How to install retaining wall and drainage around pool?

[Eaglei22]

Have a 24ft by 52inch Bestway pool. What is the best way to install the retaining wall and handle drainage.

-How far should wall be from pool?

-Should I build up a ledge at low end? If I do, what material should I back fill with if I already dug out area?

- I see a french drain should go behind wall and back filled with gravel. What about in front of wall between pool? Should i dig a small trench that pitches away from pool?

- I would rather get ground as close to pool as possible, any suggestions? Since these are soft shell pools, it seems like a retaining wall is the only option. I just worry about someone falling into this area, but don't like the idea of an obnoxious fence as its right by patio.

The highest depth of dig is about 2.4ft

Also, if I put gravel as base to bring up height of pool a little, can i use a hand tamper? Or do i need a machine to pack it all down. Do you usually tamp a little each time? Or fill to height, level, and tamp at once.

Picture of site:

ImageShack - 20170423_150200.jpg

Thanks!

 

[gwegan]

I would suggest about a foot away. These pools move around a bit. You could cantilever a deck to the edge to avoid the dreaded "crack".

Don't install on fill. These pools are extremely heavy, a 15' diameter pool will weigh about 45,000lbs when full with a bearing pressure of 255 pounds per square foot. Your pool will weigh more.

On the downhill side don't fill within a foot of the pool structure.

 

[Eaglei22]

So even if i compact the gravel you don't think it will hold up? Also what do you mean don't fill within a foot of pool on downhill.
Thanks!

 

[gwegan]

One -- you don't want to fill under these pools. I have strong doubts that it will hold up. If you had a soils engineer telling how to do it I would say otherwise. And I would not use imported gravel -- maybe "road base" and use a mechanical compacter with terraced 4 or 5 inch lifts.

You don't want your platform eroding away in the rain. So keep the pool at least a foot onto excavated soil. Keeping sloped fill from eroding with certain soil types is very difficult.