excavation
On many pool projects, the excavation phase often calls for the addition of competent fill to establish a foundation solid enough to support a concrete structure. That extra step can be both laborious and expensive, observes watershaper Paolo Benedetti, who uses this fresh entry in his new series on sensible solutions to common technical problems to describe a time- and money-saving alternative to standard methods of soil remediation.
Some clients don’t know any limits when it comes to their ambitions – and that’s certainly been true in this case. His mountain-sized home is set on a relatively flat four-acre parcel in otherwise hilly Ramona, Calif. The client himself describes the building as looking like a casino, and indeed it does have a decidedly “eclectic” architectural look. What he wanted was a backyard to match – a free-wheeling composition that might best be described as a Tommy Bahama-inspired tropical resort. He let me know that the family
In last month's introduction to what it takes to prepare for, organize and complete the excavation stage of the watershape-construction process, basic common sense was the governing factor in how the process should proceed. What I was discussing last time, however, was simple, flat-site excavations - cases in which access is commonly not an issue, soils are often consistent across a site and the potential surprises are relatively few. This time, my focus is an altogether different breed of excavations - that is, the task of preparing a sloping, hillside site for installation of a watershape. This process offers
In last month's introduction to what it takes to prepare for, organize and complete the excavation stage of the watershape-construction process, basic common sense was the governing factor in how the process should proceed. What I was discussing last time, however, was simple, flat-site excavations - cases in which access is commonly not an issue, soils are often consistent across a site and the potential surprises are relatively few. This time, my focus is an altogether different breed of excavations - that is, the task of preparing a sloping, hillside site for installation of a watershape. This process offers
One would like to think that if there was anything all watershapers were good at doing, it would be digging holes. As with many other watershaping activities, however, it is apparent that some are better at it than others and that the excavation portion of a project either does a good job of setting the stage for great things to follow - or involves errors that can project themselves all the way through to the finished product. In my view, getting things right at this stage is as important as any other step in the design, engineering or construction process and is actually
One would like to think that if there was anything all watershapers were good at doing, it would be digging holes. As with many other watershaping activities, however, it is apparent that some are better at it than others and that the excavation portion of a project either does a good job of setting the stage for great things to follow - or involves errors that can project themselves all the way through to the finished product. In my view, getting things right at this stage is as important as any other step in the design, engineering or construction process and is actually
Back in November, I described the background of a project on a sprawling estate in the hills near Hanover, Pa. - a spectacular setting for an enormous swimming pool, an island spa, a cascading waterfeature and big expanses of rockwork and stone decking. As was mentioned, our first task was to remove a brand-new system of retaining walls that had been built adjacent to the planned location for the swimming pool. We did so because the wall's large footings reached into a space needed to support a cascade that will appear to tumble into the pool. To ensure
