NV65: the snow and wind standard for professionals
Are you in charge of an establishment accessible to the public? Then, the NV65 standard concerns you. Whether you run a holiday rental that hosts less than twelve guests or a recreational water park that welcomes over 1,500 people, the "65 snow and wind" standard applies.
"This standard focuses on resistance to loads and to the wind and sets the values for weather loads (snow and wind), and establishes how to calculate this for all buildings, including communal pool enclosures", explains David Francisco, Abrisud Pro Project Manager.
The building and resistance standards applicable to professionals aren't the same as the ones that apply to private individuals. Pool enclosures, for establishments accessible to the public, are governed by stricter standards. "Based on its exposure to bad weather incidents, France is split into eight areas for snow and five for wind", states David Francisco. "Coefficients are applied to each snow area based on the altitude where the enclosure will be installed. Likewise, distance from the coast is one of the parameters taken into account for each wind area. For example, if, in Brittany, the enclosure is located 15 km from the ocean, its wind resistance should be 126 km/h, whereas if it were located at 5 km from the ocean, its resistance would be higher, i.e. 166 km/h with resistance of 60 kg/m2 of load, versus 45 kg for private individuals subject to the NFP90309 standard."
Going through a design and inspection office
"We carry out a study for each project to configure the enclosure to requirements", pursues the Abrisud Pro specialist. This study is cross-checked in-house and then again by an independent inspection office. Abrisud Pro has chosen to work in this way. "Our liability is at stake," states David Francisco. "Once the project is completed, we hand over a complete file comprising the design plans, the material and ten-year guarantees, our calculations and the inspections carried out." These as-built documents are systematically transmitted by Abrisud, even if the establishment accessible to the public is a 5th category one, i.e. one that's accessible to less than 200 people at any given time.
Enclosure manufacturer experience makes all the difference
Abrisud's experience in France and abroad enables it to offer bespoke aluminium and wooden enclosures that may be fixed or movable, curved, angular or dome-shaped, which always take customer challenges and needs into account wherever they may be. "Our know-how and expertise are based on 35 years of experience and on the wide array of products we offer. Our enclosures are used to cover swimming pools as well as salt silos, seating stands for entertainment venues, and even the orang-utans' playground at the Natural History Museum in Paris. The enclosures are light and modular meaning they address different opening/closing needs, like seasons for example," explains the Abrisud Pro specialist. "We've learned to be flexible, to offer real bespokeness that complies with standards and requirements. Every project is a real exercise in gymnastics!"
