Negative Edge Swimming Pool,
Perimeter Edge Spa,
and Runnel Connector
Cold Spring, NY
A
By Jamie Scott client had recently built a new weekend would allow for efficient creation of the repeating
home in Upstate New York, with a distinctly curves seen in the pool design, as well as the
modern style interior and exterior. Although multiple shapes and elevation changes within the
there was an existing pool on the property, it had spa and runnel complex.
no relation to the new home. Even though the A contractor was hired to supply and install the
house overlooks the Hudson River, the existing shotcrete, using the dry-method of shotcrete. The
pool actually managed to truncate the view. The dry method proved particularly versatile during
homeowners wanted a watershape that would not this project, as it allowed breaks in the shooting,
only open the view to the Hudson River Valley but thereby giving the crews shaping the details time
also fit their modern taste. to catch up. Strategies were discussed during
The final design consisted of a negative edge advance meetings with the contractor; ultimately,
swimming pool and perimeter overflow spa with it was decided to shoot the project in four phases.
a multilevel runnel system connecting the two After demolition of the existing pool, focus
bodies of water. Within the main pool was a was put on the construction of the new pool and
dividing wall that created a private sitting area in its catch basin. The location of the undisturbed
the shallow end. While these design features topography was determined through site analysis,
certainly met the clients’ requirements, they added which was of proper bearing capacity (1000 lb/ft2
a level of complexity not seen very often in the [4882 kg/m 2]), as required by the structural
industry. Building this watershape would require engineer. This information was used to calculate
significant thought and preparation. how far away from the house the pool should be
Swimming pools can be, and are, constructed located to give the desired effect of the negative
from various materials. Examples would include edge. Placement of a negative edge pool is
vinyl over steel, fiberglass, concrete blocks, placed always critical to the success of how it relates to
concrete, or shotcrete. Due to the demanding the downhill views and, therefore, how happy
requirements of the design, shotcrete was deter the clients will be! In this case, the pool needed
mined to be the optimal choice for this project to be placed out of ground and pushed toward
because of its versatility. The shotcrete process the edge of the slope, which necessitated
additional engineering.
Construction began with excavation and the
stacking of crushed stone bags, which created the
various floor profiles. Care was taken to ensure
that the forms were properly braced to avoid
vibration during the shotcrete application. Bracing
points were spaced no more than 36 in. (910 mm)
apart and many times closer. Wood forms were
used instead of the more common expanded metal
forming material to help achieve the needed
rigidity. Later, proper consolidation of the shotcrete
and encapsulation of reinforcing bar was shown
to have been achieved during core tests of the pool
Negative edge pool—reinforcing steel being shell. This pool, in particular, had an extraordinary
installed over the sloping floor profiles amount of footage where all the wall and floor
30 Shotcrete • Spring 2009
Phase 1 of shotcrete. Note top of freestanding wall
is cut to an angle, with dividing wall to the right The base of the perimeter edge spa ready for
Phase 3 of shotcrete
Catch basin for pool, with fieldstone veneer
being applied
The multi-level runnel system around the spa
planes came together. Hand-shaping the coves in that will carry overflow water to the pool
these areas was handled easily because of the
shotcrete’s one-sided forming ability. This detail shell. With care to throw out rebound and trimmed
would not have been possible had the concrete material, a tapered, clean joint was left between
been placed. the negative edge wall and adjacent catch basin.
The shotcrete was reinforced with No. 4 (13M) The second day was Phase 2, during which the
Grade 60 deformed steel reinforcing bar. Also, hydration process of the pool began. After stripping
in addition to the obvious addition of tensile the forms in the morning and cleaning and
strength, reinforcing bar was installed within saturating the shotcrete joints to a saturated
interior elements of the pool (steps, benches, and surface-dry (SSD) condition, the catch basin
dividing wall) to aid the nozzleman in applying structure was shot using 23 yd3 (18 m3) of shotcrete.
the shotcrete in a timely manner. Recirculation The next 7 days were spent soaking the structures
plumbing was rigid schedule 40 polyvinyl chloride to aid in hydration. The pool’s structural shell was
(PVC) 1-1/2 to 4 in. (40 to 100 mm) in diameter. now complete.
The plumbing lines were pressure tested for The second half of the project focused on the
24 hours prior to each shotcrete phase to confirm perimeter overflow spa and multi-level runnel
that there were no leaks, and pressure was kept on system leading into the pool. The first step was to
the lines during all shotcrete applications. form the bases of the spa and runnel system.
The first shotcrete phase began in August 2007. Beneath the runnel, excavation went down 42 in.
Using a 4:1 mixture, the contractor began by (1 m), and local 3/4 in. (20 mm) crushed stone was
applying 80 yd3 (61 m3) of shotcrete to the pool installed as engineered fill to protect against frost
Shotcrete • Spring 2009 31
heave. The plumbing trunk lines were brought into 15 yd3 (11 m3) in total. After hydrating the base and
the base of the spa, and reinforcing bar splices were stripping the forms, the next week and a half was
left projecting from the base—all of which would spent creating the steel reinforcement for the spa itself
be picked up for completion during the final and installing the rest of the plumbing. The fourth
construction of the spa. and final shotcrete phase came later that month,
Phase 3 began at the beginning of October 2007, which entailed shooting the spa walls, benches,
at which time the spa base and runnel were shot using and steps, and took 12 yd3 (9 m3) of shotcrete.
Once the structures were in, the tie
wire holes and any forming defects
were patched with a nonshrinking
grout. This grout also helped seal
around all plumbing protrusions
through the walls. The shells were
now ready for installation of fittings
and masonry finishes: ceramic and
glass tile, aggregate plaster finishes,
and custom precast red concrete
panels on the spa. By this time, the
outside temperature was dropping, and
the winter winds were picking up, so
the remainder of the finish work was
put on hold until the following spring.
The pool was finally ready for its first
plunge by Memorial Day of 2008, and
the spa followed a month later.
As was discovered early on, it
was relatively easy to design these
structures, but building them was quite
a different story. The success of this
watershape relied on moving water
without loss, and shotcrete’s abilities
and characteristics enabled that
success. Specifically, a good shotcrete
application produces a dense structure
that could be created in a noncontiguous
manner, without having to use water
stops. The spa and surrounding runnel
system contained so many angles,
drops, and changes of direction that
it would have increased costs and
schedules significantly if the concrete
had been placed.
Although this project eventually
included landscaping, masonry, and
carpentry, there is no doubt that the
focus of this property was to be the
pool. The versatility of shotcrete
allowed all phases to proceed with
relative ease and allowed this unique
pool setting to be created to the
homeowner’s satisfaction. Without the
use of shotcrete, it would not have
been possible to accomplish this
multi-dimensional project.
Circle #8 on reader response form—page 56
32 Shotcrete • Spring 2009
The perimeter
overflow spa and pool
in the fall of 2008
The pool and spa connected by the runnel system
A view of the runnel
leading back to the spa
The overflow nature of
The dividing wall in the pool, along with both the pool and the
benches. Coping and tile are being installed spa make for highly
reflective surfaces
Acknowledgments
Group Works LLC would like to acknowledge the participation of Shur Shot Gunite
Corporation, Mark Lacko of Betonas LLC, and Salvatore Libertino on this project.
Tom Norman, ASA member and Chair of ASA’s Pool & Recreational Shotcrete
Committee, wants your input. Your comments, suggestions, and the topics
you’d like to see covered are welcome. Perhaps you’d like to become a
contributing author to Pool & Recreational Shotcrete Corner. Norman and
The pool is complete, and the spa is nearing the ASA staff encourage you to contact ASA with your questions and comments
completion as it gets clad with red concrete panels at: info@[Link].
Jamie Scott is a third-generation watershape designer and builder, who has worked in the industry for
37 years. He developed and managed the Sales, Design, and Construction Departments of his co-owned
family business. In 1998, Scott started a new firm, Group Works LLC, based in Wilton, CT. Through Group
Works LLC, he aligned himself with organizations that focus on continuing education and increasingly
higher standards in the swimming pool industry. Scott is a Platinum Member of Genesis 3 and a certified
member of the Society of Watershape Designers. He is also an APSP Certified Professional Builder,
American Shotcrete Association member, and has trained with the Portland Cement Association. Scott is
currently training to becoming a registered landscape architect as well.
Shotcrete • Spring 2009 33
