The Hotel's Original Columns Had Insufficient Bearing Capacity

The addition of a swimming pool in a Macau hotel significantly increased the load on the columns, and the original columns were insufficient in bearing capacity.

The additional static loads were enormous:

The density of water is 1000kg/m³, so a 1m deep pool would need to support a weight of 10kN (approximately 1 ton) per square meter. With a pool area of 100m² and an average water depth of 1.5m, the weight of the water alone would reach 150 tons, all of which would need to be borne by the underlying columns. The hotel's existing columns were typically designed for standard floors (approximately 2-3kN per square meter) and were unable to withstand this load.

Combined dynamic and additional loads:

Swimming pools generate dynamic loads when in use, such as from human activity and water sloshing, which exert additional impact on the columns. Furthermore, the pool's waterproofing, piping, and equipment also add an additional weight of approximately 1-2 kN/m2, further increasing the load on the columns.

The original columns had potential defects:

The hotel building had been in use for many years, and the columns had problems such as concrete carbonization and steel corrosion, resulting in a decrease in their actual bearing capacity. The addition of additional loads would amplify these defects, directly posing a structural safety hazard.

Choose carbon fiber reinforcement

Among the many reinforcement methods (such as increasing the cross-section and bonding steel), carbon fiber was chosen because its properties perfectly match the column reinforcement requirements under swimming pool loads:

From a load-bearing perspective: Efficient lifting without adding extra weight

This is the core reason, directly addressing the enormous loads imposed by swimming pools.

From a construction and operational perspective: minimal disruption and high efficiency. Hotels typically require continuous operation, and construction should not disrupt normal business operations for an extended period.

Environmental Adaptability: Humidity Tolerance and Long-Term Durability

Swimming pool environments are humid, placing extremely high demands on the durability of reinforcement materials.