What to backfill with?

[Haulinbass02]

We are having a new pool Installed in a hole I had dug last year.....it will be 20ish inches deep. The pool bottom is down to the clay layer. There is roughly 18” of sandy loam on top of the clay in my yard.
I was going to backfill with gravel and a custom drain to prevent any ponding around the pool below ground. I then began reading in earnest and it seems that gravel is not a proper backfill for an AGP installed below grade. I’m not even sure now if I even need to make a French drain around the pool.
I’m thinking now that I will backfill with select fill to within 1-2” of grade (I already used the old dirt to level lots of areas on the property). Then I can put in a 4” layer of gravel around the perimeter within a landscape rock border to keep the splash over (you don’t know my kids) from creating a muddy mess around the pool. I might do a small drain within that gravel border.
Thoughts?

 

[ajw22]

I am not sue what you are doing but an AGP footers need to be placed on undisturbed ground. Any filled ground will settle from the weight of the water and the pool will get off level.

Then you can backfill around the pool. But if the pool is not rated for burial any fill ont he sides of the pool will likely accelerate rusting.

 

[Haulinbass02]

The pool is rated for up to 24”. The ground that I have dug down to is Undisturbed clay. It has been that way for a year and has packed down and settled in so it is good and hard. My main concern is what should I backfill around the pool with. I’m looking into a slurry as my ground is normally sandy loam and not all that stable.

 

[ajw22]

Why a slurry?

 

[Haulinbass02]

Ive read that the slurry will support itself for the most part when it comes time to replace the liner.

 

[scout123]

The couple of semi inground pools I looked at call for a clean, compacted, granular material for backfill. It's suggested you shape a 4" cove so that water flows away from pool wall. I think I saw some doughboys that call for a slurry mix. I think the key is something that will compact and hold shape for future liner changes. You also don't want water to accumulate against the pool.

 

[Haulinbass02]

This is what is a little concerning to me. Since mine is in a hole, I’m wondering if a complete French drain type thing is necessary all the way around it? Or if I build a slurry cove around it then backfill with select fill mixed with decomposed granite or gravel?