can an abiove ground pool damage foundations of house

[hqpc]

Hi there! We have a 12ft above ground pool that I have put just beside my house on a patio. I was just starting to fill it up andf then stopped after a little while, becuase I became worried about whether the weight of the pool might affect the foundations of my house when full. Am I worrying unnecessarily, or should I thin k of relocating a bit further away. The reason I want itr by the house is that it will stop lots of dirt and grass cuttings getting into it as children go over the grass into it.

Any advice gratefuly received.

Humphrey

 

[diyindux]

How deep is the pool, how far from the foundation and what type of soil do you have? Do you have a basement? Every foot of water is about the same weight as 6 inches of soil. If you have a 4 ft. deep pool it would be the same loading on the foundation as adding 2 ft. of soil fill there.

 

[hqpc]

The pool is about 2ft-2ft6" deep; it is bang up against the foundations in an area that is a concrete apron sitting on clay soil. There is no basementto worry about. Does that help clarify? Thanks for your interest.

 

[1380ken]

That pool will have no effect on your foundation. The water weight goes down not sideways.

 

[hqpc]

thanks very much - do others agree or have any experience of this too?

 

[harleysilo]

Every foot of water is about the same weight as 6 inches of soil. If you have a 4 ft. deep pool it would be the same loading on the foundation as adding 2 ft. of soil fill there.

Really? Wow! I would have thought water would weight more than soil.

 

[diyindux]

Soil weighs more, that is why the dirt is at the bottom of your pool! As for where the weight goes, it doesn't go straight down. A surcharge load on a soil surface creates a lateral load within the underlying soil. The force of the lateral load generated by the surcharge is a function of the soil type and density as well as the type of wall it is acting against. Concrete foundation walls are considered rigid walls so the loading would be less than if it were a flexible wall like steel sheetpiles. With the pool being that close to the foundation it will place a lateral load on the foundation but given that it isn't very deep it will likely not be any issue.