Loose foam base?

[88skisupreme]

Had an AGP installed about 5 years ago, I am removing it now. Got it from A-Tex pools had it installed by the team that they use. The base is like a whitet, lose foam, sand mix or something. It feels lighter and softer than sand, but not as light as styrofoam.
Does anyone know what this is? Should I just put dirt and sod over it? or mix it with dirt? remvoe it all together?
Here are a couple pics, as you can see the live oak tree roots were attempting to grow between the liner and the base.

 

[BB_Mike]

How do you know for sure it is not just all sand? One test could be to scoop some into a cup of tap water and see what floats. It might be sand mixed with lime.

 

[88skisupreme]

put some in a glass, some of it floated up, some dissolved and turned the water white, some sunk. I can't wait to call them tomorrow and ask what the heck they put in my yard....

 

[VinnyinNJ]

Although my pool is on 100% mason sand (or at least that's what I ordered) I have heard of using a certain type of crushed rock and also vermiculite on the bottom of a pool. Vermiculite floats so maybe ...

 

[88skisupreme]

I Just talked to a pool installer, its called Harbolite. He says its safe to install dirt/sod over it. It seems to be holding water where it was packed down with the pool so I'm going to rake it up first, and add dirt

 

[phonedave]

Harbolite is perlite.

You ever buy potting soil and see those little white squishy pellets in it? That is perlite.

Perlite (and Vermiculite) are soil conditioners and help to retain moisture. I grew up next to a greenhouse, and sometimes would help out there. They used to get in bales of perlite, vermiculite, peat moss, and bulk topsoil and blend it all together in an old cement mixer to make potting soil.