Backfill before filling with water?

[ssgumby]

Im laying out my timeline for my DIY build.

I saw this post below, and it got me thinking. Is it safe to backfill prior to filling with water? It sure seems it would make working in the pool, getting vermiculite, putting int he liner all much easier.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/new-pool-build-and-bonding-t43402.html

 

[Prof100]

I wouldn't. I had a new pool built last August and it was filled with water before it was backfilled. If you backfill before, you take a chance on it caving in if it rains. We had my pumps going and swimming in it, before it was backfilled. It sure makes it easy to check for leaks.

 

[swimcmp]

We have been building for over thirty years. We have always backfilled before putting vermiculite in. I would sure hate to dig a bucket of gravel out of a brand new vinyl liner.

 

[ssgumby]

We have been building for over thirty years. We have always backfilled before putting vermiculite in. I would sure hate to dig a bucket of gravel out of a brand new vinyl liner.

Do you brace from the inside at all?

 

[swimcmp]

No we don't brace inside. I sent you a pm

 

[JasonLion]

You have to do some of the backfilling before adding water to properly stabilize the base of the wall. The two approaches I have seen are leaving the top foot or so of backfill until after water is in, or going right to the top before water. As far as I can tell it seems to be more about scheduling the different sub-contractors, than it has to do with any mechanical/structural issue.

By the by, if you are burying an above ground pool, the rules are different. Their walls are not as strong/stable when pushed from the outside, so no burying before at least some of the water is in (to hold back the weight of the fill).