First Pool Build - Indiana! Thanks TFP!!

[DrewStanley]

Hey there!

After shopping around for pool builders and them being booked out for 2021 (and some for 2022), I decided to try to tackle this on my own. I've been researching since Nov. and my research always brings me to TFP!! Thank you so much for the knowledge so far! Here we go!!

Went with a 16X32 steel wall vinyl liner from Pool Warehouse. Flat bottom, but a 1'6" cove to help get the pool a bit deeper (42" panels). It's been a bit of a struggle getting all my damaged/missing pieces replaced, but I'm hoping to have them all in the next couple weeks. Make sure you really inventory everything!

Very early stages here. I had to have my fuse panel upgraded and a new panel installed at pool site. Also had gas ran for natural gas heater. Contracted out the dig as well and that's where my problems have started. There are sections that are over-dug on the shelf (uh oh!!). After getting the tanning ledge and stairs completely built out, I found a brick at the base of the stairs. Tried pulling it up and found a BUNCH of bricks/debris directly under the steps!! :\ We also appear to be just over the water table. I'll start with 3 questions:

1.) There is only 1 major place where it is over-dug. You can see I had to stack 3 blocks to bring it up to level. My question is, do I attempt to bring it back up to grade with stone first, or go ahead and put the panels up, bolt, level and plumb, then backfill/tamp with gravel?

2.) No idea what to do here! I'm not sure how far down the bricks go, but since it's bricks, there are voids in the ground. I'm concerned there could be a sink hole in the future once the water is in. I thought about pulling some out (at least a foot), then pouring a watered down concrete in there to help fill any voids. Thoughts?

3.) For the ground water, I was going to over-dig about an extra 6", then bring in gravel. Any suggestions on gravel (8's, 34, 78, I've read so many options! HA!).

No idea what to do for the cove at the bottom. Sounds tricky to try to pack gravel in at an angle and with the rains, I'm terrified it's going to wash out underneath and leave me with panels sliding down and getting bent up in the process. Trying to hurry and get the concrete footer poured! And yes, I know my wall isn't straight. Got caught in a storm trying to put the panels up.

Appreciate all the help up to this point and looking forward to some responses!

Thanks!

Newby Drew!

 

[Newdude]

That looks eerily similar to the abandoned dry well my excavator guy found in my build. He pulverized it and filled it in as it was outside of the pool itself. The first time I walked over that area in the spring, the patio caved in about 2 ft deep and 5 ft wide.

I would make darn sure it’s just bricks and not a hollow structure of some kind.

keep us posted !!

 

[DrewStanley]

I sure hope not! The house was built in 2002 and this about 12' away from the house and about 43" below the topsoil. I've also found nails and alcohol bottles under there. :\ Almost as if they just threw all their extra trash in the yard, before grading over everything. I'll start to dig it up and see where it gets me.

 

[Newdude]

Weird. They'd have no business digging 12 foot away from the foundation at the build. That's the perfect spot out back for a cesspool, but those haven't been brick since the 70s.

One things for sure. You absolutely cannot have any settling of that wall after the fact. Here was one from last season Skimmer sinking. Neighbors retaining wall fell.

@jimmythegreek thoughts ?

 

[jimmythegreek]

I would just pull everything out of there. If you have groundwater make provisions now for a de watering system. A sump pit next to the pool is a minimum, a collar drain is ideal. If you can gravity dump the water even better.
Coves are a pain, I shy away from them. A wedge bottom is much simpler for a DIY. If you have weak soil your gonna have to pour the collar then go back in by hand and dig out the cove angle unless you can get am excavator with expert skills to work it. It's hard as your operating blind behind a wall
If you stone fill the void you must compact it well. I see a hand tamper in your pic, honestly I wouldn't trust any compaction to that, mechanical compaction is a must, otherwise fill with concrete from collar

 

[DrewStanley]

Oh man. . . Well, I'd rather it be done right, than to fail in the future. The article post Newdude shared does NOT look fun! I'll start pulling the brick out today and let you guys know what I find. I'm afraid I'll have to pull everything back out and start over. :\
I'm familiar with a sump pit and was going to go in that direction. Have any extra info on collar drain or gravity dump? Not finding much.

The cove angel is already dug (pretty rough). I'm assuming I'll probably use a LOT of extra pool base to get the coves just right when I put the floor in. Attached is our pool design. Too late to change now.

I have a plate compactor and will use it when necessary (like on the bottom after I gravel it). I was actually thinking about just filling the voids with concrete when I pour the collar. I can stake up some frames inside the pool, which will allow the voids to be filled when pouring the concrete.

 

[Newdude]

The article post Newdude shared does NOT look fun

It did not happen overnight and it took time. But that doesn’t make it any more fun down the road. I have a buddy with the same problem. One corner is down considerably. Whether it was a void or a decaying tree stump that took years........ it’s a miserably expensive fix now.

I'm afraid I'll have to pull everything back out and start over. :

As much as it sucks now....... it will be 10 fold later. That of course doesn’t make it suck any less now tho.

 

[DrewStanley]

Alright. . . unfortunately I had to remove what I had built so far. Crazy what a brick can cause.

I pulled about 5 wheelbarrows out of it when I started to dig in. It's mostly red brick (I'm assuming dumped when the house was built). It just keeps going and going and going. I'm going to get my excavation company back out here to dig it out. I still have NO idea how far it goes down. So bizarre!

Since I'll be digging below where the pool panels are going to sit, is there a max depth you would dig to? I was thinking if I was 2 ft. deep and backfilled all that with gravel, would that be OK?

I'm also a bit concerned about the rest of the pool and how the panels are going to sit. Would it be crazy to build a solid perimeter with cinderblock, leveled out to put the panels on?

 

[jimmythegreek]

Is it all brick remnants amd no other trash? How long had this earth sat undisturbed before this?

 

[DrewStanley]

Is it all brick remnants amd no other trash? How long had this earth sat undisturbed before this?

Found a few nails, wire and a piece of string. mostly just all brick though. I’m “guessing” it’s been there since it was built in 2002.

 

[jimmythegreek]

If your confident it's all masonry amd its been there 20yrs you could leave it. I personally would pull it all out but I have equipment on site amd it's simple for us. Masonry wont decay amd cause voids, only organics will