Pool Framed with Rebar but ultra heavy rains collapsing dirt around frames

[Species 8472]

My pool was dug and framed with rebar. The gunnite is being scheduled. Today, it has rained about 3 inches and dirt is falling from the walls into the pool. The deep end up to the transition is filled with water. It reminds me of the sides of a glacier falling into the sea. The pump can't keep up with the heavy rain.

Has anyone had a similar experience with this? Any ideas as to what the pool builder will do? I've attached a photo.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[ComputerGuyInNOLA]

Your builder should be able to take care of it. We had a huge amount of rain and a massive collapse of two walls behind the rebar before the gunite was shot. They put plywood behind the rebar and dug out the collapsed dirt and back filled behind plywood. Worked like a charm!

 

[Species 8472]

Thanks. This is reassuring. And, I imagine Louisiana has a high water table like my area.

 

[36racin]

Thanks. This is reassuring. And, I imagine Louisiana has a high water table like my area.

Depends on where in Louisiana you are located. My area is high and dry. No water at all in the pool dig. But I have a friend that lives a few hundred yards from the Mississippi River levee and the water table is high. Especially when the river is high.

 

[Species 8472]

It also looks like the steel frame has kicked in about three to five feet on one side. Any further thoughts on what is done?

 

[Casey]

The pool builder is going to fix all of it.

 

[Species 8472]

Good. I hope so. I don't have the plans and what he originally did (I think it was a generic plan that was submitted) so some of this will have to be left to trust, I suppose.

 

[Casey]

Don't worry about it. They will definitely fix it!

Have you been reading up on pool school and purchased your test kit yet? The speed stir is super cool!!!

 

[Species 8472]

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to do my homework on the speed stir.

 

[bmoreswim]

Good. I hope so. I don't have the plans and what he originally did (I think it was a generic plan that was submitted) so some of this will have to be left to trust, I suppose.

If you are going to leave something to "trust", let it be that you really should have a Speed Stir!

 

[Species 8472]

I will let you know whether this will be resolved appropriately. The pool builder is sending his crew out tomorrow to assess damage. The darn frame moved 3 to 5 feet inward and broke away from the wooden edging that formed the shape of the pool along two sides.

 

[Species 8472]

Here is the update. It turns out the pool builder will dig out the dirt. He indicates that the rebar that was bent will snap back into place. I don't have the plans but hope to have the original dimensions re-established. I am actually worried that it won't be put back exactly as it was originally. There will be no additional charge, fortunately. Once the pool is shot with gunite, I will post a series of photos showing progress.

 

[Species 8472]

Here is a written update on this issue.

The gunite was shot over a month ago. My plans called for a 8 like shape. When the walls collapsed, the rebar was bent. I was told that once the gunite was shot it would look close to orignial. Unfortunately, the pool has a weird shape where the pool wall collapsed in the upper left corner of the 8 shape. The coping and tile are now on and the strange shape is more noticeable. It was not corrected, unfortunately. Aside from the delay in completion, I am disappointed in the pool shape. Any thoughts on what I might say to PB? When folks come and view pool, they similarly notice the somewhat odd shape. I will try to post tomorrow, but I feel like the collapse of the pool wall and subsequent bending of rebar wasn't fully corrected. In the upper circle of the 8 the left part is fairly straight and then there is a second straightening in the upper left corner. What are your thoughts?

 

[JasonLion]

Thanks for the update.

It wil be very difficult for the builder to do anything about it at this point.

 

[ComputerGuyInNOLA]

Unfortunately not much can be done now that gunite is in. Rebar does not "snap" back into place. It is bent to attain its shape so it should have been bent back to the original shape or replaced with new rebar. I would tell your builder you are not happy with the results. Keep us posted. Do you have any pictures you could post?

 

[tim5055]

As has been pointed out, nothing can be done once the gunite has been shot. As i see it you have three choices:

• Insist that the PB rip it out and start over
• Insist on a cost reduction to the point that you don't mind the odd shape
• Accept it the way it is

Short of one of those, not much else is available as a correction. I feel bad for your difficulties and hope you can find a resolution acceptable to both you and the PB without involving attorneys.

 

[Species 8472]

Thank you for your replies. I suspect the pool builder will say that the shape of the pool approximates the design. It is a shame. The lassaiz-faire attitude of the PB when the pool walls were collapsing because of pump malfunction during heavy rains concerned me. Now that the coping is on the imperfections are evident. I thought the addition of the coping would have remedied the shape, but it did not.

I feel like I'm being picky. Is the pool functional? Yes. Does it match the design? In about 3/4s of the pool it matches but not in the last section where the pool wall collapsed. It was a semi-circle before the collapse, but now it is not. The shape is odd now.

I just feel odd about asking the PB what he can do for us given our unhappiness with the shape. I guess I need some advice about general negotiation.