Repair options that range in price and lifespan are proposed in a consultant’s report on the long-closed Laurentian University Jeno Tihanyi Olympic Gold Pool.
These options include everything from temporary crack repairs to using a more costly advanced technology to reinforce the pool.
Laurentian University has released a redacted version of the report following a Freedom of Information request submitted by Sudbury.com.
The redacted material in the more than 200-page report by JL Richards and Associates relates to the cost estimates for repair options to the pool, so we’re not able to bring you that information at this time.
Sudbury.com first made the formal freedom of information request in March for a report we were told was developed on the topic in December 2023. This was after university communications staff declined to send us the report this past winter.
In general, under provincial legislation, information access requests must be completed within 30 days. However, the time limit on our request was extended until this month due to the necessity for third-party consultations.
The redacted consultants’ report we were sent this week is actually dated March 26.
The Jeno Tihanyi Pool, which was built in 1972, was shut down in the spring of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and never reopened. In early 2022, with Laurentian University still undergoing insolvency restructuring, the pool started to leak.
With LU having exited insolvency in late 2022 and able to spend money on repairing more than the absolute essentials, Laurentian has been investigating what it would cost to repair and reopen the facility.
However, no funds were allocated to fixing the pool as part of Laurentian’s 2024-2025 deferred maintenance budget.
With user groups pushing to get the only Olympic-sized pool in the area reopened after its prolonged closure, discussions are underway with the municipality as Laurentian looks to collaborate with the City of Greater Sudbury.
The repair options: a rundown
The repair options to return the pool to an operational state were developed by JL Richards in conjunction with subcontractor Aquatic Associates, and each vary “in capital cost and design life,” said the report.
“At a minimum, the repair strategies are intended to assist LU in becoming operational on a temporary basis until such time that LU can complete a more fulsome rehabilitation,” said the report.
The first option presented in the report is “targeted crack repair,” which would return the pool to an operational state. The report does not provide a design life estimate.
“This repair strategy is an iterative construction process of repeated crack filling and
leakage testing,” said the report. “Additionally, this repair option requires regular maintenance/repair of the concrete. This is considered a temporary solution that does not include structural repairs to the pool walls or the wall to foundation crack.”
The second option is “pool bag liner repair,” which would involve a flexible membrane installed inside the existing pool shell, which would prevent any further water leakage for as long as it remains intact.
“This strategy also includes the repairs required to address the structural cracks/voids within the pool concrete walls and floor slab,” said the report.
The third option, “enhanced crack repair,” is a combination of the first two repair options, and would have a lifespan of five to 10 years, requiring regular maintenance/repair of the concrete.
The fourth and highest-cost option, entitled “RenovAction Repair,” also would be the longest-lasting solution.
“The objective of this option is to complete structural repairs to address wall/slab cracks and voids beneath the slab, reinforce the pool foundation wall, and eliminate water leakage through full-asset renewal,” said the report.
This repair strategy is a technology developed by Myrtha Pools called RenovAction, a permanent, long-term system that consists of PVC lined modular stainless-steel panels that are installed within the existing pool structure and chemically bonded together.
This creates a new waterproof shell lining that makes the pool functional again and is aesthetically pleasing.
The report said although this is high cost relative to the other presented options, the solution is cost-effective when compared to traditional pool replacement. (The report has redacted not only the cost estimate for this solution but also the cost of a traditional pool replacement).
“This solution has a lifespan of approximately 20+ years with a 25-year warranty on the stainless-steel shell structure, and 10-year warranty on the waterproofing system,” said the report.
The consultants say they “believe that the most cost-effective and quality result can be achieved through a full RenovAction repair.”
The report also gives a number of options for mechanical system repairs, although the report said this was based on a “cursory review” of these systems by Aquatics Associates, and “may not fully capture” the costs.
Again, the options range in cost, and are everything from upgrading to the current code to more enhanced upgrades that would only apply if Laurentian went with the RenovAction repair.
The report also looks at options for pool equipment upgrades, ranging from doing nothing to basic upgrades to more extensive upgrades.
What’s wrong with the pool?
This report goes into some detail about the structural issues detected by JL Richards in conjunction with another firm called Xradar, which completed a ground-penetrating radar scan of the pool floor.
“The investigation identified areas of varying degrees of corrosion or contamination within the pool walls and localized voids below the pool floor in the area of the shallow end and ramp,” said the report.
Various concrete repairs are required to rehabilitate the pool structure, which include cracks around mechanical penetrations in the pool floor, such as drains and bubblers, vertical cracks in the pool walls, pool floor slab cracks and voids and a pool wall to foundation interface crack.
The report said that in addition, it appears the pool was constructed in an area with a high water table.
“The pool is not currently outfitted with a hydrostatic valve to relieve pressure due to the ground water below the slab,” said the report.
It said the first step in the detail design phase of the project, “the hydrogeologic and geotechnical conditions beneath the pool slab will be assessed. A subsurface investigation will be undertaken to quantify the conditions below the slab which will serve to inform the design of both the structural repairs and the hydrostatic valve.”
In terms of the pool’s piping system, JL Richards said Canadian Leak Detection did a pressure test on the piping system, although it’s unclear how extensive that test was, and LU has retained another contractor to re-do this work.
“It is our understanding that the piping systems, as tested, did not show any signs of leakage at the time of the test,” said the report.
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s assistant editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.
