International Swimming Pool Designer and Builder

Swimming Pool Design and Construction Plans - What needs to be included in a BASIC set of plans?

Minimum Inclusions:
Scaled Site Plan 
Erosion Control Plan (Storm, Waste Water and Run-off Control Plan - Federal Requirements: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/const.cfm )
Grading Plan
Drainage Plan
Soils Report
Structural Engineering
Soils Engineer Approval Letter (review of structural engineering)
Project Layout
Project Cross Sections  (depths, stairs, ramps, etc).
Plumbing Schematics 
Hydraulic Calculations (line sizes, velocities & flow rates) 
Equipment Model and Part Numbers
Lighting Schematics
High Voltage Electrical Schematics (site & equipment pad)
Low Voltage Electrical Schematics (data, automation, temperature sensors, etc). 
Spa Seating Elevations & Jets Layout/Elevations
Design Details (plan & section views)
Equipment Pad/Room Layout (to scale)
Equipment Room Electrical (high & low voltage)
Materials List (major components)
Construction Specifications
Applicable Codes and Standards

Optional:
Finish Materials (Stone, tile, plaster, stucco, wood, etc.)
Materials Specifications
Installation Mock-ups & Samples
Installation Procedures
Workmanship Standards
Shop Drawings for Custom Fabricated Components
Gray Water Storage and Recycling

Gone are the days when a pool could be built with 2 pages of plans - a site plan and one page of generic mail-order structural engineering. 

Paolo Benedetti 
Aquatic Artist, Watershape Consultant, Expert Witness 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa 
©www.aquatictechnology.com

Famous Swimming Pools Designer Consultant

 10 Common Mistakes when designing a swimming pool

1.  Short Term Savings, Long Term Loss

To save a few dollars on the bottom line, pool designers do not specify a "dedicated pump for a dedicated purpose."  In other words, they over size the main filter pump so that they can power more options.

By operating an over sized filter pump, more electricity is consumed than is actually needed for merely filtering the pool.  The excess line velocity through the plumbing damages heaters, salt chlorine cells and other apparatus.

Multiple skimmers also result in a cleaner pool.  The fact is, there are more inlets for the debris to be collected.  An over sized filter can (depending on the type) result in fewer cleanings and reduce the maintenance costs.  An automated chemical delivery system can keep the water chemistry perfectly balanced - the pool is always ready for use.

2.  Not Specifying Color Coordinated Fittings

It is simple to specify fittings to match the finish color of the pool.  Many manufacturers make eyeball fittings, main drains, channel drains and skimmers in a multitude of colors.

There is SOMETHING out there that will blend in with your project.  It is not "WHITE OR NOTHING," that is pure laziness on the part of the builder.

3.  Not installing an auto-fill or over-flow line

Face it, people are busy.  Attending to the water level in the pool is the last thing on their mind.

Low water levels result in pump damage or in the case of VFD pumps - self protection shut-down.  Imagine your pool without filtration in the heat of the summer!

During the winter months rain can quickly cause the water level to flood skimmers, rendering them ineffective.  Debris from winter storms and winds will sink to the bottom.  High water levels can also damage copings and mortar beds.

4.  Failing to install a pressure side cleaner line

Even though a client may not desire a pressure side cleaner, the plumbing line and booster pump should be installed for the service company.  A cleaner booster pump combined with a "leaf bagger" cleaner will accelerate the clean up of bulk debris from the floor of the pool after winter storms.  Garden hose pressure is insufficient to properly and effectively power a bag leafer.

5.  Failing to install a dedicated vacuum line on a detached spa 

If the spa is not attached to the pool or is more than 30 feet away from the closest skimmer, then a dedicated vacuum line is needed.  This is much like a "central vacuum" port that allows for the simple collection of sand and silt from the bottom of the spa.

6.  Not installing automated controls on a pool / spa combination

It is simply foolish not to install even a simple automation system on a pool & spa that share a common filtration and heating system (e.g. spill over spa).

Automation allows the owner to activate the heater, check the temperature and turn the valves in the proper sequence - all from within the house.

Failing to cool the heater down before turning off the filter pump can damage the heater.  Sequencing the valves in the wrong order  
can drain the spa, dead-head the pump or cause the pump to run dry.  Many people are confused by the valve's proper positioning and sequencing and end up damaging their systems.

Automation has become affordable, so the point of being a necessity on every pool and spa combinations.

7.  Failing to install adequate deck drainage

Allowing the decks to drain off into the planters merely allows the water to seep back under the decks and percolate into the sand/rock under the concrete.

This can cause corrosion issues with the pool reinforcement steel, cracking of the pool from saturated soil surcharges, or deck heaving or settlement.  It can also create efflorescence issues with the pool deck, coping and tile.  On sloping lots, this run-off can even undermine a slope, cause mudslides or the pool to slip down the incline.

It is best to collect the surface water and direct to an appropriate discharge point away from the pool.

8. Allowing a "Pool Salesman" to specify the project

A pool salesman works on commission.  Your interests are not his.  His job is to sell you as much as possible for the highest possible price.

Few salesmen have the requisite training to specify the correct plumbing and pump sizes or to calculate proper system hydraulics.

9.  Installing a single light in the deep end

Installing a single twelve inch round cheap looking motel light in the deep end is the silliest thing you can possibly do.

Installing a few more smaller sized lights on the wall facing away from the house (or vantage point) will result in a pool that is more evenly lit.  It will also mean that you're not looking directly into a truck headlamp whenever the lights are on.
 
10.  Hiring the Lowest Bidder

For some reason, consumers have been led to believe that they need to collect 3 bids and then select the lowest one.  In today's economic climate, you simply will not get the best possible project for the least amount of money.

The best for the least?  Come on - that's common sense.  But millions believe this to be true. 

REMEMBER - You get what you pay for! 
 
Paolo Benedetti - Aquatic Artist 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa 
©www.aquatictechnology.com

Paolo Benedetti 
Aquatic Artist, Watershape Consultant, Expert Witness 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa 
©www.aquatictechnology.com

International Swimming Pool Construction Consultant

International Swimming Pool Construction Consultant and Expert Witness discusses why a vanishing edge swimming pool requires a dedicated edge pump and filter.

Cleanliness

The edge of an infinity pool functions as a gigantic skimmer weir.  A normal pool with in-wall skimmers only has 8 INCHES of skimmer weir (per skimmer).  A vanishing edge pool may have 20 to 50 FEET of skimming weir. 

When the pool is in the "spill-over" mode, all of the debris in the pool flows over the edge.  This explains why the catch basin is always full of leaves, bugs and dirt.  The infinity edge is actually a gigantic weir skimming the surface debris.

Without a dedicated filter on the vanishing edge pump this debris would be ground up and recirculated into the upper pool.  A negative edge pool without a filter on the edge pump turns cloudy the instant this debris is blown back into the upper pool.

Who wants to swim in a cloudy pool full of ground up bugs, worms, tree frogs and leaves?

Energy Efficiency 

Filtration of the pool can usually be performed with a small energy efficient pump.  Usually a 1/2 to 1 horsepower pump is sufficient.  Large volumes of moving water are not necessary.  Water clarity is improved at slower velocities with longer filtration cycles (longer run times).

The pumps required to create the "flooded edge" effect are usually much larger than what is required to merely filter the pool.  Pumps of 2 to 5 horsepower are not uncommon.

To design a vanishing edge pool, that combines the edge pump and primary filtration system into one system is foolhardy.  Though $5,000 - $7,500 might be saved on the initial project cost, the expense of operating this larger pump to filter the pool will quickly exceed any initial cost savings.

The edge pump really only needs to operate for two hours daily, when the pool is in use or when the flooded edge effect is desired.  Therefore excess energy will be consumed daily, to merely achieve the necessary filtration turnover rate.
 
Don't step over dollars to pick up pennies!


Paolo Benedetti 
Aquatic Artist, Watershape Consultant, Expert Witness 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa 
©www.aquatictechnology.com

Famous International Swimming Pool Designer Watershapes Consultant

What standards apply to Overseas or International Aqua Designs?

Most European Union member countries have adopted the ISO standards.  However those standards do not address a multitude of construction, design and safety issues that have been addresses in the United States Building Codes.

International Building Code

The IBC is THE building code across the Unites States (except Wisconsin).  The IBC had incorporated the ANSI/NSPI/APSP standards as well as related construction standards.

Therefore, the IBC should be a basis for defining the standards on an international project, where local codes do not address a particular issue. 

International Swimming Pool Code

APSP has released an International Swimming Pool Code.  While not all encompassing, it is also a good BASIC starting point.  It is generic in many of the areas it addresses, because it refuses to establish a minimum level of acceptable workmanship.  Where it does establish a criteria, this should be only be a "not to exceed" standard.

Read a copy of the 2012 International Swimming Pool & Spa Code here:
2012 International Swimming Pool & Spa Code

Paolo Benedetti 
Aquatic Artist, Watershape Consultant, Expert Witness 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa 
©www.aquatictechnology.com

International Aqua Designer - Swimming Pool Expert Witness

Swimming Pool Consultant - Plan Check and Construction Specifications

Reviewing the Plans of other International Aqua Designers

On occasion, I am called on to review the plans of other so-called "design firms."  Some of these firms deliver plans that are full of meaningless information, meant to baffle the client with pages of worthless plans and data.  I guess that a thick set of plans equates to value.  A phone book is thick and full of information as well...

One such firm out of Arizona, includes structural engineering in their plan sets.  But these structural plans are nothing more than generic structural plans that they selected out of a catalog.  

There was no review by a structural engineer for the suitability of those selected pages for the project.  

Nor were the pages they selected, even validated for their suitability for the soil conditions present on the site.   Neither the soils engineer or the structural engineer reviewed the plans.

Absolutely worthless engineering...  but the client thought they were getting something useful that they could actually use to obtain bids and construct the project.

Lack of Training

This same firm did not even provide simple flood protections for the underground equipment room.  Fail proof protection against reverse siphoning of the plumbing was not provided.  The plans specified that the pumps and equipment were to be mounted directly on the floor - subjecting them to flooding and potentially posing electrical hazards to personnel.  Ventilation for the equipment and OSHA mandated "confined space" ventilation requirements were simply omitted - the room would have overheated with all of those electric motors and gas heaters.

Provisions for sump pumps or positive drainage were not provided.  In the event of a leaking pump, valve, pipe or component, they were simply going to allow $100,000 worth of equipment to flood.

Valves were not specified on every line entering or leaving the room.  Any future repairs to plumbing components below the water level would have required draining the pools.

Hydraulics

The turnover rates and surge tank size were grossly inadequate.  Pipe sizes were too small resulting in excessive line velocities.  Auto-fill lines injected make-up water into the pool instead of in the surge tank where pump protection is critical.

A simple modulation valve would have solved the problem - a simpleton's knowledge.

Inadequate Licensing

And, to top off the insult to the client - this firm is not even licensed to perform design work in California.  They are not California licensed contractors, architects or landscape architects.  In California they are not even allowed to provide structural engineering - but they did. There was no recourse for the owners against this firm with a pretty website.

They possessed an inadequate background in swimming pool construction, structural engineering, hydraulics or mechanical design, specifications writing or construction management.

They merely assembled CAD drawings based upon their limited skills and charged the client top dollar.



Paolo Benedetti 
Aquatic Artist, Watershape Consultant, Expert Witness 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa 
©www.aquatictechnology.com

Pool consultant, waterpark consulting, expert witness

Swimming Pool Designer, Watershape Consulting,  Construction Expert Witness

Experience has Value

Not everyone can build one of these complex pools.  On many expansive estate development projects, the general contractor insists on controlling everything on the site. 
While they  are entitled to earn a living managing the overall project, certain specialty trades are best left to those with decades of experience.  A general contractor is a generalist - much like a family practitioner doctor.  But construction, like medicine, contains many specialties.  If you were sick, wouldn't you insist on the best specialist available?
So why leave the construction of a $250,000 - $5,000,000 swimming pool or water park to a general practitioner???
Specialized Training
 
Swimming Pool contractors, designers and consultants who specialize in complex infinity edge or hillside pools should have countless hours of training in geology, engineering (though they are not structural engineers), hydraulics, waterproofing, architectural and landscape design and construction methodologies.
Their decades of experience on various prior projects oftentimes involved a team of experts.  Soils engineers, structural engineers, world-class architects, landscape designers and interior designers often collaborate on complex projects.
The experiences gleaned from being a member of these world-class design teams, can oftentimes save a property owner tens of thousands of dollars.
Case Study:

The soils report on a recent project specified drilled caissons and a mat slab or grade beam foundation for the swimming pool, due to an overlaying layer of expansive clay soils.  The structural engineer was already in the process of designing an expensive foundation system, when I was retained to consult on the project.
Upon reviewing the soils report, I noted that the clay soils were only 4-6 feet deep.  Seeing that the pool varied in depth from 4-9 feet in depth, there was a good chance that most of the clay soil would be removed from the pool area merely through the process of excavating the swimming pool.
I raised this point and suggested that the complex and expensive foundation be abandoned.  Instead I suggested that any deeper pockets of clay soils be over excavated and back filled with a suitable material. It would be less expensive to over excavate the pool & to build it with vertical free-standing walls.  The areas around the completed pool could be back filled with other suitable excavation spoils from around the site.
The soils and structural said, "Ah, ha" when the lights suddenly went on.  Though I am not trained in either of their specialties, I have the experiences to draw upon.  Those experiences saved the client $50-60,000 - 10X my initial consulting fee!
Another Case Study:
 
On a hillside project, the top 4-5 feet of the site was overlaid with organic material and lose soils that could not support a pool.  The existing pool was cracked in 5-6 places and was rotating out of level.  A geotechnical investigation revealed that this top layer of material was actually sliding down the hillside.
The soils engineer and structural engineer both initially recommended a drilled caissons and gradebeam foundation.  Having worked on prior projects with similar conditions, I suggested that they explore a deepened step foundation.  Again, the hillside could be over excavated, removing all of the incompetent material.
The hillside would then be "benched," like a series of large steps, though with a slight backwards slant.  The downhill wall of the pool would be constructed on a trenched foundation.  The void behind the wall would be filled with an engineered fill, consisting of a cement slurry.  This engineered fill would have a bearing capacity over 100,000 times the minimum required to support the pool.  The installation of the slurry would be faster and less expensive than importing and compacting soil in 2-4 inch lifts.
Again, the client would have realized a savings of $60-80,000 on the foundation design alone!
Experience has Value
 
This prior experience can only benefit the client.  It brings a sense of reason to the engineers, balanced by the logic of the "person who has to build it."  Efficiency and economy are not sacrificed for quality.  Rather, unexplored viable options are presented that serve the project needs and benefit the client's budget.
The Long Haul
 
Yes, though I work on a "cost plus" basis, saving the client money means that I make less profit on a job.  However, this newly found money might allow the client to upgrade the finish materials or include design elements that were previously deleted from the project.
Being able to demonstrate to a client that I am willing to forgo a quick profit, to gain their long term trust, is what it my business all about.  Oftentimes as a result, I find that they will broaden my scope of work, refer me to their friends and include me in future projects.
Now, that's really the BIG PICTURE!

Paolo Benedetti 
Aquatic Artist, Watershape Consultant, Expert Witness 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa 
©www.aquatictechnology.com

Swimming Pool Consultant and Designer

Why you need a swimming pool consultant and designer...

Your Best Interest

In many states it is ILLEGAL for someone to act as a "consultant" on a swimming pool construction project, if they are not a licensed swimming pool contractor.  This is because there have been scams, where unlicensed individuals (who cannot get licensed for various reasons), offer to act as a consultant as the owner acts as an "owner-builder."  

A licensed contractor may provide consultant and design services.  However, once construction is ready to begin they must enter into a "construction contract."

During the consulting phase they will educate you on the various details, equipment and accessories available for your pool.  They will ensure that the design meets current building and safety codes.  And because they are not working as a commissioned salesman, they have no interest in piling on a lot of profit generating options.

Complete Plans

Plans for a swimming pool project require some minimum items:

Soils Report
Structural Engineering (based upon the soils report)
Site plan (showing property boundaries, slopes, existing structures, easements, etc.) 
Project Layout
Cross Sections
Sectional Details  
Schematics (plumbing, low & high voltage electrical, equipment pad layout)
Materials List (equipment list, manufacturer & model numbers)  
Specifications

A complete set of plans allows the owner to obtain competitive bids based upon an established set of criteria.  It allows the owner to compare "apples to apples." 

Many swimming pool consultants and designers will offer a rebate of a portion of their design fees, if the plans are not put out to bid AND they are hired to construct the project.  Think of this as the "licensing fee" like computer software.  Since the owner did not disseminate the plans into the public domain, then the license was not exercised.

Check References 

Before you hire a swimming pool consultant, check their background and references.  Are they reputable and current on the "happenings" in the industry?

My online "resume":
http://www.theaquapedia.com/index.php?title=Paolo_Benedetti

Paolo Benedetti 
Aquatic Artist, Watershape Consultant, Expert Witness 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa 
©www.aquatictechnology.com

Expert Witness Concrete Swimming Pools Watershape Consultant

Wet-mix or dry-mix it's all shotcrete - steel reinforced concrete pools, per the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and American Shotcrete Association (ASA).

Wet-mix vs. Dry-mix

The process of pneumatically applying concrete is called shotcrete.
The differences between the two processes, is the moisture content of the material as it travels through the hose to the nozzle.

Wet-mix shotcrete is delivered pre-mixed with water from a ready mix plant in a cement truck.  Dry-mix shotcrete is blown through the hose dry and water is added at the nozzle.

Though both effectively deliver high strength concrete, the dry-mix process has the potential to deliver stronger psi strengths.  Why?
Less water is utilized to hydrate the cement particles.  Less water equates to greater yield strengths.

Experienced Nozzleman

To achieve a structurally sound shell and high compression strengths, the nozzleman must be experienced.  Not just experienced in holding the hose, but in the application of the material and the science of the process being utilized.

The dry-mix method requires that the nozzleman not add too much water, as this will result in a weaker finished product.

The term is Shotcrete, not Gunite 

Gunite is a company that makes equipment for the dry-mix process.  Like all tissues are not Kleenex, dry-mix shotcrete is not called gunite.
 
Air Lance 

An air lance, also referred to as a blow-pipe, must be utilized during the dry-mix process.  Since the material is drier, the air lance it used to disperse any unsound material from the area where the shotcrete is being placed.  Build up of loose material will result in horizontal stratification voids within the shotcrete.  This loose material is often referred to as rebound, though technically not all of it is actually rebound.

These voids are oftentimes called sand lenses, though they are actually incompetent material that was allowed to accumulate within the wall.  It may be unhydrated cement, sand or aggregate.  Any way you slice it, it is a hollow void that will allow the entrance of water and the eventual corrosion of the reinforcing steel.

Why isn't an air lance always employed, since it is required by the ACI/ASA specifications?  Laziness - the shotcrete crews do not want to employ an additional man to operate the air lance.  It also requires that they have to unroll, clean and roll up an extra hose at the end of the day.

Achieving High PSI Strengths

Either process can yield 7,000 - 9,000 PSI strengths.  It has to do with the mix design, skill of the applicator, supervision of the crew, quantity of mix water and the curing of the finished product.  Per the ACI/ASA standards, the minimum allowable strengths are 4,000 PSI.  Since the ASI 318 and ACI 506 standards are incorporated into the International Building Code (IBC), they ARE THE SHOTCRETE CODES across the United States (except Minnesota, that has yet to adopt the IBC).

Without proper curing of the material, complete hydration of the cement particles will not occur.  The purpose of curing is to keep the water within the concrete, so that the chemical process of hydration can occur.  Keeping moisture in the concrete also helps control the heat that is generated from this process.

Curing can be accomplished through frequent and constant soaking (water curing), covering the shotcrete with a physical barrier (plastic, carpet, burlap, etc.) or the application of a chemical curing compound ( a chemical membrane).  The process utilized is not critical, so long as it is performed per the ACI/ASA standards and the project structural engineers recommendations.

Remember, which ever method is used to cure the structure must also be utilized to cure the test panels.  For example, is not a fair test to apply a chemical curing compound to the structure and then to water cure the samples in a submerged water bath.

Regardless of the shotcrete process employed, high compression strengths are easily achieved when using either process.  It is the skill and knowledge of the applicator and their crew that makes all of the difference.  Nozzleman are certified for either wet-mix or dry-mix processes.  Really competent nozzlemen are certified in both processes.  

Insist that only a ASA Certified Nozzleman operate the nozzle on your project.  
Paolo Benedetti 
Aquatic Artist, Watershape Consultant, Expert Witness 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa 
©www.aquatictechnology.com