Can a concrete pad support AGP?

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C

chi-chi

Well-known member
Jun 21, 2019
124
Ashburn, VA
Pool Size
8403
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Intex Krystal Clear
I have looked everywhere and haven't been able to find anything, but I am looking to put up an above ground pool (intex ultra XTR 12x24). My question is that I don't want to level the dirt in the area but would rather have a concrete pad poured level to sit the pool on with some padding underneath.

Can this be done? If so what thickness or specific qualities does the concrete pad need to have? Any ideas suggestions or experiences with using a concrete slab as the base would be appreciated.
 
So long as the pad is not sloped too much then it can work. Use something under the pool that is fairly robust as the pool will move slightly.

I am not sure how thick the pad would need to be. My gut says at least 3" thick to make sure it does not crack.
 
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There will be a lot of weight in the overall area (i think that pool is 32000 litres so weight of water will be 32 tonnes) but the point loads are limited to the support legs.
Depending upon your budget you could include some rebar mesh in it (I’m not sure of US prices but in UK it would be about $150s worth to cover that area - obviously price varies with grade of mesh).
im sure there are some calculators on the internet which could help you determine depth required but as Kimkats said I’d expect at least 3” (actually my gut says at least 6” but it will depend upon strength of concrete mix used)
 
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Non-expert here, but it seems to me the amount of labor (and cost) to prepare an area for a concrete pad would be at least as expensive as leveling it for a pool. Then there's the added cost of the concrete, rebar and associated labor. I'm not seeing how pouring a pad is less trouble or money.
 
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A bit more detail is that the level is off by about 2ft at its worst point. I got about 3 quotes to do ground leveling and compacting and was told a small retaining wall would be needed as well. All the quotes came in at about $2k to $3500 which seemed like a lot to me. I am trying to have the pool stay up year round and we do get snow amd free and thawing in the winter here so I thought a concrete pad would be more robust but maybe I'm wrong?

I hope to get a concrete quote this weekend but I did not think it would cost $2k. I appreciate all the help.. I also was thinking to add rebar and have it 6 inches thick. I also plan to put waterproof underlayment underneath that is typically used for flooring
 
chi-chi said:
I hope to get a concrete quote this weekend but I did not think it would cost $2k. I appreciate all the help.. I also was thinking to add rebar and have it 6 inches thick.
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Concrete is insanely expensive. I think you are going to find it is going to cost more than leveling.
 
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2K sounds about right if you need a retaining wall too. You could also offer your friends beers to help with the dig out :)
There is a plastic layer that is specifically used under concrete, but it's not cheap. I had it laid in my crawlspace before they laid the concrete and it helps a lot.
The concrete in my crawl is probably nowhere near 6 inches and that job was 5K years ago.
 
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Woodstock1234 said:
2K sounds about right if you need a retaining wall too. You could also offer your friends beers to help with the dig out :)
There is a plastic layer that is specifically used under concrete, but it's not cheap. I had it laid in my crawlspace before they laid the concrete and it helps a lot.
The concrete in my crawl is probably nowhere near 6 inches and that job was 5K years ago.
Click to expand...

The plastic is for moisture and radon, no?
Why would you use that under an outdoor patio or similar?
 
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cj133 said:
The plastic is for moisture and radon, no?
Why would you use that under an outdoor patio or similar?
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Not under a patio, because that is an open surface. But if a pool sits on it all the time, the pad will soak up moisture from the ground and it will deteriorate/crack faster. The surface is "closed" in that sense and wouldn't allow evaporation as much of that moisture. But I am definitely no expert! Just an opinion :)
 
Ah, 2' slope? Yah, everything they have to do to level that area for a pool they're going to have to do for a concrete pad, including the retaining wall. In fact, I think the prep for concrete is even more involved. So it's going to be at least $2K just for all that, then the cost of 6" of concrete on top of that. I would not be surprised if your concrete contractor comes back with five figures. But I'll cross the ol' fingers for ya!
 
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So what’s the purpose of the area ? Just the pool or multi-use ? If you were looking to kill two birds with one stone and have a Basketball court in the off season, it might be worth it to some. For the just the pool crowd it would be way too much.
 
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Newdude said:
So what’s the purpose of the area ? Just the pool or multi-use ? If you were looking to kill two birds with one stone and have a Basketball court in the off season, it might be worth it to some. For the just the pool crowd it would be way too much.
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It's just for the pool which I plan to put decking around so I wanted something sturdy just to keep year round for several years. We will see.
 
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UPDATE:

I just had a guy come take a look and do some measurements etc and he was able to provide me with 3 quotes based on a few options..

Quote 1 is for digging down level and to compact and level the ground with added material to compact it level. - $1,500

Quote 2 is for digging the ground down and adding a concrete pad (4.5" thick) with mesh and rebar for strength and making it all level. - $4,000

Quote 3 is to dig down into the ground several feet, and provide cinderblock walls all around the pool, add a drainage pipe with sumb pump and providing a capping around the pool area and possibly a ground level deck/patio around it -$16,000

I'm curious about thoughts and opinions on any of these options. I'm am okay with the prices relative to the work for each option, but what do you guys think? My wife is leaning towards the in ground sunken option surprisingly.
 
A lot of what I would recommend also depends on how long you plan to stay in the house. If you think you will move within 5 years then I would go for option 1 or 2. Option 3 sounds really nice but if you decide you don't like the pool or the pool rusts out it doesn't leave you much option for pool replacement.
 
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Quote 1. Would hate to see you get stuck with a concrete pad and decide later that you don’t want.
 
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I decided to do option 1 but the guys kind of messed me up a little. They leveled out the area but they dug out the grass but built it up instead of down!! Now I have to get a retaining wall in and the cheapest option is to use lumber vs cinderblocks but the lumber will last probably 10 years he says.. either way I'm not happy about that and I will negotiate the price down if possible. They are coming back in 2 days to put in the retaining wall. I'll add pictures then. Thanks everyone for your suggestions
 

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