The CHI Center was chosen as the site of the 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020 USA Swimming Olympic Trials. Cerris Systems was retained by the Omaha Sports Authority on a design-assist basis during the early stages of the project to assist the swimming pool consultants with the design of the interconnected piping for the warm-up and competition pools.
The pools were assembled in sections on the existing arena and convention center floors. Cerris Systems furnished and installed the interconnecting piping between the pools, pumps, filters and boilers and assisted with setting the equipment.
The Cerris Systems team had a mere five days to assemble and pipe the warm-up and competition pools to be operational before the beginning of the trials. The pools then needed to be disassembled so they could be moved to a new site in a one-week period between the closing of the swim trials and the opening of another event. The main competition pool, measuring 50 meters long and 10 meters deep, contained over 900,000 gallons that had to be kept at exactly 80 degrees in order for the elite athletes to compete. Our work included installing two, 2-million BTU boilers that serve the pool heating systems.
Over 900 feet of piping, split between the scheduled AD return and the CPDC lines supplied the necessary water for competition pools as well as the 1.3 million-gallon warm-up pool. The project took a team effort to coordinate the activities of three companies concentrating on the related aspects of the total pool system including precise control of water temperature, pumping capacity, and operation/maintenance of the systems during the event.
Any questions you need answered, or folks you want to chat with, our team is eager to lend an ear.
