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Forums > Green Building Technologies > Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) > Subject: Swimming pool walls out of ICFs

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carolinaicfUser is Offline
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09/04/2007 12:14 AM  
Has anyone any exeperience with this.
Cattail BillUser is Offline
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09/05/2007 10:05 PM  
I am doing my second one the first was below ground and was square piece of cake.

Now I am doing the Honey do one and it is above ground This one will only be 4' deep as we have young grandchildren if it works well when they are teens I will start the indoor below grade one.

This pool is 24' X 24' with a 10' radius at the entry and a 45 at the opposite corner where the heater, pump and filter sit. I am putting #5 sch60 in it at 16" intervals horizontal and verticle. I will be using a 3500lb mix with 3/4" aggregate at a 5" slump, there will be a top cap that extends beyond the edges of the ICF 1" on the inside and 6" on the outside. We will be using a dry stack stone on the outside and a spray on pool liner from the company that I get my stucco product from for the inside.

We will be pouring this on Friday if the weather permits, I will let you all know how it goes when it is done.
drogersUser is Offline
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09/05/2007 11:10 PM  
Do you pour the floor and walls at the same time? Or do you handle the intersection of the wall and floor in some other way to make it water-tight?
vermarajUser is Offline
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09/06/2007 7:59 AM  
Are you making a compound radius with icf (i.e. making a bowl)?
slenzenUser is Offline
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09/06/2007 1:46 PM  
Here are some insulated pool kits w/ radius walls.

Cattail BillUser is Offline
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09/06/2007 5:56 PM  
The slab is already down from the old hard side pool so we are building off of that for this one. The curved wall will be vertically plumb, but know you have me thinking no I will stay vertical with this one, almost hurt my self on that one but it will give me the time to think about that procedure for the indoor one.

We will be placing a rubber glued down cove type molding at the bottom edge and then putting the spray on liner over that. The inside of the pool will all be sealed with the liner system.

It is pouring as I write this so I guess the pour is put of till Monday at this point.
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09/07/2007 6:38 AM  
I was thinking about a townhome design utilizing ICFs and creating a pool between the structures. Any comments?

Is the idea of using ICFs for pools to cut costs? provide insulation value? or reduce labor? I am curious how the math works out for this.
Cattail BillUser is Offline
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09/08/2007 11:49 AM  
I am keeping exact cost of the pool that I am building this time out of ICF so I will comment when it is done.

I do know that we are figuring another one for below grade that one of our customers wants they have been quoted $42500 for this pool we looked at the cost of material by rthe numbers but have not yet looked at the total cost just in materials we will be looking at $8750 we will still have to get excavating and labor on that but I am fairly confident that it will be at least 1/2 of the cost that he was quoted for a pool company to do it.

This may very well be because at this time they have the market cornered and can charge what ever they want or perhaps we will find out when we are done that it really takes this much to build a pool, be pateint and I will get the answer for you.
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09/17/2007 8:42 PM  

Jamie I have been trying to send the photos of the pool project but can not seem to get them to paste when I copy them.

I have the snap fire system but it is new so I have not figured it all out yet.

Dang the computer is smarter than the idiot behind the key board again!!!

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09/18/2007 10:50 AM  

Cattail Bill,

If the picture are in your camera, you have to transfer the picture files to your computer. Read the camera’s manual for troubleshooting.  If the picture is on a web page, you can right click the image and choose "save as".  Once you know where your picture files are, you have to make sure it's no more than 100KB.  You can use photo editing software like GIMP to resize images (usually some image software is included with digital cameras). Please let me know if you have any trouble.

Thanks,
Jamie Pero
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10/06/2007 11:03 AM  
I am investigating inground pools for a spring build. I've been quoted by pool contractors for an inground concrete pool will be 80-100k. ouch!! Looking at alternatives and subbing out myself. Looking to do a rectangular or L shape sports pool at 4-5 ft consistent depth.

Came across the Q&A below on the web. Can anyone address the torsional and shear stability he is talking about? Is he thinking there is no rebar in the forms?

*****************************************

Question
Hello,
I didn't know how else to contact you but I am working on an article about ICF swimming pools for Permanent Buildings & Foundations magazine. I have had a hard time finding a pool expert who uses ICF construction. I would love to talk with you about your experience.
Please contact me and we could possibly coordinate a time to talk.
Thank you.
Melissa

Get the answer below
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Answer
I'm sorry, but you will have to take it a couple of notches higher than a lowly pool guy to get some buy-in for ICFs used in the construction of pools.

First of all, ICFs probably will never have the torsional and shear stability needed for pool walls; there is just too much weight and too much hydraulic pressure for ICF's to be effective. (For example, the average pool weighs 28 times more than a housing structure of similar dimensions!)

They are reasonably effective when used as "building" building materials, but are (in my opinion) unsuitable for pool construction when they are the only structural element in the pool wall.

I would try to find a structural engineer with a hydraulics background and see what he says.
Cattail BillUser is Offline
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10/06/2007 12:05 PM  
Melissa
Cattail bill my contact is 218-205-1039

Based on recent comments I am confused by what is being said from what I have seen of pool construction below grade they are very similar to icf or poured wall construction. what I am attempting has not been done to my knowledge but it still has the capability of holding the hydrostatic pressures very well as long as it is properly rebared.

I wonder if once again the pool guys have had such a gravy run that they do not want to use a product that may reduce the cost of pools substantially and cut what they can make for profits.

I do not claim to be an expert ever but at least I will use the gift of common sense that God gave me to analyze and try new things, after all where would we be if Henery Ford had listen to the idiots that said it can't be done.

In our office at our Metal manufacturing company we have had a sign up for 40 years that says (I am not interested in why it can not be done I am interested in how we are going to doit). It is that attitude that will send a man to the moon and beyond not the it can't be done attitude.
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10/06/2007 12:43 PM  
I have been pouring cip walls for many years now and have formed a few pools with no issues or call backs. Also the ICF company I represent has someone using our forms for doing pools...fyi why not? if you can engineer it, we can pour it.
slenzenUser is Offline
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10/06/2007 6:45 PM  
Insulated Pool Kits (link)

Insulated Pool Kits photos
JellyUser is Offline
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06/07/2008 4:16 AM  
Cattail Bill, how did your pool project turn out? Do you have pics you can share? How did the costs look in the end?
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06/07/2008 8:41 AM  
We did not get the liner in last fall due to the weather,early snow. Now that spring has finally made it to this part of the country (snow in May )it has rained every time I have the time to get the liner in so needless to say it is not finished yet and my honey is getting mad.

The pool filled with snow over the winter and the grandchildren thought it was great. We did not leave the drain open last fall so we had a full pool (with out a liner in it)this spring when it all melted, it took another two weeks for the drain valve to thaw enough so I could open it. Now I know it will hold water even with out a liner and that makes me happy.

I am still trying to figure out how to send the pic's apparently the film disk in my camera will not allow the resolution to go low enough for this web site but I could attach them to a e-mail for those who would like to see the project so far.


We have all of the material here to finish this project and I anticipate the final cost on this to be in the $12,000 range or lower, that would include the pump, heater, and filter. That number also includes my best guess on labor now that I know how to do things, if I put my actual labor including the pondering time it would probably be another $8000.
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06/07/2008 1:42 PM  
Cattail Bill,

Those costs sound much much better than what the pool contractors (pool sharks?) are quoting. I'm sending you a private message with my email for the pics, let me know here if you don't get it.
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06/09/2008 8:33 PM  
My neighborhood is refurbishing our pool, shell is intact. New boulder retaining wall, concrete deck, landscaping, pool plumbing and small bathroom/equipment room $250,000 !!

I am planning a pool on a new home build in MN and looking for alternatives. I got a quote of 35-50000 for a basic 20x40 vinyl liner and 70,000 to 100,000 for gunite pool.

I can't believe these pool contractors aren't selling insulated pools especially w/ the ICF knowledge out there now. Maybe they don't care in order to sell you additional heating equipment and solar pads. Seems like a great opportunity there.
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