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That totally depends on how they do it. It can be done in such a way that the structural integrity is as good or better, but that doesn't mean they will do it that way. It takes significantly more knowledge and skill to make a change to a shotcrete shell like this and maintain structural...

No, especially if you have an autofill. If you set your overflow at the exact level where you want the water level to be, which is where the autofill should be set, then you could easily end up with the autofill running perpetually and flowing straight out the overflow, wasting a huge volume of...

Agreed. I would however add that some non-cementitious waterproofing agents should not be applied to fresh shotcrete. I know you're a fan of Merlex Super Blockade, which can be applied pretty much right away, but that's not the case for some of the elastomeric waterproofing options.

A shrinkage crack is caused by shrinkage during the initial curing, and generally isn't expected to grow or change significantly after the initial development. A structural crack is caused by significant movement, and whether or not the movement that caused it will continue, and at what rate...

Thanks Ray, but I think you may give me too much credit. My work with shotcrete is in a much different application, where we design it to crack under dynamic loads, and have special rock bolts behind the shotcrete that share the loads in dynamic situations. I totally agree that a local paid...

Yep, which is why front faced tile works so much better. But it's also harder to find, and more difficult to work with than the mesh backing style. I imagine applying a thin layer of some type of mortar over a chip out to get a true surface would be pretty challenging as well. Nope, wife's...

There are several pebble finish manufacturers, and some pool plastering companies that do their own in house custom pebble finish blends. Yours looks like smaller aggregate, which could be Pebble Tec pebble sheen, or Stonescapes mini pebble, or CL Industries sunstone pearl, or something totally...

You should be able to connect a vacuum hose to the inlet at the bottom of your skimmer. That's what I do.

My responses are in blue above. This is just a narrow area under the coping, between the bond beam and deck? I normally don't like using type S in thicker applications, but if I'm envisioning what you're describing correctly it shouldn't be structural, so would likely be ok. I think I'd still...

Salt damaging natural stone is a myth for the most part, but a sealer can help minimize mineral deposits, and also make cleaning the mineral deposits off a bit easier. Some sealers don't change the look at all, some change it drastically, so if you decide to use a sealer, test it out in an...

Re: New VS pump - best size On top of what's already been mentioned, I might add that it's often a good idea to match brands between the pump and SWG, as they tend to "talk to each other" better when they're the same brand. This is particularly true if you plan on adding automation anytime in...

You can remove the forms very shortly after pouring and they'll hold the shape, but the concrete will be very weak and susceptible to damage initially. Regardless of when the forms get removed, if it were me I'd let it cure for a couple days before doing anything adjacent to the decking that...

If there aren't any wire ties running through the forms, then you should be able to leave them for as long as you want, but be aware that the broom finish will end at the forms if they're left on. And yes, leaving the forms for a few days on standard slabs, or on the side of the decking opposite...

Typically the forms are removed very shortly after the pour, during the floating and finishing phase. This way the tie wires can be severed and the holes where the tie wires penetrate the forms can be troweled over. Your concrete guy should not be coming back to do this, he should be doing it as...

Re: Water features - Company recs I'm curious to see responses to this. I compared a bunch of different brands, and couldn't find much practical differences between them, so I went with the cheapest option which was Oreq Custom Cascade. Haven't installed it yet, but it appears to be well made.

Not crazy IMO, just a lot of work, a fair amount of skill required, and a lot of cost. Materials alone will likely cost a fair amount more than hiring out plaster/pebble. The small penny tiles will be somewhat forgiving on corners and curves, so I think that's a good choice. Make sure whatever...

Are you in Boquete Panama? I agree with Brian that porcelain, glass, or other frost proof/frost resistant tiles are usually a much better choice. In a tropical climate like Panama, you might be able to get away with ceramic, but even there they likely won't last as long as porcelain tiles would.

You could grind it flat with a large concrete floor grinder. I'm sure there are people in your area who do this. You can also rent the equipment and DIY it, though running those machines is a bit trickier than it might look. And as mentioned above, a thin cementitious overlay would also work.

Steel is extraordinarily strong in tension, which is the strength you're referencing, but your design has the bolts in compression, not tension. Compressive carrying capacity of those same bolts is closer to 5,000 lbs, but that's in an ideal laboratory setting with the force being applied...

Based on the diameter, I'd guess those are for an old whip hose system. I have no idea where to find whip hose fittings that might fit them though.

Yikes! That's a lot of work he created for you that could have been easily avoided.

Depends on the construction of the joint, but typically it's encased in whatever expansion joint material is used. In my case whatever they'd used was long since gone, and there was a 1/16"-1/8" gap where the expansion joint material had been originally. There were 4 pieces of rebar I...

In most cases they should be able to move separately, and have something (roofing felt, plastic, etc) installed between them during construction to prevent them from bonding. Having pieces of rebar connecting them doesn't necessarily prevent them from moving separately though. It's quite common...

The plaster might be a bit on the sloppy side, but I think it's within acceptable limits based on what I've seen. The fact that you didn't get much plaster dust is actually a really good thing IMO. It means you don't have aggressive water eating away the top layer of your plaster and etching it...

Plan was to use #7, #8, & #10. Was looking into buying from Turley in Mesa. They make a lot of custom pebble blends for some of the pool builders in the Phoenix area, and a lot of plaster companies in the area also use their abalone. Was looking at their products geared towards the terrazzo...

What I really wanted to do was use really rough, angular aggregate, in three different sizes, and then polish it smooth. The rough surfaces and angular pieces would have an exponentially better bond, and therefore be much less likely to fall out of the matrix. It would also result in a stronger...

Thanks. I've got an older wet grinder/polisher that I was planning on using, as well as a pretty good stock of pads (most of which are finer grit than I'll need for the pool). I've seen the Triton's and they look really nice, but they're also a bit pricey. I'm assuming water flow control will...

Hah! I'll be right over. Can never have too many boulders for landscaping projects...

I'm having my pool re-plastered with pebble soon, and have talked the plaster contractor into not doing an acid wash, and instead allowing me to essentially do what you're describing. Didn't know people actually did that, but just imagined it producing a smoother surface without the issues...