Doughboy Side Support Lean-in Preload

by CW
(Uhland, Tx)

I'm doing my third Doughboy above ground 16 x 40 (I'm 70 years old)

In new design "Com-Pac II", the side verticals lean in about 2 inches at the top. Instructions say this will straighten up after waters is added.

I would really like to know if the "straightening up" is expected to be from the metal bending or from soil compaction?

My installation is mostly in rock and there ain't going to be much soil movement/compression. On the other hand the supports seem really stout.

I can't get an answer out of Doughboy or the dealer.

The older doughboy models had a brace on the side support, installed true vertical and worked great.

Thanks, CW

Hi CW. I have not seen a Doughboy instruction manual in years but I remember looking at it when that design first came out. At the time I believe it said 2 degrees inward, which meant to me just a small amount.

There is a very good reason for this and it has nothing to do with how hard the ground is. I assume you are installing an 8 x 8 x 16 block under the rear of the support, this is very important, just as it was in the older models.

With this new design a large part of the support has shifted to the inside of the pool. This support is held in place by the weight of the water carried across all the pressure plates. The channels want to rise up as the pool fills, and the water holds them down. During this process what ever you have between the pressure plates and the liner will compress.

I used a sand base for the majority of my installs. As the pools would fill the sand would compress slightly and the side would end up perfectly straight up and down.

I never figured out exactly what 2 degrees would amount to I did find a method that worked perfectly every time.

I set the buttress post at the height that would make the bottom of the rails level all the way around the pool. I would set the very front of the channel exactly 1/4" lower.

Using a surveyors stick I would first put it next to the buttress post on top of the channel. Say my target number was a 2. I would slope the channel slightly so that the inside end of the channel would read a 2 1/4.

I used that formula for years and never had a problem with the newly designed buttress structure.


Comments for Doughboy Side Support Lean-in Preload

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May 06, 2013
 base compacts to straighten verticals ?
by: CW

Thanks..In the most recent design of the vertical-horizontal side supports, the vertical post is not square with the horizontal part, by about 2 inches at the top of the vertical.

That is, if you put a square on it, the top of the vertical will actually lean about 2 inches relative to the bottom where it attaches to the horizontal support.

I have always used vermiculite as the pool base...from what I understand you to be saying, one should expect the assembly to tilt out (compress the base) in order to straighten up.

This has implications for installation - what ever goes on top of the pads needs to be soft enough to compress and let the sides lean back out to straight?

CW

Hi CW This is the type of set up I am referring to.

Doughboy Side Support Installation

Number five shows the trench sloping two degrees. Number seven shows the front being 3/4" lower than the rear. They advise using a 3/4" wedge and a carpenters level.

I used a 1/4" slope myself, with packed sand, and it worked out fine. It's possible with cushions softer than sand they would compress more. I am pretty sure vermiculite would compress a lot more than sand.

What you are saying is that they have built that angle right into the brace construction. I have never seen this done but I can't see why it would make a difference. Instead of sloping the channel it lays flat. The results should be the same.

I can't imagine the upright itself bending, or tweaking two inches. Possible maybe, but I doubt it. I think the movement has to come from the channel raising up in the front, compressing the liner cushion.

I think I would be inclined to follow the instructions and see how it turns out. I hope it works out. Please let us know.

May 07, 2013
 Doughboy 3'd Generation Side Supports
by: CW

Very interesting...looks like there were at least 3 different designs on the side supports. My first install in 1985 - simple "T" with 45 deg. brace on outside. The design you show beefs up the lower part of the vertical and calls for the 2 deg. tilt.

The design of my recent purchase has verticals wide at bottom tapering to top (but one piece that bolts to the horizontal.) There is no tilt in horizontal member, but due to the built in angle between vertical and horizontal -- there is two inch lean-in at top (horizontal part stays level) (could send you a pic but don't know how to attach)

I did the torque calculations; bottom rotating down and side rotating out...and, looks like about 25% more torque rotating the bottom down..That indicates the metal will have to bend (unless I made a mistake in the calculations)

If I could find an existing install to look at somewhere, I could put a straight edge on the back of the vertical and satisfy my curiosity ...'though I guess that will happen when my install is complete !

Thanks, CW

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