There is 2,271 to 3,082 L (600 to 800 gal) of water per minute flowing in the water feature positioned at the entrance. Lighting is built into the water feature, within basins and the waterfall ledges, to create an even more stunning look after dark. A great sense of excitement comes directly from the waterfalls—and the lighting used on those waterfalls is central to the mood of the entire resort’s water features.
This water feature was built on 10 steel frames, most of them 2.4 m (8 ft) wide and tall, and about 50.8 to 203 mm (3 to 8 in.) deep. Once the water feature was built, it required three completely loaded trucks to move the water feature to Atlantic City. The structures were semi-finished, and to protect them from damage, large rubber pads, which are commonly used in horse stalls, were used to cushion the steel frames so they did not come in direct contact with the steel of the truck frame. It was also important for the material to stay within the height and width shipping requirements across multiple states.
By contrast, if the contractor had used traditional shotcrete rock, the water feature would have been more costly to build and would have taken more time to construct. Shotcrete also requires much deeper footings and more time to install. In addition, the weight of a shotcrete water feature of this size might have caused additional structural design issues that were avoided by using cast concrete artificial rock. The rock panels are made of a high-tech, thin shell concrete that weighs less than one-third of the weight of traditional shotcrete.
Shotcrete is the better choice for low profile features where weight is not an issue. For example, in this project, major basins were made of shotcrete material, but the rock fade was all fibre reinforced concrete. The 6 m (20 ft) height of this project was much easier to achieve with a structural steel approach, using the rock panels as the outside finish.
The walls within the waterpark
In addition to the impressive water feature at the entrance of the waterpark resort, Rico Rock was also asked to create several rock walls that flanked the lazy river and other parks of the resort’s interior. The waterpark is housed within a structure with a retractable roof that opens when the sun is out and closed on rainy days or when the weather is cooler.
“The Rico Rock cast concrete artificial rock is a proven solution for aquatic facilities around the world, both large and small, that are exposed to UV and chemicals and are built to last and look terrific for many years,” adds Riley.
The durability of cast concrete
Since natural rocks, boulders, and stone are quite cumbersome, backyard landscapers and pool professionals are now regularly using cast concrete artificial rock to create the look and feel of natural stone around pools because it is lighter and easier to work with.
