BTW, my pre-cast coping is very similar to what you show in the diagram. The pavers are the deck.
Yes, clear compressible space. If the pavers really are buckling then that's not a good thing because that can end up knocking your coping loose or damaging the pool shellThe distance varies from zero to a half inch. The pavers are a couple of inches thick so the dirt is against the bond beam. The stone dust hardens like mortar and the pavers have a slight hump like they are starting to buckle. Should the expansion joint be completely free all the way down to the bond beam?
No as long as it's below the copingDoes the soil beneath the pavers need to clear also?
So, I should remove the stone dust, cut the pavers to allow a 1/4" to 3/8" gap from the coping and fill the gap with a flexible sealant that is not silicone based?