I am installing a 15x26 oval above ground buttress free pool. The pool will be in the ground about 2ft. The instructions are saying to use 2 inch thick patio blocks under all the supports. Is that enough for the side supports? Would cinder blocks backfilled with concrete be better? I'm worried about the supports shifting when I fill the pool. I've seen some oval pools where the walls aren't completely straight and don't want that to happen.
Oval pool buttress support
- Thread starter ratherbgolfing
- Start date
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,028
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
Welcome to TFP 
From lowes they have a 4 x 8 x 16 block that will be much better and at $1.88 worth every penny
They should not shift and if they do it will have plenty of room..
From lowes they have a 4 x 8 x 16 block that will be much better and at $1.88 worth every penny
They should not shift and if they do it will have plenty of room..
I agree to use the larger 4x8 blocks. The pool shouldn’t shift as you are filling it. By the time the water is put in, you will have the bottom track with wall inserted, uprights with strapping & plates, middle filled with sand. The bottom section should be pretty rigid to not slip off the blocks.
4 inch blocks sound better. I'll be using those. Excavating should be starting in a week or so. I'm sure I'll have more questions. Thanks for the replies.
Another thing I noticed in the diagram instructions is that the bottom track pieces in between the straight sides look slight curved. Is that right or does it just look like that in the diagram?
The “straight” sections are slightly curved. That’s to match the tendency of the wall to bend with the water pressure.
You’ll notice it after the pool is installed but it just is the way it is on an oval pool.
Make sure when you put the sand over the straps and plates that you can fill in around the straps. Some of my sand settled under the strapping under my pool and I could feel the strapping under the liner with divots.
You’ll notice it after the pool is installed but it just is the way it is on an oval pool.
Make sure when you put the sand over the straps and plates that you can fill in around the straps. Some of my sand settled under the strapping under my pool and I could feel the strapping under the liner with divots.
Last edited:
hwy17
Well-known member
"When I explain that the blocks under the track have no structural value, some homeowners look at me sideways and don’t believe or agree with me on this. If you work in computer science or are an engineer of some kind, chances are you won’t agree with me as these two professions must attract the overly intellectually arrogant. In this case, it doesn’t matter if you are wrong, as it won’t hurt anything to overbuild. You can spend your whole week digging and leveling giant unnecessary pieces of concrete materials. I’m sure your body needs the exertion and your soul will enjoy being outside for a change. Certainly there is value in everything we do."
www.inyopools.com
I gotta agree with Dan Dougher on this one. There is absolutely no benefit to using 4" thick blocks over 2". The blocks do not serve any special structural function, the wall MUST rest evenly supported around it's entire perimiter, if the blocks were somehow providing some special greater structural support than the ground in between them what you'd get is a crumpled wall and in fact this is a common problem, look at any DIY AGP and you will likely see slight buckling around at least one of the blocks because the ground around it settled. They are only a helpful guide for alignment and leveling of the track, as well a keeping the bottom caps neat and level.
What to Use for Leveling an Above Ground Pool - INYOPools.com - DIY Resources
Leveling an Above Ground Pool
www.inyopools.com
I gotta agree with Dan Dougher on this one. There is absolutely no benefit to using 4" thick blocks over 2". The blocks do not serve any special structural function, the wall MUST rest evenly supported around it's entire perimiter, if the blocks were somehow providing some special greater structural support than the ground in between them what you'd get is a crumpled wall and in fact this is a common problem, look at any DIY AGP and you will likely see slight buckling around at least one of the blocks because the ground around it settled. They are only a helpful guide for alignment and leveling of the track, as well a keeping the bottom caps neat and level.
Great info"When I explain that the blocks under the track have no structural value, some homeowners look at me sideways and don’t believe or agree with me on this. If you work in computer science or are an engineer of some kind, chances are you won’t agree with me as these two professions must attract the overly intellectually arrogant. In this case, it doesn’t matter if you are wrong, as it won’t hurt anything to overbuild. You can spend your whole week digging and leveling giant unnecessary pieces of concrete materials. I’m sure your body needs the exertion and your soul will enjoy being outside for a change. Certainly there is value in everything we do."
What to Use for Leveling an Above Ground Pool - INYOPools.com - DIY Resources
Leveling an Above Ground Pool
I gotta agree with Dan Dougher on this one. There is absolutely no benefit to using 4" thick blocks over 2". The blocks do not serve any special structural function, the wall MUST rest evenly supported around it's entire perimiter, if the blocks were somehow providing some special greater structural support than the ground in between them what you'd get is a crumpled wall and in fact this is a common problem, look at any DIY AGP and you will likely see slight buckling around at least one of the blocks because the ground around it settled. They are only a helpful guide for alignment and leveling of the track, as well a keeping the bottom caps neat and level.
hwy17
Well-known member
Yeah I recommend reading all of Dan Dougher's posts on AGP building, he's a true guru and I found them very helpful when building my own. (for the record, yes even my pool has very slight buckling around some of the blocks)
Personally I decided with the 2inch; my reason was that it would be a pain to dig and level a 4 inch block. I do think 4 inch is the safer bet. When you get to the wall install section...MAKE SURE there is NO DEBRIS or whatever in your bottom tracks and your sand is compacted/wet. i'm currently in the process of re-doing my pool wall/base due to sand slipping into my bottom track as I was installing the liner (Sand acts like water).
Selenap
Well-known member
I have a 21’x43’ buttress free pool. I used patio pavers 12x12x2”on the end of the braces and under each curve post.That’s it. My pool hasn’t budged in 5 years. It’s the straps that cross that need the most attention, other than the leveling. Make sure you cover them, and when you think you have them covered enough, cover more. The pool will expand out as its filling, than as it’s over halfway, retract back in. It’s not much, maybe an inch but those straps will move. Since there is no give in the straps, they pop up. I used a sand base plus foam board on the bottom.