Latest articles about Construction
Finalizing the excavation
With several backbreaking days of pick and shovel work behind me, I think I can finally call the excavation complete. Things went mostly according to plan, with the exception of a possible miscalculation of the pool wall to wall width…
Swimming pool construction project
Collapse!
It was always likely that the unpropped excavated wall at the rear of the pool deck would collapse if it got significantly wet.
Swimming pool construction project
Excavation (mostly) complete!
Mostly. There is still plenty of shovel work remaining to get the footing trenches exact, and there’s a substantial amount of manual digging to do in the areas pipes were discovered during the dig, but the rough (read machine) excavation is complete.
Swimming pool construction project
Digging time!
I’ve just completed two full days excavating and the site is taking shape.
1.7 tonne excavator
Removing the existing vegetation prior to full excavation.
Swimming pool construction project
Excavation preparations
Alrighty, it’s excavation time. To prepare for the dig I made the dig plan below:
Dig plan showing the elevation of each area to be excavated
Swimming pool construction project
Demolition
Before we can begin building the pool, a certain amount of destruction is required. Specifically, we need to:
Demolish the red brick paving above the pool area.
Swimming pool construction project
Choosing a pool shell
Fiberglass pool shells come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but are broadly similar in their construction. They generally consist of a number of layers of fiberglass and other materials and a final “gelcoat” finishing layer that is the finished surface of the pool.
Swimming pool construction project
Detailed design
Fiberglass pool or concrete pool? Concrete pools are built directly in the ground onsite. Concrete (or more often shotcrete) is set on a framework of steel reinforcement and then plastered or tiled.
Swimming pool construction project
Testing the limits of online self-education
So I’m building a pool. More precisely, I’m building a pool, a deck, supporting retaining walls, storage cupboards, privacy shield, garden beds, and lighting,
Swimming pool construction project