteers from Aldersgate UMC in Augusta is making quick work of the boys' bath house today. In addition to this work on the bath house, other members of the Aldersgate group are helping us move the camp store from Down Under to a renovated B-0 (the old cabin previously known as B-1).
April 16, 2008 - Rock on!
- The rocks are being placed around the base of the slide, giving it that "mountain swimmin' hole" look. Above right, the roof on the girls' bath house is in place.
- Around the outer perimeter of the deck area, the fence company (Great Southern Ironworks of Roswell) has installed "sleeves" for the security fence posts. This eliminates the need to core into the decking after it's poured for the installation of fence posts.
April 10, 2008
- At left, the girls' bath house continues to take shape. At right, along the shallow end of the pool you see the vertical pipes for the water jets which will shoot water over the coping into the pool itself. Water has to be circulated in the pool, and our pool designer thought it would be fun to "arc" the water over the edge rather than simply pump it in under the water level.
April 9, 2008
- Program Director David Schnitzer was willing to lend a hand on the bath house construction today, assisting Hoke Cagle on the roof of the girls' bath house.
April 7, 2008
- David Stubblefield and Hoke Cagle share a chuckle for the camera before continuing their work on the girls' side of the bath house. Hoke recently joined David's Maintenance staff, and we are thrilled to have him back at Glisson!
- Today we found them installing studs on top of the outer wall of the bath house alongside the road. We have explained to Hoke that the safety goggles provide much better eye protection when they are actually worn over the eyes - but his hairline is well-protected.
April 4, 2008 - Ladies first
- The girls' bath house is beginning to take shape now. The area between the outer wall and the road has been back-filled, and the framing of the girls' bath house is underway. The 6-foot security fence will stand right beside the road here, and the area between the fence and the girls' bath house roof will be landscaped. Swimmers will enter the pool area through a security gate situated between the girls' and boys' bath houses.
April 1, 2008 - No fooling!
- The best-made plans. A crew of volunteers was ready, willing and able to raise our new bath house on Saturday, March 29th. Heavy rains interrupted our plans. You will see sill plates which were installed on the girls' side of the bath house, and that's all we accomplished that day. Stacks of lumber await drier weather for construction to continue.
March 28, 2008 - We have slabs
- The slabs for the bath house have been poured. The boys' bath house is the one with all the plumbing sticking up through the slab. That is where the pump room will be. At right, you see the slab for the girls' bath house along the outer wall.
March 18, 2008 - The pressure is on!
- A pressure test is underway. Before we can pour the slab for the bath house, one final pressure test on the water lines must be completed. The lines are capped, a pressure guage is in place, and an air compressor is holding 35 pounds of pressure on the water lines to ensure they can handle the pressure.
- At left is a close-up of the pressure guage affixed to the water lines. To the right you see where the slab for the girls' bath house will be poured once the pressure test is complete. Once the slabs are poured, Wilson Pools can "go to town" on the pool decking.
February 28, 2008
- You'll see that the forming of the bath house foundation is beginning to give us an idea where the bath house structure will reside. At right, you see where the entrance gate will be - right between the boys' and girls' dressing rooms. All foot traffic will now start at the road near the Ivie Lodge parking lot and pool guests will walk along an entrance path which will gradually slope downhill, ending here at the pool bath house entry gate.
February 21, 2008
- Waterproofing is complete on the outer wall of the girls' portion of the bath house. This area will now be back-filled so the area you see waterproofed in black will be underground (hence the need for waterproofing!). The ground will slope up slightly from the fence, next to the road, to the bath house wall. That area between the fence and the bath house will be landscaped.
- The trench which was dug for the water and electrical lines has been filled-in. This should give you an idea where the pump room will be - adjacent to the boys' section of the bath house.
February 15, 2008
- Here is a look at the outer wall of the bath house which runs alongside the roadway. The new fence will run alongside the road, meaning the amphitheater seats will now be inside the fence.
- With the lifeguard chair in the foreground, here is a good look at the new slide which sits next to the diving board. The slide is solid, with the supports held in place by cinder blocks encased in concrete. The highest point on the slide stands 8 feet above the deck. Once the new decking is in place, the Wilson Pools team will begin placing the natural boulders which will make-up the foundation of the slide. This will be an impressive feature of the pool!
February 8, 2008
- Three different components received attention this week. To the left you see the outer concrete walls of the bath house being poured. Back in the deep end, the slide is being built -- in the same location where the old high diving board stood many years ago. To the right, you see gravel being spread -- gravel which will essentially serve as a "cushion" for the new pool decking.
- Here is a closer look at the outer wall of the pool deck being poured on the Ivie Lodge side of the pool. A plume of smoke rises in the distance. Those working on the slide in the deep end were in the shade and needed to warm up.
- At left, concrete is being fed from the concrete trucks on the road through a boom to where the walls are being poured. At right, a reverse angle showing the outer wall of the bath house which will run alongside the road. The position of the bath house will allow for much more deck area for swimmers to maneuver around the pool without the crowded conditions we used to have around the shallow end.
February 1, 2008
- The concrete footings for the bath house foundation have been poured. The bath house will run along two sides of the pool deck. The entrance to the pool will be at the shallow end of the Ivie Lodge side. The bath house will extend to the right (alongside the road) and the left (along the Ivie Lodge side) of that corner entrance.
- As promised, the "goopy stuff" has been cleaned up, giving a clearer look at the natural-colored tiles which line the pool above where the water level will be.
- Electrical conduit runs around the rim of the pool edge, which will encase the electrical wires for the lights inside the pool. The conduit itself will run underneath the new pool decking.
January 29, 2008
- The old chain link fence is gone, and work is progressing on the area where the bath house will stand. Because winter has taken our leaves away for a few months, Ivie Lodge is clearly visible through the bare trees.
- You will see a substantial trench (at right, in the center of the photo) where we will put the footings to support the slab for the bath house. Although the pool bath house cannot be completed just yet, the slab and foundation work underneath it must be done so that the bath house slab will be level with the pool deck.
January 16, 2008
- Because the new bath house will occupy space on the new pool decking, even though the bath house funding has not yet been raised, the slab and foundation work underneath it must be started so that the deckwork all around the pool can be done. A few small trees had to be removed, and the old slab has now been up-ended, in the area where our new bath house will eventually reside.
January 14, 2008
- Along with the new depth markers, you see the natural, earth-toned tiles which now line our pool above the water level. These natural colors will be further complemented by the textured look of our Pebbletec interior surface when it is installed. Don't worry, the goopy stuff is only temporary -- this is a work-of-art in progress!
- That old bath house is no more, and good riddance! At right, a look at the tiles surrounding the diving well -- where diving will continue to be an option. What you see below the new row of tiles is simply the basic gray gunite forming the walls. All of the basic gray gunite will be covered by the much more attractive Pebbletec surface. The application of the Pebbletec surface will be one of the very last steps at the end of the process.
January 9, 2008
- Heavy equipment is not something we normally see near our swimming pool, but we are becoming more comfortable with it as our pool construction continues. With the work on our pool deck due up next, demolition on the old bath house will begin soon. The new deck of the pool will extend out to include the space currently occupied by this old structure, so it must be removed to make room for the new decking. Our campers deserve a modern, comfortable bath house for restroom and shower facilities. Nobody will be sad to see this old thing demolished!
January 3, 2008
- Now that the gunite is complete, work will soon begin on our new pool deck. Several loads of gravel were delivered today.
- The steps are no longer two-toned, now that the gunite has dried. At right, rain water collected in the deep end during our December rainfall and has now frozen in the arctic chill of January.
December 21, 2007
- Once the concrete bottom was complete, it was time to form-out the gunite walls. The gunite is being "shot" today, which means our new pool is really taking shape now.
- Stairs will run the full length of both shallow ends, making for easy entry and exit. These stairs will also create spacious seating areas for casual lounging in the pool and instructional opportunities.
December 18, 2007
- The concrete bottom is complete! A total of 94 cubic yards of concrete were required to cover the bottom of our new pool. At right, the late afternoon sun glistens on our shiny new pool bottom. Our swimmers' feet will never come in contact with this surface. A much smoother Pebble Tech surface will be placed on top of this concrete layer. No more scraped feet for Glisson swimmers!
- The concrete was fed through a long boom from the concrete pumper anchored on the road. Three different concrete trucks were used simultaneously to transport this massive volume of concrete.
December 14, 2007
- Thanks to the work of the gunite crew, a spider's web of rebar rests on top of the gravel bed. The rebar will essentially rest between two layers of concrete to reinforce the gunite shell of the new pool.
- The lights are now in place. The new pool will have twice as many lights as the old pool -- dramatically improving visibility for night swimming.
December 11, 2007
- The gravel bed is complete. In the shallow end, the skimmers are in.
- The view from the deep end (left), and the water lines coming into the pool from the yet-to-be-constructed equipment room.
December 6, 2007
- Gravel rests in the bottom of the old pool. It will serve as a sort of "cushion" between the outer shell (the old pool) and the gunite for the new pool -- helping to encase and protect the water lines which will essentially run between the outer shell and the inner, new structure.
- In the shallow end, work is completed on the returns, while the crew is installing the skimmers in the side. In the diving well, the new main drains are in place.
December 5, 2007
- The "coping" along the edge of the pool was removed first. A trench was dug from the shallow end nearest Ivie Lodge out through the deck toward the location of where the equipment room will reside. The equipment room will be incorporated into the bath house when that structure is built.
December 4, 2007
- Glisson Maintenance Director, David Stubblefield (right), jokes with Lee Asbridge, Operations Manager for Wilson Pools, just before the first steps of construction begin.
- Members of the Glisson staff gather to watch and celebrate the beginning of the new pool. Pictured, left to right, are Les Nix, Pam Swafford, Judy Boullineau and Melissa Carroll.
- Lee Asbridge, Operations Manager for Wilson Pools and father of 3 Glisson campers, walks through the pool plan with his crew before work begins.
More to come!
Keep coming back to see more updated photos as this project continues ...