Design and construction of pools of the Olympic class – the most difficult technical task. Feature of construction of such objects are rigid norms and requirements imposed to designs, technical systems, the geometrical sizes of a bowl (for example, from a horizontal of a board of an overflow tray with its length of 50 m the deviation of only ±2 mm is allowed), and also to such indicators as quality of water and temperature moisture conditions indoors.
However design of the Olympic pool is complicated not only rigidity of the requirements stipulated by general provisions of normative documents. When developing the project designers have to consider the set of rules and requirements imposed to the device of the Olympic pool by the International federation of swimming (FINA).
According to the rules FINA of a bowl of the Olympic pools there have to be 50 m in length (25 m for the competitions "on short water"), 25 m in width and not less than 2 meters in depth (for a diving – not less than 4,5 m). On width the Olympic pool has to be broken into 8 paths on 2,5 m everyone (during swimming competitions). Thus before the first path and after the eighth the project it has to be provided on one strip 2,5 meters wide everyone.
In already operating pool of all 10 strips have to separate from each other dividing cords on which floats with a diameter of 5-15 cm are strung (everything together it forms so-called garlands). The first and last 5 m of each of garlands consist of red floats, other space is filled so: for the 1st and 8th paths – floats of green color, for the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th – blue and for the 4th and 5th – yellow. At a dock apron in the middle of each path a line of contrast dark color 0,2÷0,3 m wide, 46 m long for the 50-meter pool and 21 m for the 25-meter is drawn.
It is clear that not only the sizes of the Olympic pools accurately make a reservation normative documents and requirements of FINA, but also the equipment – as necessary (system of water treatment and recirculation, etc.), and special. So, according to the same rules of the International federation of swimming all Olympic pools depending on a type of competitions (swimming, a diving, water polo, etc.) are equipped with contact panels for automatic system, starting curbstones, towers, springboards, gate, information displays and other special equipment
For example, during swimming competitions the special attention is paid to installation of contact panels for automatic system. Brightly painted, with the marking ordered for trailer walls of the pool they have to be located 0,3 meters above and 0,6 meters below than a water surface. Depending on the project of the panel can thoroughly fasten to a bowl wall in the center of each path, and can be removable, established only for the period of competitions. Such characteristics as sensitivity, safety, etc. are surely considered.
According to requirements of FINA imposed to the Olympic pools, water temperature during competitions has to be maintained at the constant level 25÷28ºC. Following the sanitary and hygienic norms existing in many countries in pools of the Olympic type inflow and water plums is allowed, but these processes shouldn't create currents, whirlpools and funnels.
Accurate observance of the norms and standards shown to the Olympic pools allows to receive upon completion of construction the certificate of a gomologization – technical check on the full compliance to requirements of the international competitions which is permission to carrying out in them sports meets of the Olympic level. Without this certificate all reached records can be cancelled.