Hello, like most I have learned quite a bit on this forum and I am finally getting close to breaking ground on my pool. Sorry, no pics yet and it is a rather long first post. I'll try and get a plan uploaded soon. I talked to three pool builders in the area and I am sure any of them would have done a fine job. However, I have a very flexible work schedule and I have built a few houses so I thought I'd try to sub out my own pool. I know building a house and building a pool are not the same but finding/working with subs, getting bids, and getting through the ugly details are probably fairly similar. Not the best time of the season to start an owner build because we are a about to be in peak season but I have been trying to get to this phase for 2 years and my wife is pretty much ready to get it done.
So, here goes my first question to those of you that have worked on, built/have/or planned a pool. Have any of you seen a rebar schedule with 2 mats/layers of #4 rebar on 8x6 centers for the entire pool? My pool plan is basically 17X40, 3.5 to 9' deep. There is one freestanding wall that goes from 0in to 36in back to 0in. Total length of that wall is roughly 20'. So the wall gradually gets higher out of grade as it gets to the middle of the pool and then back to 0 on the ends. We have some slope (drops apx 48in over 34feet/or 1 foot vertically for every 8.5 feet horizontally). Bottom line is the back of the pool wall will gradually increase to 36in out of grade.
I would expect the freestanding wall to be doubled up on the rebar. However, the overall engineered plan is basically 2 pools worth of rebar and unfortunately so tight that the gunite company will not shoot it because of fear of shadowing/voids behind the rebar and they shoot a LOT of pools in this area. They said they would have to water down the gunite too much and can't do that. I told him thanks for his honesty, that I sort of expected that answer, and that I'd come up with something else. The double mat, 8x6 rebar plan came from my engineer. Nothing against the engineer but I have never seen a double mat of #4 rebar on 8x6 grid for an entire pool and it makes me wonder if it is needed. He may be right on, I just haven't seen one designed like that and honestly the design doesn't do me any good if I can't get a gunite crew to shoot it. My gut tells me something is not right with this design. Yes I want it to be strong, that is why I paid an engineer but this seems way way overkill. Soil elasticity isn't bad in my area, not great but also not so bad that people have to make drastic changes to their pools from what I have seen. Any ides, comments, or recommendations are appreciated. I'll get back with the engineer again but so far he's just said that's how he designs all his pools. Nice guy but I was hoping to get more out of him than that.
By the way, I had a very hard time finding an engineer that does pools. I wouldn't say he specializes in pools but I guess he does them on a somewhat routinely basis. I wanted someone I could talk to in person so I did not go with Pool Engeering out in California but I may have to try them next. Thanks again.
So, here goes my first question to those of you that have worked on, built/have/or planned a pool. Have any of you seen a rebar schedule with 2 mats/layers of #4 rebar on 8x6 centers for the entire pool? My pool plan is basically 17X40, 3.5 to 9' deep. There is one freestanding wall that goes from 0in to 36in back to 0in. Total length of that wall is roughly 20'. So the wall gradually gets higher out of grade as it gets to the middle of the pool and then back to 0 on the ends. We have some slope (drops apx 48in over 34feet/or 1 foot vertically for every 8.5 feet horizontally). Bottom line is the back of the pool wall will gradually increase to 36in out of grade.
I would expect the freestanding wall to be doubled up on the rebar. However, the overall engineered plan is basically 2 pools worth of rebar and unfortunately so tight that the gunite company will not shoot it because of fear of shadowing/voids behind the rebar and they shoot a LOT of pools in this area. They said they would have to water down the gunite too much and can't do that. I told him thanks for his honesty, that I sort of expected that answer, and that I'd come up with something else. The double mat, 8x6 rebar plan came from my engineer. Nothing against the engineer but I have never seen a double mat of #4 rebar on 8x6 grid for an entire pool and it makes me wonder if it is needed. He may be right on, I just haven't seen one designed like that and honestly the design doesn't do me any good if I can't get a gunite crew to shoot it. My gut tells me something is not right with this design. Yes I want it to be strong, that is why I paid an engineer but this seems way way overkill. Soil elasticity isn't bad in my area, not great but also not so bad that people have to make drastic changes to their pools from what I have seen. Any ides, comments, or recommendations are appreciated. I'll get back with the engineer again but so far he's just said that's how he designs all his pools. Nice guy but I was hoping to get more out of him than that.
By the way, I had a very hard time finding an engineer that does pools. I wouldn't say he specializes in pools but I guess he does them on a somewhat routinely basis. I wanted someone I could talk to in person so I did not go with Pool Engeering out in California but I may have to try them next. Thanks again.
