My build, lots of pictures

[solarboy]

Thought I'd post some photos of my part completed concrete pool build here in Portugal.

 

[solarboy]

Large hole to start..

 

[solarboy]

Blocking up the hole to prevent cave ins and provide the outer layer of the mold for the concrete later.

 

[solarboy]

Pump house floor with plumbing. The filter was inherited from a previous job for a client.

 

[solarboy]

We ran out of money for a while but then were able to buy the steel, a double layer of 8mm steel on 15x15cm centres. I buy it on sheets as it saves thousands of ties. We made "L" pieces to join the sides to the bottom.

 

[solarboy]

I didn't get any images of the base being poured so it's straight on to the shuttering, the inner part of the mold for the walls. We used a mix of expensive yellow blockboard shutter boards and standard Portuguese wet pine boards and joists.

 

[solarboy]

This shot shows the shuttering complete with just the internal bracing to be finished. You can see the shuttering needed to create the bench seat on the other side and the holes (which have lids) so that we can pump concrete into the lower section of that side.

 

[solarboy]

With all the bracing complete.

 

[solarboy]

The arrival of the concrete and pump for the pool walls.

 

[solarboy]

The pump has a 38 meter range (About 124 feet)

 

[solarboy]

Thats me holding the concrete hose and directing it into the void while a guy who works for me follows with the vibrator. If you vibrate too long and the stone all goes to the bottom, too short and the concrete doesn't fill the void.
You can also see the pump operator with his remote control for the boom. This is the scariest part of a pool for me, hoping your shuttering will hold while shouting over the din of the pump in Portuguese (not my native language).

 

[solarboy]

This is the happy bit, all the concrete in and the shutter held ! Time for a beer or 8.

 

[solarboy]

A few days later, removing the wooden shutter and de nailing all that wood, lovely and so fulfilling. All seems well. I remember I was being attacked by horse flies at this point and it was 107 in the shade.

 

[solarboy]

At this point we cleared it out, screeded the floor and filled it with water for the rest of the summer. I also wanted to test the shell at this point for leaks. Many wonderful swimming days followed. After building many pools for other people finally I had one for my children (and me and my wife)

 

[solarboy]

This is the part when I 1st came to TFP and was testing everyday. Happy days.

 

[solarboy]

Once the water became too cold to swim, I emptied the pool to prepare it for rendering. This shot shows the scratch coat done. This is a watery sand and cement slurry that helps the mortar bond to the smooth concrete. You can also see the slight leaks I discovered at the bottom. This was expected and was dealt with using waterproof mortars.

 

[solarboy]

Getting cold now. This is the 1st wall rendered with the sand cement mortar (4 sand to 1 cement by volume). This is perfectly vertical and flat. I scratched up the mortar at the bottom to help the curved fillet adhere later.

 

[solarboy]

Creating some steps.

 

[solarboy]

Rendering the walls and seat to get all the geometry perfect. I want all the tiles to line up perfectly so all the walls have to be vertical and parallel to within 3mm. The curves are also accurate.

 

[solarboy]

Compound curve in the corner. The radii of the vertical fillet is holf the radii of the floor/wall fillet. Autocad was my pal here. Basically I did the floor fillet 1st , then the corner fillet. When the former was drawn down to the floor, I kept it vertical so that the radii of the corner fillet decreases logarithmically to nothing.