Builders use a variety of techniques to overcome soil challenges for gunite pool construction. Methods often vary by region of the country.
For example, to address unstable earth, they may lay a bed of compacted fill with pea gravel in the excavated hole or increase the amount of gunite and steel in the pool shell. To address sandy soil, they may frame the excavated hole with plywood to hold its shape until gunite is applied.
In certain cases, an analysis by a soil engineer may be needed, and more extensive tactics may be required.
