Engineer Nick Snow wanted to transform his own property with the addition of an above-ground concrete cast pool, timber deck and retaining wall. Both the pool and retaining wall needed significant underpinning to meet geotechnical requirements, but Nick wanted to avoid heavy machinery and the need to remove spoil. He turned to StopDigging for a more efficient solution. 

“The house is on a relatively sloped site in Green Bay, and access was a little bit challenging for larger equipment,” says Nick. “So we opted to use the tested groundscrew system for under the pool which is sitting on fill and soft ground that we needed to get through.” 

As an engineer at Constructure, Nick had worked with StopDigging in the past and knew the system would meet compliance. “I work really closely with StopDigging through my work as an engineer,” says Nick. “The CodeMark makes it easy to form the compliance pathway — so there’s a clear compliance pathway to B1 and B2 which can be a little more complicated with other piling systems.” 

Nick appreciated the support the StopDigging team offered on the project, and in particular their ability to adapt — with the number of groundscrews for the pool increasing the day before installation. “The day before we needed the piles, when we completed excavation, I increased the number of piles from three to 21 and they were able to accommodate that.” 

The ability to complete the work quickly, and with no spoil to dispose of — a costly exercise in Auckland — were also big wins with the project. “Using StopDigging meant we didn’t have spoil or dirt to get rid of,” says Nick. “That was probably the biggest gain, along with the speed.”  

The underpinning for the pool and retaining wall was complete within two days — with the timber retaining wall built the day after. “The fact they were able to accommodate me increasing the number of 3m pool piles from three to 21 and still do the install on programme is just outstanding – it was just shy of 100 linear meters of ground screws, in two days.” says Nick. “StopDigging also worked in and coordinated well with the main landscaping and pool contractor – SGLA, who were themselves impressed with the system’s speed and efficiency.”

Nick also specified StopDigging Groundscrews for the deck surrounding the pool, which were installed successfully later in the project. Groundscrews are a smart choice for decks around pools due to the ability to install longer piles to reduce surcharge to the pool exterior and meet zone of influence requirements around pipes.

Ultimately using the StopDigging groundscrews provided an efficient, cost-effective and pain-free solution for the groundworks required. With no digging, removal of spoil or waiting for concrete to cure — and no bored hole inspections or heavy machinery on site, StopDigging helped keep the project simple, fast and efficient. 

“I couldn’t be happier,” says Nick. “There's been no movement in the pool, it sat there exactly as it should, and on quite a layer of soft ground we would have otherwise dug out or bore through. I recommend StopDigging pretty heavily for this kind of work.”