Infinity Edge Pool Design

An infinity edge pool (also named negative edge, zero edge, disappearing edge or vanishing edge pool) is a swimming or reflecting pool which produces a visual effect of water extending to the horizon, vanishing, or extending to "infinity". They are often seen at fancy or exotic resorts, exclusive estates and in advertisements. The infinity pool design concept is said to have originated from the calcium laden deposits that formed the natural infinity edge pools of Pamukkale, Turkey. The calcium pools of Pamukkale date back thousands of years and pre-date the Roman Empire.
Infinity pools are almost always in precarious locations, such as cliffs or mountain tops, so they must be anchored securely. This needs sound structural engineering, based on the geological conditions found at the site. Such pools are often substantially more expensive to build than a normal swimming pool, mainly due to the cost of the foundations at these ambitious locations.
In reality, the edge of the pool ends in a weir that is one-half to one inch (12 mm to 25 mm) lower than the required median pool water level. There is a trough or catch basin below the weir. The water spills into the catch basin, from which it is then pumped back into the pool. One type of location in which the effect is particularly impressive is where the infinity edge appears to merge with a larger body of water such as the ocean, with the sky (if the pool is on the side of a hill or field of green), or with foliage.