How to build a concrete pool in a summer cottage with your own hands (budget option)

Own pool is considered to be a special luxury item and a pipe dream of a common man. But is it really that difficult? In this article, we will tell you how to independently create an artificial reservoir - a pool - on the site of a summer house or a country house.

In the classification of structures, concrete pools and reservoirs are on the top lines in terms of complexity and high cost. The construction of these facilities is carried out by serious organizations that have at their disposal a staff of designers and performers. Their services are very expensive, because they use the most modern materials and technologies. Careful soil studies, laborious load calculations, expensive polymeric and natural materials, multilayer technology - all this makes the final cost of the pool sky-high. Moreover, all points are carefully substantiated.

We will try to destroy the myth about the inaccessibility of a private pool for a homeowner with an average income. The main factor on which we will rely in our actions will be the reliability and availability of reinforced concrete as the main building material. We use the technology used to build monolithic skyscraper frames. By minimizing the number of finishing layers, we save time and money.

Of course, the goal is not to compete with expensive "branded" products in terms of beauty and functionality. However, with the main task - storing water for water procedures - our future pool will cope no worse than elite competitors.

Any body of water radically changes the appearance of the site. It can become a dominant in deciding the appearance of the landscape. We approach this issue from a practical point of view and propose to create a reservoir that can not only be contemplated, but used for its intended purpose - for water procedures.

All pools are divided into indoor and outdoor. As a rule, swimming pools (reservoirs) are arranged indoors with high requirements for the properties of water and the environment, as well as for year-round operation. In special rooms it is possible to place bulky and expensive filters, heating and air conditioning units, circulation pumps, automatic care systems. Usually these are public pools and dolphinariums.

Outdoor pools are much cheaper and simpler, but require regular labor-intensive maintenance. The profession of a pool cleaner (in the West) is considered a hard and thankless job. But everything changes when a person courts his own “brainchild”, built with his own hands.

The "zero point" in the decision-making process will be the conditions under which the device of an open bowl will be impossible or not recommended:

1. During harsh winters. The average temperature in winter is not lower than -20, the minimum is not lower than -25.
2. On floating and unstable soils (if the soil is not strengthened).
3. Closer than 2.5 meters to capital buildings with a foundation.
4. Surrounded by trees shedding abundant foliage and having a developed root system.

Pool at their summer cottage: is it so expensive and how to make it cheaper

In general, the pool is not a cheap pleasure. Its cost can skyrocket, but we will consider the possibility of creating a base - a pool bowl with an emphasis on maximum affordability for the budget of the average Russian.

The first thing we have to do is to decide on the wishes. Dimensions, shape and depth are the main indicators that will form our estimate. Speaking about the choice of the shape of the bowl, we note that rounded sides without straight and even corners (circle, oval, curly) hold the load better, but the complexity of their construction makes you think. Such forms may be beyond the power of a non-professional. Or you will have to generously pay for the services of a specialist. Therefore, we propose to dwell on the variant of a rectangular or square shape, as the simplest during construction. We will increase the bearing capacity due to the thickness of the walls and thicker reinforcement. The ideal shape at even angles is a regular square. It is in second place in terms of geometric rigidity after the triangle.

An interesting fact: the word “build” comes from the action “build, build”, that is, give a triangular shape, strengthen the structure.

Since a square-shaped bowl is more like a font, and not a pool, we will take as a standard a rectangular-shaped bowl with a classic 2: 1 aspect ratio (4x2 meters). We will also foresee the bearing blind area in advance.

In this article, we will not complicate the design with niches, steps or a bottom with a variable level. For convenience of calculations, the net depth of the bowl will be taken as 2 meters. Later, you can substitute your own data into the formulas.

Pool plan: 1 - bowl; 2 - drain; 3 - blind area; 4 - side

What is better to make the bottom and walls of the bunker

There are several answers - brick, cinder block, concrete. The first two would be suitable in the case when it does not need to be filled with water. The pressure of sixteen tons of water must be compensated by walls of special strength. In our conditions, only a reinforced concrete structure, made with strict adherence to technology, can provide such strength. The second reason is the absence of seams, that is, the uniform distribution of the load over the entire surface.

The next step is the breakdown of the construction area

Here it is worth paying attention to the possibility of access to equipment (a small excavator and a concrete pump). When digging a pit, there will be a rather large temporary dump - about 50 m 3.

An important point - after the completion of the work, about 16 m 3 of the soil dump will remain. Consider in advance where it can be identified or taken out. For storage of material and reinforcement work, you will need free space next to the pit (about 40 m 2).

Excavation. The depth of the pit is 2 meters. If there is a possibility of access to equipment, we recommend using the services of an excavator - this will save a lot of time.

The dimensions of the pit will be equal to the dimensions of the bowl in plan plus one meter on each side.

The initial cut will be: V \u003d (a + 2) x (b + 2) x 2 \u003d (2 + 2) x (4 + 2) x 2 \u003d 48 m 3, of which about 28 m backfill 3 .

When the pit is ready and the bottom is cleaned, you need to arrange drainage in case of groundwater. It is the usual channels 30x30 cm, filled with coarse gravel or crushed stone (fraction 40-80). They are laid along future walls and under the bottom of the bowl along the entire length of the pit. Before backfilling gravel, lay the bottom and walls of the channel with geotextiles. Now you need to make a technical concrete screed, which is colloquially called "footing".

Pool in section: 1 - drainage; 2 - footing; 3 - expanded polystyrene 100 mm; 4 - polystyrene foam 50 mm; 5 - side of the pit; 6 - primer; 7 - outlet pipe

At this stage, we recommend laying a 50 mm outlet pipe in the center of the future bottom plate (at the intersection of the diagonals). Plastic soil pipe on fittings is easy to assemble and secure before concrete is placed. The inner outlet should rise 30 cm above the level of the bottom of the pit, the outer outlet should go out along the wall from the outside and rise 50 cm above the ground level. In the future, by connecting a conventional pump to this pipe, you will greatly facilitate the care of the pool.

Attention! Select a trap filter for the outlet pipe in advance and lay the foam core in the bottom slab according to its dimensions (before concreting).

After installing the pipe, you can proceed to the device footing. The quality of concrete in this case is not critical, so it is advisable to make it on site. The main task of the footing is to level the surface, prevent the soil from soaking and prevent high-quality structural concrete from mixing with the soil (if it rains during work). It also ensures the accuracy of marking and installation of formwork. Layer thickness 30-50 mm.

After the concrete has set, we lay 100 mm extruded polystyrene foam boards on top.

An important point: the level of the footing should be kept in the horizon - this will greatly simplify the concreting of the slab.

Concrete consumption (volume) is equal to the layer thickness of 0.04 m, multiplied by the footing area of ​​14 m. In our case: 14x0.04 \u003d 0.56 m 3, we accept 0.6 m 3.

As a bottom slab, a full-fledged reinforced concrete slab with a standard two-layer frame made of knitted reinforcing mesh (A3 16 mm) arranged in a mirror image will be used.

Bottom plate reinforcement

To begin with, we break the plate by size. Be sure to check the geometry (equality of diagonals and sides). Then, in the corners, we drill holes into the footing and drive in the reinforcement, stretch the cords around the perimeter. The length of the reinforcement will be equal to the distance between the cords minus 2 x 40 mm(protective layer). In our case, this is: 2000 - 2 x 40 = 1920 mm and 4000 - 2 x 40 = 3920 mm.

Reinforcing mesh cell accept 100 mm. Such a density of reinforcement is necessary for a margin of safety, because the bottom and walls must be not only structurally strong, but also airtight.

The number of longitudinal rods - 20, transverse - 40 for one mesh layer. In total, there are 40 longitudinal and 80 transverse slabs per frame.

We lay out the rods with a step of 100 mm and tie with a knitting wire. Under the crosshairs of the reinforcement, we lay special plastic limiters 30 mm high with a step of 4x4 cells.

Attention! Do not use welding to connect the mesh rods! This weakens the metal and leads to intense corrosion at the welds.

In order to withstand a constant thickness of the frame, we need reinforcing stops. They are colloquially referred to as "frogs" or "stools". They can be made from rebar with a diameter of 10 mm. With a reinforcement diameter of 10 mm, the net height of the limiter will be equal to the thickness of the slab on concrete minus 2 x 30 mm minus 2 x 10 mm. In our case: 200 - 2 x 30 - 2 x 10 = 120 mm.

Workpiece length: 200 x 2 + 120 x 2 + 100 = 740 mm, accept 750 mm.

The number of “frogs” is 20 pieces, the consumption of reinforcement 10 is 15 m.

Frog limiter

We fix the “frogs” with a wire in a checkerboard pattern on the lower grid so that transverse rods lie on them in increments of 1 meter. We tie the cross rods to them. Then we lay out all the longitudinal ones on them with a step of 100 mm and tie them with wire. After that, we pass the missing transverse rods between the grids and tie them to the longitudinal ones.

A monolithic structure is one continuous connection of all elements. This effect is achieved by adding a frame (as the main connecting element) to freely released rods. In our case, the slab and walls are concreted separately, so we need to leave free rods fixed in the slab frame for their further weaving into the wall frame.

To do this, bend the reinforcement bars 16 in the shape of the letter P. The distance between the working rods of the release along the axes is equal to the wall thickness minus 2 x 40 mm. In our case: 200 - 2 x 40 = 120 mm. The length of the working part of the rod is 600 mm from the concrete level. Total total length of the workpiece for the U-shaped element: 600 x 2 + 120 + 40 + 2 x 140 = 1040 mm, where 40 mm is the margin for loss of length during bending, 2 x 140 is part of the element inside the plate. We accept the length of the workpiece 1650 mm.

U-shaped release

Calculation of the number of U-shaped elements. The principle of wall reinforcement coincides with the bottom plate, so the step of the outlets will be 100 mm. The number of elements will be equal to the outer perimeter divided by the step. In our case: (2000 + 200 x 2 + 4000 + 200 x 2) x2 / 100 = 13600 / 100 = 136 pcs., we accept 140 pcs.

We pass the U-shaped elements under the first grid of the slab frame and fix it with wire. The reinforcement of the bottom plate is ready, it remains to make the flanging.

The height of the side (the thickness of the slab for concrete + PPR 100 mm) in our case will be 300 mm. As boards, you can use plywood strips sewn onto a 40 mm beam or board (for bending strength). The board is installed along the cords pre-tensioned during the breakdown of the slab and reinforced with slopes. The bottom is fixed by driving the rods. Nails can be stuffed into the upper cut of plywood in increments of 500-700 mm and additionally tied to the frame with wire. The bottom slab is ready for concreting.

Rebar consumption 16: 40 pcs. x 4 m + 80 pcs. x 2 m + 140 pcs. x 1.65 m = 160 + 160 + 230 = 550 m.

Bottom slab concreting

For all structural elements (bottom, walls, blind area), we recommend using prefabricated concrete. It is supplied in automixers and allows you to produce large volumes of concreting at a time. This is important in our case. In order to maintain a constant thickness, make a measurement of 200 mm by welding a transverse limiter to the reinforcement bar.

Be sure to use vibrators when placing concrete. The combination of deep vibration and the use of a vibrating screed will be ideal.

Concrete consumption is equal to the volume of the slab. In our case: 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.2 \u003d 2.11 m 3, we accept 2.3 m 3.

For high-quality reinforcement of the walls, we need to make supporting vertical frames. These are two parallel rods with a length equal to the height of the wall (2000 mm) plus the width of the blind area (800 mm), connected by short rods at a distance according to the outlets. In our case: 2000 + 800 = 2800 mm.

Welded frame: 1 - A3 Ø16; 2 - A3 Ø10; 3 - spot welding

We install and fix the frames in increments of 1 meter (16 pcs.). We expose them vertically and tie the top with a horizontal rod.

Advice. At this stage, you should determine the level of the walls on concrete - the depth of the pool (2000 mm) minus the thickness of the blind area (150 mm) and apply markers to the frames (duct tape, paint, felt-tip pen).

The level at which the upper horizontal rod must be tied is the level of the top of the wall on concrete minus 40 mm (protective layer).

Corners are the most vulnerable places of rectangular structures. They should be strengthened and reinforced, if possible, with solid (whole) rods. At the corners, we will use L-shaped rods with equal sides of such length that they capture two vertical welded frames on each side (diagram). We recommend using L-shaped elements of two sizes - 1200x1200 mm and 1600x1600 mm, alternating them in the design.

Equilateral G-element

The number of G-elements is the height of the wall (2000 mm) divided by the pitch (100 mm) multiplied by 4 corners. In our case 2000 / 100 x 4 = 80 pcs.

Since it was decided to use two sizes of L-elements, each of them will be 40 pcs. Carefully checking the verticality with a level, set and fix the corners.Then we fill the space with horizontal rods, taking measurements in place.We bring in the missing vertical rods with a length equal to the welded frames and fix them to the horizontal ones.

Attention! The longitudinal overlap of the rods should be 200-400 mm.

Quantity of reinforcement for wall reinforcement

Vertical - perimeter multiplied by 2 layers, divided by a step of 0.1 m and multiplied by a rod length of 2.8 m. In our case: (12 x 2 / 0.1) x 2.8 = 672 m, accept 680 m.

Horizontal (together with G-elements) - wall height 2 m, divided by a step of 0.1 m, multiplied by a perimeter of 12 m and multiplied by 2 layers). In our case: (2 / 0.1 x 12) x 2 = 480 m. Total reinforcement for walls: 680 + 480 = 1160 m.

For concreting the walls in the manufacture of the bowl, we need a lot of formwork (the perimeter multiplied by 2 sides and the height of the wall) - about 60 m 2. It is expensive to manufacture and install such a number of shields on site - the cost of laminated plywood and boards is quite high and will not justify itself. In addition, it is 5-7 working days.

We recommend entrusting this area of ​​work to a company that is professionally engaged in installation and concreting. The cost of renting inventory formwork and specialist services will be lower than the cost of purchasing the material, and the deadlines will be as short as possible. In our case, all the work on the construction of the walls will take 2 days.

After laying the concrete, at least 3 days must pass, then the formwork is removed. Sinks (if any) are sealed with a special repair mixture. We grind the seams and sags with a grinder with a “diamond bowl”.

The consumption of concrete on the walls is equal to the volume of the walls - the perimeter multiplied by the thickness and height. In our case: 12 x 0.2 x 2 = 4.8 m 3, we accept 5 m 3.

After dismantling the formwork, you can proceed to the external heat and waterproofing. Here we will use a material with combined properties - extruded polystyrene foam (PPR sheets) 50 mm thick. Thermal insulation of the pool is needed in order to prevent the heat exchange of water and soil through heat-intensive concrete walls. In other words, to avoid cooling water heated by the sun. In addition, PPR serves as an excellent damper for seasonal soil deformations. Waterproofing is necessary to prevent contact with organic matter and soil.

We will mount the PPR sheets in the usual way - stick them on the mounting foam and fix them with the “umbrella” dowel after drying.

Question. Why dowel sheets, because they are already firmly pressed with soil.

Answer. The soil tends to be mobile, especially during the off-season (spring, autumn) with frequent freezing and thawing. This can move the sheets and break the tightness of the insulation.

With the help of a hydraulic level, we mark the horizon at the level of the bottom of the future blind area and stretch the cords (if necessary). We strengthen the first row of sheets astride the cord (horizon). We mount the following sheets with a run-up of vertical seams (they should not match). We process the PPR with a bituminous or water-dispersion primer for 2-3 times.

The consumption of PPR is equal to the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe walls outside. In our case: 4 x 2 x 2 + 2 x 2 x 2 \u003d 24 m 2.

After the waterproofing has completely dried, you can start backfilling the sinuses. Since we will arrange a powerful blind area above the sinuses, we should compact or spill the soil when backfilling in order to avoid its natural settlement later.

We accept the width of the blind area 800 mm. We level the soil around the perimeter of the bowl and make a backfill of crushed stone. We lay geotextile on it. The level of the top of the bedding must match the level of the concrete of the walls. We bend the outlets of the reinforcement, as shown in the diagram. We impose longitudinal reinforcement on the bottom row of outlets in increments of 100 mm. To the top row we fix a welded masonry mesh 3 mm with a cell of 50x50 mm. If necessary, we put limiters - "frogs". The thickness of the blind area for concrete is 150 mm.

On the inside of the bowl, using the “quick installation” dowel, we fix the plywood sheets to the concrete at the level of the top of the blind area. We install the outer flanging in the same way with the bottom plate. We connect the top of the flanging with slats. We concrete the blind area with factory concrete. Optionally, you can also build an additional side along the edge of the blind area.

Formwork for the blind area

Consumption of reinforcement for the blind area. Width 0.8m divided by a step of 0.1m multiplied by a perimeter of 12m. In our case: 0.8 / 0.1 x 12 = 96 m, take 100 m.

Mesh consumption - the outer perimeter of the blind area, multiplied by its width. In our case: (5.6 + 3.6) x 2 x 0.8 \u003d 14.72 m 2, we accept 15 m 2.

Concrete consumption - outer perimeter 18.4 m multiplied by a width of 0.8 m and a thickness (0.15 m). In our case: 18.4 x 0.8 x 0.15 \u003d 2.2 m 3, we accept 2.5 m 3.

Attention! Concrete gains branded strength in 28 days. During this period, it must be moistened and protected from direct sunlight.

At this stage, the pool is already ready for use under water procedures. However, concrete, with all its advantages, has one property that is unacceptable for pools - it accumulates fungus (mold) on itself. Therefore, we have one more mandatory stage - finishing.

There are many finishing materials. The best option seems to us to be a "winter" putty for pools (for example, "Planikrit winter 520" TERTA). The consumption of this putty is 1.2 kg per 1 sq. m with a thickness of 1 mm. We accept an average layer thickness of 3 mm (consumption 3.5 kg per 1 sq. M). The area of ​​the bowl is equal to the inner perimeter times the height. In our case: (2 x 2 + 4 x 2) x 2 = 24 sq. m. In total you will need: 3.5 x 24 = 84 kg putties. Given the packaging in bags of 20 kg, we accept 4 bags.

The advantages of this type of finish:

• one-time application directly onto concrete;
• combination of start and finish layers;
• good sanitary properties;
• subject to local repair (chips, scratches);
• does not require additional alignment;
• does not require high qualification of the master;
• does not exfoliate when the temperature drops;
• the lowest cost among other options.

Flaws:

• toxic and combustible (only when applied);
• unassuming appearance.

All actions with putty are described in detail in the instructions.

Consider the approximate cost of a pool located on a site 30 km from Moscow. Prices are indicated in rubles.

Summary table of consumption and cost of materials and services

Name	Unit rev.	Unit price	Qty	Art	Note
Homemade concrete	cube m	1000	0,6	600	For footing
Concrete factory BSG M250, V-20	cube m	4000	10	40000	Bottom plate, walls, blind area. With delivery.
Armature with a diameter of 16 mm	linear m	25	1800	45000	Bottom plate, walls, blind area
Reinforcement with a diameter of 10 mm	linear m	15	20	1500	Frog limiters, auxiliary rods
knitting wire	kg	100	20	2000	Knitting frames
Extruded polystyrene foam 100 mm	cube m	5000	1,4	7000	Under the bottom plate
Extruded polystyrene foam 50 mm	cube m	5000	1,2	6000	outside the walls
primer	kg	50	20	1000	Waterproofing
Putty for bowl TERTA "Planikrit winter 520"	bag	450	4	1800
Excavator Services	cube m	400	50	20000	Excluding sinus backfilling
Construction of concrete walls	cube m	2700	10	27000	Includes formwork and reinforcement work
Services of auxiliary workers, excavators	person/hour	100	40	4000	Cleaning the pit, PRR*, backfilling the sinuses
Fare	-	5000	-	5000	Delivery of fittings, PPR, other materials for 30 km
Total cost of material and services				160300
The cost of 1 cu. m pool				10000

*-PRR - loading and unloading operations

When using the pool, you should pay attention to the following points:

1. Clean the bowl and filter as they become dirty with special products.
2. For conservation for the winter, a prefabricated insulated wooden cover with two air vents should be made. Install a fan heater with a relay at +5 ... -10 degrees in the bowl.
3. Cover the lid from above for the winter with waterproof material (polyethylene, roofing material).
4. Do not use the pool in winter for other purposes (for storing vegetables).

If you follow these simple rules, your pool will last for many years. If the pool suddenly gets bored or becomes unclaimed, its bowl can serve as the foundation for any building, even a brick one, in which there will already be a ready-made basement.

Vitaly Dolbinov, rmnt.ru