Polymer Wall Pool Backfill

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NHTrip

Member
Jul 28, 2019
10
Brookline, NH
Hi all- about to begin excavation for an 18x36 hydra polymer pool and trying to determine best material for backfill. I’ve seen sand, gravel, and crush and run all recommend. My excavator (who also dug our foundation and knows the area well) is also saying we have “wonderful” soil for backfill (it’s basically sand and river rock). We live in New Hampshire, so ground freeze definitely a consideration.
Also curious thoughts on filling with water before or during backfill.
Thank you.
 
Theres no wonderful soil unless you have a 3/4 clean quarry you built on. But aeriously it's all up to you. I've never once backfilled with native ground and never will. The only way I'd use compactable fill is against a concrete pool. Theres just no way to get proper compaction against steel or polymer walls and steel is stronger and more ridgid. Sure you save a few bucks and if your doing a concrete deck the settlement won't show for years. If doing pavers you will likely see it early on. Only way to use something like that is to let it sit for a year and carefully pack it in small lifts. By the time I pay the time and labor its filled in hours with clean gravel and packed out of the bucket
 
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jimmythegreek said:
Theres no wonderful soil unless you have a 3/4 clean quarry you built on. But aeriously it's all up to you. I've never once backfilled with native ground and never will. The only way I'd use compactable fill is against a concrete pool. Theres just no way to get proper compaction against steel or polymer walls and steel is stronger and more ridgid. Sure you save a few bucks and if your doing a concrete deck the settlement won't show for years. If doing pavers you will likely see it early on. Only way to use something like that is to let it sit for a year and carefully pack it in small lifts. By the time I pay the time and labor its filled in hours with clean gravel and packed out of the bucket
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Thank you! 3/4 gravel it is!
 
Only way to fly on my jobs. If you wanna go the extra mile throw a drain down there on top of collar amd run it to a sump pit or daylight if you can. Its standard with me now. Never have to worry about liner float. Make sure to slightly pitch concrete collar away from walls. Good idea to use filter fabric over the earth and wrap over the stone when close to the top before you base for coping
 
jimmythegreek said:
Only way to fly on my jobs. If you wanna go the extra mile throw a drain down there on top of collar amd run it to a sump pit or daylight if you can. Its standard with me now. Never have to worry about liner float. Make sure to slightly pitch concrete collar away from walls. Good idea to use filter fabric over the earth and wrap over the stone when close to the top before you base for coping
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Hey @jimmythegreek Can you explain:

"throw a drain down there on top of the collar"

and

"Good idea to use filter fabric over the earth and wrap over the stone when close to the top before you base for coping"

I am about to do a pool, if it ever gets here, and I was thinking of putting 4" corrugated drain pipe ontop of the collar all the way around the pool and running it out on the low side of the yard down a hill to drain groundwater that gets in the stone fill on top of the collar. Something like this Advanced Drainage Systems 4 in. x 100 ft. Corrugated Pipes Drain Pipe Solid-04510100 - The Home Depot and connect it to a non-corrugated pipe that runs downhill away from the collar. My yard slopes on the side...so gravity will take it away easily.

Do you have a pic of the filter fabric install to better understand placement?
 
I only use solid pipe. I will never use corrugated pipe it fails eventually.
I do a drain on top of the collar and I use septic grade filter fabric that's 12ft wide. I cut in half and lay it from the collar concrete up the sides of dig onto top level. I use small amounts to pitch the drain all the way around to a sump pit, then backfill all clean stone to plumbing or above. I wrap the fabric over the stone and tuck tight to wall cutting excess. I then use clean stone to get to the level for my upper coping collar height amd form that. I pour that then I use road base for all the rest in small lifts.
 
Looks like this when wrapped up to native soil height. Sometimes 2 pieces need to overlap eachother on wide overdig, stairs, pipe chases. I cut in around bracing and overlap with another piece I try to seal it up 100% from this point on it's all road base compacted in lifts. Theres 16" of base on this pool that ground is all clay amd theres geotextile fabric first20180708_203203.jpg20180708_203220.jpg20180710_110439.jpg
 
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jimmythegreek said:
Looks like this when wrapped up to native soil height. Sometimes 2 pieces need to overlap eachother on wide overdig, stairs, pipe chases. I cut in around bracing and overlap with another piece I try to seal it up 100% from this point on it's all road base compacted in lifts. Theres 16" of base on this pool that ground is all clay amd theres geotextile fabric firstView attachment 149570View attachment 149571View attachment 149569
Click to expand...
@jimmythegreek I read in another sub that you like to form with plywood and pour the steps with concrete. I was under the impression this is how you do it. Does the concrete not go all the way to the top step?
 
Goes to the second step. I like to use the space between that and top step for base material so the base is even depth around the pool. I sometimes go deeper than that if poor soil. Concrete is already there for the collar and best way to have solid steps forever whether fiberglass or steel frame
 

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