Design
Once the project had been defined, it was decided to opt for a water mirror fountain as this type of fountain is quite versatile, elegant and offers multiple options in a paved area, such as the port’s esplanade.
The second point that had to be taken into account in relation to the fountain design was the shape of the fountain and jet distribution. In order to properly create the mirror effect, we need to distribute the jets equally in order for the water level to rise and fall equally in all areas of the fountain. In addition, we needed to leave a walk-through area between the vertical jets free in order to walk between them.
This is the first project that OTB has completed using BIM technology, which allows simulation of the installation prior to construction, thus reducing errors and installation times.
Installation
The fountain was installed in a period of three months. We can highlight three phases of the project, which on occasions overlapped:
- Civil works
Which included excavation and ground levelling work where the systems were to be installed. During this phase we have to take into account the location of the water deposit technical room, where the majority of the systems are found and its conduits to the fountain base. The technical room is accessible for subsequent maintenance of the fountain.
- Installation of hydraulic and electrical parts.
This was the most laborious phase due to the size of the project. This phase had to be coordinated with the civil works due to the fact that all parts were underground.
Once the fountain’s surface was levelled and the technical room prepared, the installation of the pipes, communicating basins, pumps, nozzles and other necessary hydraulics took place.
Installation comes with pumps, a centralised water treatment system connected to each basin, a connection, a drain and a level sensor to control the water mirror’s height.
Grids are installed covering each basin, which collect the returned water and individual LED lighting for each of the thirty jets.
- Connection and putting into operation:
Once all the aforementioned systems have been correctly fitted, all the equipment’s electrical connections are connected to the control panel located in the technical room. This panel is equipped with our Syncroshow® software, developed and improved throughout the last 20 years, which allows control of the fountain at all times from any device with access to the Internet.
Thanks to the software, all the fountain’s features are programmed in order for them to act according to the programmed timetables and weather. For example, the anemometer, which is an important item for this type of fountain, regulates the jet’s height in function of wind speed.
This software comes with a highly intuitive design, which allows simple modification of the parameters during maintenance.
After connecting all the parts and programming the specific operation parameters, the putting into operation tests took place.
Sustainability
This project is completed in accordance with European sustainability criterion. It is a reliable technical solution, highlighting the installation of hard wearing and high-quality materials, such as the use of stainless steel for hydraulic systems.
It has been designed in order to make the most efficient use of all resources required for its operation. Installation of low power LED lights is one way this has been achieved.
The water treatment allows us to reuse the water, significantly reducing consumption, which reduces the required amounts due to water loss because of evaporation, and partial replacements for installation maintenance, always focusing on safety and water quality.
Functions
The fountain comes with different modes allowing us to program it according to the timetable, in order to offer various effects.
- Water mirror: by flooding the fountain surface by a few centimetres, which allows you to walk through it ,and which reflects the surroundings.
- Water and light displays: in which changes of light colour interact with the water displays at night.
- Eco: Basic operation mode for low-level public periods.
