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Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center Dive Tower

Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center Dive Tower

Precast concrete is at the heart of a first-of-its-kind 27-meter “total precast” dive tower at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center. Designed by Justin Architects, Engineer of Record Louis Berger and constructed by Hensel Phelps, the 101’-1” tall structural was prefabricated with very tight tolerances and features high-end architectural elements and finishes.

The Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center has a deep history in the swimming world, with several Olympians passing through its lanes and 10 world records set at the facility. It was also the first Olympic-size swimming pool to be constructed in Florida.

To help reclaim its position in the swimming community, the city of Fort Lauderdale commissioned the $27 million project to update its facilities, with the tower serving as the centerpiece.

"It (the dive tower) closely resembles the dimensions of an air traffic control tower. We’ve worked with GATE on those in the past, so we approached them about taking this on."

– Greg Jennings
Project Manager, Hensel Phelps

One of the biggest challenges was marrying a structural product with higher-end architectural elements and finishes. GATE used a white cement and white mix along with specked aggregate and a sandblasted finish to give the tower a different look. Each piece for the exterior is custom-made as the tower curves and skews as it gets taller. 

GATE helped bring the vision to life. Since the tower is essentially a 90-foot-tall cantilever, strength and weight were top of mind. The final tower features concave curves, angles and other design elements to give it a striking look. 

"With precast, we gained additional control and were able to meet the tight tolerances. There were also FINA (international swimming standards) for dive towers, and we had to meet those in terms of platform heights, how close platforms can be to each other. Precast could best handle the tight tolerances." 

– Greg Jennings
Project Manager, Hensel Phelps

Getting GATE’s early buy-in was instrumental in moving the project forward. There were weekly meetings, complemented by BIM modeling, to talk through everything in real-time.

"We do a lot of airport work and thought it looked a lot like a spruced-up air traffic control tower. We engaged with GATE early, and they were able to show us how to do it with precast." 

– Greg Jennings
Project Manager, Hensel Phelps

There were several benefits to using precast for the tower. With salt, sand and humidity a constant part of South Florida weather, being able to stand up to harsh elements is crucial. Abiding by hurricane wind requirements was critically important. The site is immediately adjacent to the Atlantic and there is a marina around the entire site. Therefore, it had to be built to stand the test of time.

"We were able to achieve an understated elegance. It stands very tall, and we were able to create a beautiful piece of sculpture with the focus remaining on the divers." 

– Teen Woon
Cartaya & Associates, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

"It’s basically a stair tower with platforms hanging off the side of it. You’ve got a high level of reinforcement that goes into a structural component, then you’re trying to take an architectural mix that’s going to require a high-end finish on the outside and keeping that consistent."

 – Bruce Bartscher
Vice President of Operations, GATE Precast, Kissimmee, FL

Once complete, the dive tower will allow Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center to reclaim its position within the aquatics industry as a leader and pioneer of the sport. 

"Before this, I had experience with precast in a very traditional way. We’ve done high rises with precast and other traditional ways of doing a building envelope. But this is the first time where the entire structure –everything about it – was precast. The engineering was very specialized, and it meets all the wind resistance, stability that is necessary." 

– Teen Woon
Cartaya & Associates, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

 

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LOCATION
Fort Lauderdale, FL

ARCHITECT
Justin Architects

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