Concrete decking around new skimmers

[champishair]

Hello all, I am hoping to get some advice on how to properly set the concrete decking around some new skimmers I had installed.

Background: this is a older (1970's est) in-ground concrete sylvan pool that we have been restoring throughout 2020. While contractor was redoing the old cracked/settled concrete decking, the skimmers we damaged. Skimmers have now been replaced and I am waiting on our concrete contractor to come back to pour the remaining slabs that will surround the 2 skimmers. These slabs will be approximately 5ft x 3ft (3ft back from coping).

Questions:
How is concrete decking typically set around the skimmer sleeves/lid?
Should an expansion joint be added directly around the skimmer body to account for possible shifts in the slab?
I've also seen diagrams of the skimmer boxed in concrete separate from the slab, but not sure this is necessary given the size of the slab surrounding my skimmers. Thanks for any advice.

 

[ajw22]

You want to leave an expansion joint around the skimmer. The skimmer is part of the pool structure and should be able to move independently from your deck. The skimmer being boxed in concrete separate from the slab accomplishes the same thing. You don't want the skimmer structurally connected to the deck.

 

[champishair]

You want to leave an expansion joint around the skimmer. The skimmer is part of the pool structure and should be able to move independently from your deck. The skimmer being boxed in concrete separate from the slab accomplishes the same thing. You don't want the skimmer structurally connected to the deck.

Thank you! Assuming the expansion joint around skimmer is the same process/method as where the deck meets the coping.
What about the throat of the skimmer (channel between skimmer body and pool)? Should a barrier be used to prevent direct contact between this component and the concrete slab/deck?

 

[ajw22]

The throat of the skimmer connects to your coping. Or do you have cantilevered decking?

Show me pics of what you are doing.

Expansion Joints and Coping - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[champishair]

The skimmer throats connects to and runs underneath the coping, leaving an inch or two space between the skimmer lid and coping where the throat is exposed. Here is a pic:

 

[ajw22]

The concept is the pool, coping, bond beam and skimmer are all one structure and should be able to move independently of your deck. You don't want the concrete deck touching any part of the pool structure.

It looks like you have the skimmer encapsulated in concrete. I bordered that in blue in the pic below. That becomes part of the pool structure. You don't want to connect your concrete deck to it. You need to put some roofing paper on it so you create a slip joint between the concrete.

Same with those edges I put red lines on. Are they part of the bond beam and pool? If so you don't want the concrete deck up against it.

Circle the skimmer with an expansion joint as indicated by the yellow line. If you have a gap by the skimmer throat fill it with some concrete but it is part of the pool structure and should have expansion joints separating it from the deck concrete.

@jimmythegreek @bdavis466 thoughts?