(A) General. A deck shall be provided around below-grade swimming pools except when a special engineering design is furnished which indicates that such deck is not necessary for the purpose of main-taining the structural integrity of the pool and/or for controlling surface water and moisture content in the soil adjacent to the pool. Decks shall not be required for spas and hot tubs.
(B) Deck design and construction.
(1) Required decks shall be constructed of concrete or other approved impervious material and shall be sloped to provide positive drainage away from the perimeter of the pool. Except as provided below, decks shall have a minimum width of four feet and shall be at least three and one-half inches in thickness. Reinforcement shall be #3 bars spaced not over 24 inches o.c. each way, or equivalent reinforcing.
(2) Approved joints shall be provided in the deck at corners, at maximum 10 foot intervals, and wherever necessary in order to control cracking, to allow for differential movement, and to minimize damage to the deck from such movement should it occur.
(C) Cutoff walls.
(1) At the outer perimeter of pool decks, a cutoff wall of approved material shall be installed below grade to a depth of at least 15 inches so as to form a permanent and effective vertical moisture barrier.
(2) Exceptions:
(a) A cutoff wall may be omitted when a deck at least six feet wide is installed.
(b) Decks less than four feet in width may be installed provided that the required cutoff wall is increased in depth beyond the minimum by an amount directly proportional to the reduction in deck width.
(D) Pre-saturation, highly expansive soils. When the soil below the deck has an expansion index of 91 or greater it shall be saturated with water to a depth of at least 18 inches prior to installation of the deck.
(Ord. 990, passed 11-6-95) Penalty, see Ch. 13