If you’re anything like me, you have probably asked yourself, “Why bother with award programs?” Most of the time, my company skips these award applications for the simple fact that we have found the judging process for most programs is victim to bias and untrained eyes posing as expert judges.
The pool industry is full of award programs from a variety of groups, regions, associations, and construction techniques; however, they all seem to have the following in common: artistic impression, quality design, competent construction practices are left up to judges who may or may not be qualified to judge these elements. For example, there is a disconnect in having a round table voting committee made up of pool retailers, liner builders, or manufacturers’ representative when selecting the best quality in-ground shotcrete pool construction. This type of work just isn’t in their wheelhouse, and would be better judged by qualified shotcrete contractors instead. The intricacies and rigors entailed in the sprayed concrete process are really only known and understood by those doing this type of work.
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Entering the ASA’s award application process helped our company not only get national recognition, but also helped our construction process down the line. The application process and the questions asked are a true learning process. Today, things like curing, strength gain, porosity, and bond planes are all part of our building approach and to be honest, some of it started with the ASA awards submission.
