The UK team at Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products of Reading played a role in the London 2012 Olympic Games by developing and manufacturing the new pool deck grating for the Aquatics Center. The grating provides the cover for the front end of the filtration system and increases the return rate of water in all three major Olympic swimming pools.

“Projects like the one at the Olympics are fairly typical in scope for us,” said John Fisher, polyethylene product manager for Quadrant. “That said it's very exciting to be involved with something as globally recognizable as the Olympics.”

He said he hopes their team improves the efficiency of the swimming venue.

International architect Zaha Hadid designed the aquatics venue, which will be hosting swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, and the swimming element of the Modern Pentathlon. The structure features a wave-like roof that is 160 meters long and 80 meters wide. Over 3,600 construction workers and more than 370 businesses contributed to make this engineering and design feat a reality.

Quadrant's own UK team competed for and won the contract to design, manufacture, and supply the deck pool grating and channel rail system. Quadrant worked alongside engineers, architects, and construction companies to manufacture and supply the deck pool grating around all three major pools and one circular plunge pool.

As a plastics manufacturer, Quadrant helped to specify/select the correct materials for the application with its application engineering team, said Fisher.

“We then worked to help fabricate the panels that ultimately became the pool deck,” said Fisher. “The value of the materials involved was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.”