swimming pool wall design
swimming pool wall design
(OP)
thread255-102015: Difference between restrained and unrestrained walls Looking for guidance on design of shotcrete walls for swimming pools. Any references recommended? Also, it appears that the pool base is used to stabilize the overturnming moment from the walls. what effective length of the base is commonly used?





RE: swimming pool wall design
RE: swimming pool wall design
Their philosophy is that the pool wall forces (earth from the outside competing with the water on the inside) cancel each other out to a general degree such that the wall doesn't do much structurally.
What they don't take into account is that in some climates, pools must be emptied for winter. In warmer climates pools are emptied for maintenance, painting, etc.
The empty pool will have some level of lateral earth pressure develop on the wall. Depending on the backfill this pressure can develop rather quickly, or slowly.
Freezing of the backfill, if moist, can cause lateral displacements on the walls as well.
So that brings up the opposite philosophy of pool wall design: designing for all potential load combinations and earth pressures with empty pool conditions. You end up with thicker walls, but a more stable system. I just assisted a contractor who was widening some drain screens in a pool wall that was at least 18" thick for a 4 ft. depth.
RE: swimming pool wall design
Also, thanks for the comments on earth pressures. I do plan to design for the empty pool load case.
RE: swimming pool wall design
I have seen folks (Pool Engineering in Anaheim, CA) do some FEM analysis to account for the curved structure. But, most pools would not justify the extra engineering expense associated with this type of analysis.
RE: swimming pool wall design
Take a look at this link with standard plans.
http://www.pooleng.com/ca-27.aspx
RE: swimming pool wall design
www.PeirceEngineering.com