To an outsider, the job of an out-of-ground, or on-grade, wall may seem easy enough — it just sits there. But this type of wall has a special function: It must withstand pressure from water inside a pool without having soil on the other side to equalize it. And with no earth to back it, an on-grade wall requires special construction techniques.
The key to an on-grade wall’s success lies in the planning, forming, steel and concrete. Here’s how to give them the care they need during the four-stage construction process
Rebecca Robledo is deputy editor of Pool & Spa News and Aquatics International. She is an award-winning trade journalist with more than 25 years experience reporting on and editing content for the pool, spa and aquatics industries. She specializes in technical, complex or detail-oriented subject matter with an emphasis in design and construction, as well as legal and regulatory issues. For this coverage and editing, she has received numerous awards, including four Jesse H. Neal Awards, considered by many to be the “Pulitzer Prize of Trade Journalism.”
