EMAGAZINE MARCH 2021 - Constrofacilitator

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EMAGAZINE MARCH 2021 - Constrofacilitator
eMAGAZINE
 Constrofacilitator                 MARCH 2021          www.constrofacilitator.com
 Knowledge and b2b portal for
construction and infrastructure
                                      Volume-03 eM-03

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EMAGAZINE MARCH 2021 - Constrofacilitator
WATERPROOFING

     Water inltration can lead to damages such as insect infestation, mold and in worst cases
     building failures. Waterproong the building before construction will avoid these
     problems. Waterproong is very important as it helps keep your building dry. It helps
     reduce humidity inside the house and thereby protects things inside your house from
     damage caused due to humidity or water exposure. It is also important for the veracity of
     the building. With time, waterproong as a concept has evolved and so have been the
     types of membranes being used. The focus now is on faster solutions with long-term
     benets.

     In this edition of eMagazine, we have focused on waterproong membrane, tunnel
     waterproong, basement waterproong and concrete deck waterproong. The wide
     variety of waterproong options provides signicant advantages. Waterproong systems
     can be installed indoors or out, depending on the level of water damage or owner
     preference, allowing for a greater range of exibility and affordability

March 2021 • Constrofacilitator                2
EMAGAZINE MARCH 2021 - Constrofacilitator
Waterproofing membrane - Types
04
     and Applications

     Basement Waterproofing -
08
     Causes, Methods & Membranes

     Concrete Deck Waterproofing
12
     membranes

     Tunnel Waterproofing -
15
     Components and Types

                  4   8
                  12 15

        3                 Constrofacilitator • March 2021
EMAGAZINE MARCH 2021 - Constrofacilitator
WATERPROOFING MEMBRANE

Waterproofing membrane - Types and
Applications

A
                    waterproofing mem-       added to the concrete that will help    the kind of membranes that come in
                  brane is a layer of        make water ingress impenetrable as      the form of liquid that can be sprayed
                  water-tight material       well as making it easy to maintain.     or brushed onto the surface. By spray-
                  that is laid onto a sur-                                           ing, the liquid forms a monolithic mem-
                  face to prevent water      Different types of waterproofing        brane, with no laps, welds or seams.
                  leaks or damage.           membrane                                Under these two broad categories, dif-
Waterproofing membranes generally                                                    ferent types of waterproofing mem-
consist of liquid applied or pre-formed      Waterproofing membranes can be          branes are available in the market,
sheet membranes. They can be                 broadly categorized as Sheet Based      each of them is explained below.
adhered to or installed around the           Membranes and Liquid Applied Water-     Self-adhesive modified bituminous
foundations (like a structural slab) to      proofing Membranes. Sheet-based         membrane
prevent water penetration. Whether           membranes come in the form of rolls.
it's to protect your building's basement     These are unrolled and laid on a firm   Self-adhesive modified bituminous
or roof, waterproofing will help stop        surface. One of the most common         membranes are composed of asphalt,
water from infiltrating your foundation      sheet-based membranes is the bitumi-    polymers, and tackifiers, and may con-
and protect your structure from water        nous waterproofing membrane. Liquid     tain mineral stabilizers. The products
damage. Waterproofing membrane is            applied waterproofing membranes are     may be reinforced with fiberglass, poly-

  04                                                                                           March 2021 • Constrofacilitator
EMAGAZINE MARCH 2021 - Constrofacilitator
WATERPROOFING MEMBRANE

                                           of which indicates the proper material
                                           heating. On the top side, the material is
                                           covered by a polymer film.

                                           EPDM membranes

                                           It is a preformed elastomeric water-
                                           proofing membrane made of high-
                                           quality EPDM rubber. It exhibits high
                                           tensile strength, elongation, tear
                                           strength and is resistant to weathering,
ester, or a combination of the two.        heat aging, ozone, UV rays, acids, alkalis
Products designed for exposure to the      and oxygenated solvents. The installa-
elements are typically surfaced with       tion is quick and more importantly,
mineral granules, coatings, films, or      safe. Modern products come as a sin-           Bituminous Membrane
other opaque surfacing. The self-          gle component cementitious, polymer-
                                                                                          Hot melt liquid bituminous rubber
adhesive layer is protected with a         modified non-reactive selective fiber-
                                                                                          blend structural waterproofing sys-
release film or paper, which is removed    reinforced repair mortar to provide
                                                                                          tems with an interlaid reinforcement
during installation. Self-adhesive modi-   excellent properties as well as resis-
                                                                                          can be used in roof and podium deck
fied bituminous membranes are gen-         tance to corrosion and carbonation
                                                                                          applications to provide a seamless
erally packaged and stored in card-        and shrinkage cracking. This can be
                                                                                          waterproofing membrane for high
board boxes or they are protected with     applied in thickness from 10 mm to 40
                                                                                          green roofs and podiums, and are
opaque wrapping.                           mm in vertical and 25 mm in an over-
                                                                                          sometimes specified for winter applica-
                                           head situation. It is suitable to apply by
Polymer-modified bitumen membrane                                                         tions as they can be laid at low temper-
                                           hand trowel or by special mortar spray
                                                                                          atures.
The most widespread materials for the      machine.
creation of the waterproofing layer are
the polymer-bitumen roll-fed sheet
membranes. These materials could
also be used as an underlay for pitched
roofs and as a vapor barrier. The mate-
rial withstands temperature fluctua-
tions and high mechanical loads pro-
viding long-term, reliable and effective
waterproofing. The polymer-modified
bitumen sheet membrane provides                                                           Polyurethane membrane
additional flow resistance that makes it   Thermoplastic membrane
                                                                                          These products come with a fiber-
possible to use the material in a very
                                           Thermoplastic roof membranes set               enhanced one component water-
hot climate. On the bottom side, the
                                           themselves apart from other commer-            based polyurethane membrane that
material is covered by a polymer film
                                           cial roofing systems. It is a blend of poly-   has been designed for a range of
with special graphic elements, melting
                                           propylene, ethylene-propylene and is           waterproofing applications where the
                                           often reinforced with polyester. Sheets
                                           of TPO can contain UV absorbers,
                                           colorants, flame retardants or other
                                           add-ins to achieve required physical
                                           properties. Often white, TPO sheets
                                           can range in width from 6 to 12 feet
                                           and have varying thicknesses, usually
                                           40 to 100 mil. Thermoplastic mem-
                                           branes can be less expensive than
                                           other roofing options.

March 2021 • Constrofacilitator                                                                                              05
EMAGAZINE MARCH 2021 - Constrofacilitator
WATERPROOFING MEMBRANE

membrane is to be covered over with          proofing safety and installation effi-           as there is no active release zone.
tiles, screeds, concrete beds, etc They      ciency and are typically used for base-          This can be addressed by installing
offer excellent adhesion properties          ments or below-grade areas.                      a compressible foam rod to the
overbuilding substrates including con-                                                        perimeters, before placing the
                                             Application of waterproofing mem-
crete, masonry, renders, cement sheet-                                                        screed. This is further compro-
                                             brane
ing, wet area sheet surfaces and plas-                                                        mised when the required DFT is
terboard surfaces.                           Regardless of the scale, size, location or       not achieved, reducing the mem-
                                             type of building, waterproofing mem-             brane elongation tolerance drasti-
Polypropylene Membrane
                                             branes are an essential component                cally.
It is a special waterproofing material       necessary to protect the building's          Ÿ   Uneven film thickness is even
that is manufactured from Bitumen.           structural integrity and its inhabitants.        more prone to elongation failure.
They come in rolls. Each roll measures       Its application areas include;                   Thicker coatings can restrict move-
10 metres by 1 metre and covers an                                                            ment, where thinner applied coat-
                                             Ÿ   Tanking/ basements                           ings will tear under minimal move-
area of 8.7 m². It is a very efficient and
durable waterproofing material used in       Ÿ   Flat Roofs (including Green Roofs)           ment. This is why filleting is not as
most constructions. It is a common           Ÿ   Plant rooms                                  successful as bond breaker sys-
waterproofing material used on con-          Ÿ   Podiums and balconies                        tems. An even DFT [ Dry Film
crete flat roofs. Apart from concrete        Ÿ   Retaining walls                              Thickness ] of coating, bonded to a
roofs and low-pitched roofs, other           Ÿ   Garden beds and planter boxes                compatible joint sealant, is
areas of application are concrete gut-       Ÿ   Concrete water tanks                         restricted from stretching as the
ters, basements and retaining walls.         Ÿ   Containment and bunded areas                 uneven fillet section of sealant
                                                                                              allows free movement at the thin
                                             Factors to consider for the water-               points, and restricts movement at
                                             proofing membrane application                    thicker fillet zones.
                                             Oftentimes missing out on a small tech-      Ÿ   Most coating manufacturers
                                             nical miss out might cause undesired             require different ranges of mini-
                                             results. Given below are few details             mum DFTs [ Dry Film Thickness ]
                                             that need to be addressed for the                under different circumstances.
                                             application of waterproofing mem-                Internal wet areas may require a
                                             branes.                                          minimum DFT of 0.6 to 1mm for
                                                                                              wall applications and 1 to 1.5mm
                                             Ÿ   Coating materials need to be abra-           for floors and horizontal surfaces.
                                                 sive resistant and accommodate               Balconies and podiums may
PVC and TPO membrane                             building movement. Quite often               require a minimum DFT at the
These are highly flexible sheet mem-             this is misunderstood and                    range of 1.5 to 2mm, where lift
brane systems that protect any con-              unbonded screeds are placed over             pits, pools and planter boxes may
crete structure. It can be built as stan-        membranes that are applied too               require a minimum DFT up in the
dard single-layer compartment sys-               thin, resulting in mechanical abra-          ranges of 2 to 3mm, depending on
tems up to the active control system to          sion. This mechanical abrasion is            the coating material used.
meet the highest demands. They are               akin to trying to wear through the       Ÿ   Low viscosity coatings must have
fully-bonded and offer high water-               coating with a brick. Any thin               at least 3 coats, where one cannot
                                                 spots, weak points or high spots             achieve anything greater than
                                                 can wear through, forming rup-               0.5mm WFT, due to slump and
                                                 tures and blisters.                          souping of the coating. Even at
                                             Ÿ   Movement accommodation at                    66% solids, we need to apply 3
                                                 bond breaker junctions is severely           coats to achieve the 0.99mm
                                                 compromised when waterproof-                 (1mm) DFT required for floor and
                                                 ing is applied beneath a screed.             horizontal surfaces.
                                                 The compacted screed restricts           Ÿ   Coating DFT[Dry Film Thickness ] is
                                                 the coating movement when                    paramount to achieving the opti-
                                                 releasing from the bond breaker,

  06                                                                                                March 2021 • Constrofacilitator
EMAGAZINE MARCH 2021 - Constrofacilitator
WATERPROOFING MEMBRANE

    mum performance as required by
    the manufacturer. Reduced coat-
    ing thickness can result in abrasive
    damage and reduces elongation
    properties. Excessive thickness
    may result in re-emulsification and
    splitting during curing. Detailed
    substrate preparation will ensure
    even film thickness and perfor-
    mance.

References:

prweb.com
sondhienterprises.com
polygomma.com
greenshield.co.in
sika.com
concretecareindia.com
bronco.co.in
sandexwaterproofing.com

Ultra-Water Resistant Surface

A
         group of researchers from the        ridging pattern will reduce the contact     resistant coating, manufacturers might
        Massachusetts Institute of Tech-      time between water droplets and a sur-      enable products to display superior
        nology recently announced a           face, it could hold great value in terms    deicing properties. Similarly, ultra-
stunning breakthrough in the develop-         of enhancing ice-resistance. Frozen         water resistant fabrics would help pro-
ment of an exceedingly water-resistant        water clinging to aircraft parts poses a    tect people from exposure to the ele-
surface. Their research focused upon          significant aviation issue in many situa-   ments more effectively in some set-
repelling water droplets. They                tions. By installing a more water-          tings.
announced they had discovered a way
to increase exterior ridges in silicon in a
way that deflects water falling onto the
surface.

Their research could lead to the even-
tual production of very “hydrophobic”
i.e. water resistant garments and
mechanical and electronic parts. Ultra
hydrophobic (or superhydrophobic)
surfaces are highly hydrophobic, i.e.,
extremely difficult to wet. The contact
angles of a water droplet on an
ultrahydrophobic material exceed
150°.This is also referred to as the lotus
effect, after the superhydrophobic
leaves of the lotus plant. Since the fine

March 2021 • Constrofacilitator                                                                                             07
EMAGAZINE MARCH 2021 - Constrofacilitator
BASEMENT WATERPROOFING

Basement Waterproofing -
Causes, Methods & Membranes

B
                asement water ingress              larly prone to wetness and moisture         struction. When pockets of air are
                can lead to problems of            development. Water in the soil causes       not removed, or the mixture is not
                a s t r u c t u r e . U n d e r-   hydrostatic pressure to be exerted          allowed to cure properly, the con-
                ground water and                   underneath basement floors and walls.       crete can crack, which allows
                Groundwater is the main            This hydrostatic pressure can force         water to force its way through the
                source of water which              water through cracks, which can cause       wall.
will enter a basement. If the water table          major structural damage as well as      Ÿ   Foundations (footings) are hori-
rises above the level of the basement              mold, decay, and other moisture-            zontal pads that define the perime-
floor water can enter the basement                 related problems.                           ter of foundation walls. When foot-
through the side wall. Basement water-                                                         ings are too narrow or are not laid
proofing thereby becomes important. It             Causes of water ingress in basement         deep enough, they are susceptible
involves techniques and materials                                                              to movement caused by soil ero-
used to prevent water from penetrating             Water seepage in basement and crawl         sion.
the basement of a structure. Water-                spaces usually occurs over long peri-   Ÿ   Gutters and downspouts are used
proofing a basement that is below                  ods of time and can be caused by            to catch rainwater as it falls and to
ground level can require the applica-              numerous factors.                           discharge it away from houses
tion of sealant materials, the installation                                                    and buildings. When gutters are
of drains and sump pumps, and more.                Ÿ   Concrete is one of the most com-        clogged or downspouts are bro-
The spaces of basements are particu-                   monly used materials in home con-       ken, rainwater is absorbed by the

Constrofacilitator • March 2021             08
EMAGAZINE MARCH 2021 - Constrofacilitator
BASEMENT WATERPROOFING

                                            Ÿ   Buckling walls: Usually caused by    Advantages of basement waterproof-
                                                hydrostatic pressure. Walls          ing
                                                appear to be bowed inward.
                                                                                     Ÿ    Better indoor environment
                                                                                     Ÿ    Basement Floor Protection
                                                                                     Ÿ    Prevention of basement flooding
                                                                                     Ÿ    Protection to your sump pump
                                                                                     Ÿ    Protection from structural damage
                                                                                     Ÿ    Reduce Energy Costs

                                                                                     Different types of Basement water-
    soil near the foundation, increas-                                               proofing methods
    ing hydrostatic pressure.
Ÿ   Weeping tile is a porous plastic                                                 The choice of waterproofing system
    drain pipe installed around the per-                                             will depend on a number of factors
                                            Ÿ   Peeling paint: Water seeping         such as the method & type of base-
    imeter of the house. The main pur-
                                                through walls may lead to bub-       ment construction, the depth below
    pose of external weeping tile is pre-
                                                bling or peeling paint along base-   ground, and the proposed end use.
    venting water from getting into a
                                                ment walls.                          Each situation is different, so it is
    basement. However, these pipes
    can become clogged or dam-                                                       important to have a good understand-
    aged, which causes excess water                                                  ing of what waterproofing issues are
    to put pressure on internal walls                                                present. There are so many factors that
    and basement floors.                                                             come into play when it comes to keep-
Ÿ   Water build up inside window                                                     ing your basement. While each situa-
    wells, after heavy rain or snow, can                                             tion is different, the best policy is
    lead to leaks through basement                                                   always prevention rather than repair.
    window seams.                                                                    Taking steps to waterproof your base-
Ÿ   Ground saturation is another com-                                                ment before water is present is sure to
    mon form of basement leaks.                                                      yield the best results. The different
    When the footing drain fails the                                                 types are discussed below.
    ground around the basement can          Ÿ   Efflorescence: White, powdery
    contain too much water and when             residue found on basement walls      Exterior basement waterproofing
    the saturation point is met flooding        near the floor.
    can occur.                                                                       The exterior basement waterproofing
                                                                                     method is designed to prevent water
Signs of basement water damage                                                       from causing any major structural dam-
                                                                                     age to the building, using polymers
Ÿ   Cracked walls: Cracks may be hor-                                                and membranes to coat the exterior
    izontal, vertical, diagonal or stair-                                            basement walls. Polymer-based prod-
    stepped. Severe pressure or struc-                                               ucts last for the lifetime of the building
    tural damage is evident by widen-                                                and are not affected by soil pH. Poly-
    ing cracks.                                                                      mer-based waterproofing materials
                                            Ÿ   Mold: Fungi that usually grow in     can be sprayed directly onto a wall, are
                                                damp, dark areas and can cause       very fast curing, and are semi-flexible,
                                                respiratory problems after pro-      allowing for some movement of the sub-
                                                longed exposure.                     strate.

                                                                                     09         Constrofacilitator • March 2021
EMAGAZINE MARCH 2021 - Constrofacilitator
Pre-engineered Roofing

                                                                                              BASEMENT WATERPROOFING

Interior basement waterproofing             company, states like Michigan have a         brane - It is used in the basement
                                            lot of ground clay, which will absorb        waterproofing. It is manufactured from
Interior basement waterproofing using       and hold water, resulting in the flexing     synthetic EPDM rubber. The EPDM rub-
coatings is effective where condensa-       in basement foundation walls that can        ber waterproofing membranes are
tion is the main source of wetness. It is   cause cracking and subsequent leaks.         techno-commercially much better than
also effective if the problem has minor                                                  substitutes.
dampness. Installing a backwater            Waterproofing with Sealants and
valve is one of the most effective mea-     Foundation crack injections
sures to save your basement. Installing
a drainage system is the most complex       In poured concrete foundations,
solution for interior waterproofing. Sev-   cracks and pipe penetrations are the
eral approaches and materials can be        most common entry points for seep-
used. One proper solution is a French       age. These openings can be sealed
drain with a sump pump installation,        from the interior. Epoxies, which are
rubber walls, water weeping tiles, and a    strong adhesives, or urethanes can be
drainage membrane.                          pressure injected into the openings,
                                            thus penetrating the foundation              Portland cement-based waterproofing
                                            through to the exterior and cutting off      membrane - This type of membrane
                                            the path of the seepage. Interior seal-      helps in resisting positive and negative
                                            ers are good for preventing high atmo-       pressure under 100m head in water
                                            spheric humidity inside the basement         retaining and below ground structures.
                                            from absorbing into the porous
                                            masonry and causing spalling. Interior
                                            sealants are designed to ensure that
                                            the atmospheric humidity level in the
                                            basement stays low.

Waterproofing with drainage systems         Foundation crack injections are used
                                            when poured concrete foundations
A drainage system can help avoid            crack either from a settlement or the
water buildup in your basement, mov-        expansion and contraction of the con-
ing the water from the footers of the       crete. Epoxy crack injections are typi-
house foundation and out below the          cally used for structural purposes while     Cement-based waterproofing mem-
basement floor. A common system for         hydrophobic or hydrophilic polyure-          brane - It is applied to a concrete sur-
draining water that has penetrated a        thane injections are used to seal cracks     face, the active chemicals combine
basement involves creating a channel        to prevent penetration of moisture or        with the free lime and moisture present
around the perimeter of the basement        water. Injection sealing of the crack cav-   in the capillary tract to form insoluble
alongside the foundation footers. A         ity will address the problem and can be      crystalline complexes. These crystals
French drain, PVC pipe, or a patented       done from the inside with minimal dis-       block the capillaries and minor shrink-
drainage system is installed in the         ruption.                                     age cracks in the concrete to prevent
newly-made channel. The installed                                                        any further water ingress.
drain is covered with new cement.
According to Rick Jacobs of Absolute
Waterproofing Solutions, a basement
waterproofing and foundation repair

                                            Different types of basement water-
                                            proofing membrane

                                            Single-ply rubber waterproofing mem-

Constrofacilitator • October
                     March 2021
                             2020     10
BASEMENT WATERPROOFING

Fiber reinforced waterproofing mem-           Cell mesh membrane - This type of           References:-
brane - It is a compound system con-          membrane uses cell mesh that bonds
sisting of a rubberized bitumen emul-         with freshly placed concrete which acts     aquaguard.net,
sion with additives and a powder com-         as a seal. This prevents water ingress.     uswaterproofing.com,
ponent. The application is easy even          It can be installed rapidly, with no need   acculevel.com,
around details such as pipe penetra-          for blinding concrete, priming, or pro-     treehouseinternetgroup.com,
tions, inner and outer corners, wall-         tection and can be trafficked immedi-       washingtonpost.com,
floor junctions, etc.                         ately after application.                    archiexpo.it,
                                                                                          drybysuperior.com,
                                                                                          concretenetwork.com,
                                                                                          buildingenclosureonline.com,
                                                                                          aluminumconcreteforms.com,
                                                                                          wtrproof.com,

                                                                                               To read more about
                                                                                               waterproofing visit
                                                                                           www.constrofacilitator.com/
                                                                                             civil-products-services/
                                                                                                  waterproofing/

Nano technology in waterproofing

I
   n recent years, there has been an          rally occur in some plant leaves, such      oxidation, anti-icing, UV resistance,
   increase in nanotechnology                 as the lotus leaf, and some insect          high temperature resistant and also
   research, and nanotechnology has           wings. More about superhydrophobic          resistant to chemical compounds. It
been incorporated into many applica-          coatings.                                   has self-cleaning capabilities when it
tions in everyday life.                                                                   rains and can be used on a variety of
                                               High hydrophobicity eco-friendly nano      surfaces. Nano coatings do not
Nanotechnology is no longer just a            coating can be applied onto objects to      change the colour of the surface to
promising field of research. Many             make them waterproof for the long-          which they are applied. They are invisi-
nanotech solutions have made their            term. The product is anti-corrosive or      ble to the naked eye.
way into everyday life – one of the most
prominent being the use of ceramic
coating for waterproofing. Nano coat-
ing is hydrophobic (water repellent),
oleo phobic (oil repellent) surface layer
that repels water, oil, dirt, and other dry
particles. Superhydrophobic coatings
are used in dry surface application.
These naturally occur in some plant
leaves, such as the lotus leaf, and
some insect wings. Nano coating is
hydrophobic (water repellent), oleo
phobic (oil repellent) surface layer that
repels water, oil, dirt, and other dry par-
ticles.

Superhydrophobic coatings are used
in dry surface application. These natu-

                                                                                          11        Constrofacilitator • March 2021
WATERPROOFING MEMBRANES

Concrete Deck Waterproofing membranes

                           Constrofacilitator • March 2021   12
WATERPROOFING MEMBRANES

T
            he concrete deck is prone to          smooth. All grease, oil, wax, curing
            water ingress, water may drip         compounds, loose material, paint
            through cracks or other sur-          and any other contaminants must
            faces, which may inevitably           be removed, masonry surfaces
            decay the surrounding area.           must be pointed flush and surface
In the long run, this will be quite costly        defects repaired. New concrete
to fix. In order to avoid this, and to keep       must be cured for a minimum 28
your deck in the best shape, water-               days.
proofing is key. Horizontal surfaces          Ÿ   External corners to be water-
exposed to the weather can be difficult           proofed must be bevelled to             structures to be overlaid with an
to waterproof. Inadequate slope can               ensure a smooth transition of mem-      asphalt concrete wearing course. It is
create areas of standing water. In colder         brane from vertical to horizontal       ideal for repair, maintenance, or new
climates, freeze/thaw cycles impose               surfaces.                               construction applications.
additional challenges. Frequently, the
coating also has to stand up to foot traf-    Deck waterproofing membranes                Plastomeric waterproofing mem-
fic as well.                                                                              brane
                                              Urethane elastomeric waterproofing
The most common cause of a ceiling            membrane                                    These membranes are manufactured in
leak is a failure in the waterproof mem-                                                  advanced - under controlled conditions
brane or screed in the floor slab of the      Urethane elastomeric membrane is            by saturating and coating a robust rein-
upper floor apartment. The failure may        both flexible and durable. This chemical    forcement of synthetic non woven poly-
be because of natural deterioration of        resistant, moisture cured, polyurethane     ester carrier with a homogenous ther-
the waterproof membrane, material             system is designed to expand and con-       moplastic bituminous blend of distilled
damage or faulty construction / instal-       tract with normal structural move-          asphalt, modified with selected poly-
lation of the membrane. Whatever the          ments. It has an aesthetically pleasing     mer and inert fillers which gives the
cause, the membrane loses its water-          monolithic surface that will not soften     membrane its excellent properties of
proof properties and is no longer able        in heat or become brittle in cold. With     resistance to ageing, facilitates the ease
to prevent water from penetrating the         the use of a catalyst the urethane deck-    of application and adhesion and
porous concrete floor slab and seeping        ing system can be accelerated to a two-     accommodates structural movements.
into the lower part of that slab.             day application. The coating system is      These are designed as a cap-layer in
                                              a waterproofing system that can be          exposed membrane systems. They are
Waterproofing your deck also allows           used on a wide range of applications.       ideal for flat or sloped roofs, tiles on ter-
the concrete to be protected from natu-       Installed and maintained properly, this     races & for improved aesthetics.
ral foot traffic and the elements. When       system will ensure years of waterproof-
you waterproof your deck, a special           ing protection.
coating is added to the concrete that
will help make it impenetrable as well as
making it easy to maintain. One good
way to know that you need to resurface
and waterproof your concrete deck is if
there are multiple cracks in the deck.
Often, resurfacing your deck might not
be as expensive as you might think.                                                       Urethane waterproofing membrane
Since the actual foundation does not
need to be fixed, the top level of the                                                    It is a single component, a moisture-
deck is the only thing that is being                                                      cured elastomeric urethane water-
changed. Once the floor has been              Polymeric waterproofing membrane            proofing system designed for pedes-
resurfaced, it will not have any cracks or                                                trian traffic. It is a monolithic system,
other signs of wear.                          It is shrink-resistant, heavy-duty, poly-   designed to waterproof concrete and
                                              propylene woven carrier fabric. The two     plywood surfaces by excluding mois-
Preparation of waterproofing mem-             components are laminated together           ture penetration during low-
branes in decks                               under strictly controlled production pro-   temperature exposure as well as high
                                              cedures. It provides an excellent water-    temperature, high humidity thermal
Ÿ    All surfaces to be waterproofed          proofing membrane for bridges, park-        cycling. This waterproofing system has
     must be firm, clean, dry, sound and      ing decks or other vehicular traffic        excellent adhesion, impact, and abra-

    13      Constrofacilitator • March 2021
WATERPROOFING MEMBRANES

                                              many strong carbon-fluoride bonds.
                                              The fluorine in a fluoropolymer is elec-
                                              trically negative, which gives it the prop-
                                              erty of not bonding easily with other
                                              materials. That's what makes a fluoro-
                                              polymer non-stick. Fluoropolymer coat-
                                              ings have excellent non-stick properties
                                              and reduce friction and resist corrosion.
                                              They withstand very high temperatures,
                                              as well. Fluoropolymers are insulators,
                                              meaning they do not conduct electric-
                                              ity. They do not absorb water, either.

                                              Liquid Rubber Polyurethane water-                between the membrane and substrate.
sion resistance while exhibiting supe-        proofing membranes                               It is ideal for application on concrete
rior flexibility and weather resistance.                                                       decks, especially where surface profiles
                                              It is a monolithic, fully-bonded, liquid-        and the presence of services provided
New Halogen-Free Parylene water-              based coating suitable for many water-           detailing difficulties for the use of pre-
proofing membrane                             proofing and roofing applications. The           formed membranes.
                                              coating cures to form a rubber-like
New Halogen-Free Parylene coating             elastomeric waterproof membrane and              Advantages of concrete deck water-
offers manufacturers the same host of         may be applied over many substrates,             proofing membranes
beneficial properties that they have          including asphalt, bitumen and con-
come to expect from the Parylene fam-         crete. This is to apply, ultra-low VOC           The modern membranes provide a
ily, but with improved barrier properties     coating can be used to protect decks,            wide array of advantages and products
over traditional halogen-free variants. It    docks, outdoor walkways, floors and              are now available with multiple advan-
is applied through a vapor deposition         much more. Given the cured mem-                  tages, narrowed down are some of the
process that results in an ultra-thin, uni-   brane's superior strength, waterproof            common advantages of these prod-
form, pinhole-free conformal coating.         properties and high adhesion to most             ucts.
The thin film forms at a molecular level      substrates.
to fully encapsulate components and                                                            Ÿ   Tolerant to Damp Surfaces
devices, offering complete protection                                                          Ÿ   Crack-bridging properties
and increased reliability of intricate,                                                        Ÿ   Superior performance / Excellent
complex electronic devices.                                                                        Adhesion
                                                                                               Ÿ   Suitable for both Positive & Nega-
Fluoropolymer waterproofing mem-                                                                   tive Water Pressure
brane                                                                                          Ÿ   Seamless, reliable, user friendly
                                                                                               Ÿ   Environmentally Friendly
A fluoropolymer is a polymer that is                                                           Ÿ   Non-Toxic and Chloride Free
based in fluorocarbon and has strong                                                           Ÿ   Suitable for use with Potable Water
carbon-fluoride bonds. fluoropolymer                                                           Ÿ   Root resistant when reinforced
is a chemical compound that contains                                                               with Glass Fibre Mesh
                                                                                               Ÿ   Anti-Carbonation and Electro-
                                              Hybrid waterproofing membranes                       chemical Corrosion
                                                                                               Ÿ   Reparability
                                              Modern hybris coating includes poly-
                                              mer-modified, polyurethane-asphalt               References:
                                              hybrid coating cures to form a tough
                                              and highly-elastic membrane and pro-             barrierdampproofing.com.au
                                              vides durable and seamless water-                creativityden.com
                                              proofing protection for concrete sub-            nimacochemicals.com
                                              strates. When completely dry and fully           scoop.it
                                              bonded to the substrate, the coating             purepoxy.com
                                              forms an impervious continuous barrier           spec-net.com.au
                                              to eliminate the migration of water              kamsons.com

                                                                                            Constrofacilitator • March 2021        14
TUNNEL WATERPROOFING

Tunnel Waterproofing - Components and
Types

T
                unnel waterproofing is one
                challenging work under-
                taken. This type of water-
                proofing systems are faced
                with very strict requirements
                regarding durability, expo-
                sure, sustainability, and
stress conditions. For waterproofing in tun-
nels or underground structures, it is impor-
tant to consider the entire system rather
than the individual waterproofing layers.
With respect to the durability of under-
ground structures, the ingress of water is
usually the most important factor to be con-
sidered. Some of the defects are intrinsic to
specific lining types but it can be stated that
deficient waterproofing is at the origin of
most problems. A problem that has
increased in urban tunnels is related to
chemically aggressive groundwater. For
such cases, considerations of chemical
interactions of pollutants with the water-
proofing system are of major importance.

  15                                                March 2021 • Constrofacilitator
                                                  February
TUNNEL WATERPROOFING

Components of tunnel waterproofing               Different types of tunnel waterproofing sys-
                                                 tems
The basic design of waterproofing systems
in Tunnel construction is typically of two       It Is essential to remember that waterproof-
types, namely Drained system and Pres-           ing systems have to be selected and
sure system. The drained system allows the       planned in order to represent the optimal
water to channelize and hence drain out of       solution with regard to given requirements
the system, also commonly known as the           pertaining to its intended use on one hand
Umbrella system. On the other side, the          and technically & economically acceptable
pressure system holds the water behind the       possibilities on the other. The key criteria in
membrane for a perpetual period. The             selecting these systems are, hydrology con-
waterproofing membrane relies on various         cept, permanent water table, the degree of
                                                                                                   Spray applied waterproofing system
components that need to be compatible            water tightness required, drained or
with each other and applied in the correct       undrained concept, the height of water pres-      mary and secondary linings. This offers
sequence to give a desired result.               sure, the impacts and conditions during           maintenance and repair benefits by pre-
                                                 construction etc.                                 venting the movement of water either
Ÿ    The basic support surface on which                                                            behind or, should it be breached, in front of
     the layers of the proofing system are       Hybrid waterproofing system                       the membrane. The application of the mem-
     installed                                                                                     brane is very simple and can be executed
Ÿ    The compensation layer, which makes         Hybrid below-grade water-proofing mem-            by a dry shotcrete machine. For the thin-
     up for uneven substrates                    branes combine active polymer barrier tech-       stream transport of powder to the nozzle,
Ÿ    The drainage element which collects         nology with conventional passive-bonded           compressed air is needed.
     and disposes of water on the rear side      product technology. By incorporating multi-
     of the waterproof layer                     ple barrier materials in a single waterproof-     Sheet Membrane waterproofing system
Ÿ    The sealing element or impermeable          ing membrane, the new active polymer
     layer generally includes a waterproof       hybrid membranes compensate for the               Sheet membrane systems are available in
     membrane                                    shortcomings of traditional materials.            Rubber, Neoprene, high-density polyure-
Ÿ    The protective layer that separates and                                                       thane, (HDPE) and combinations of rubber
     protects the waterproof membrane            The spray applied waterproofing system            and HDPE. They are provided as rolls usu-
     from the concrete casting filling mate-                                                       ally approximately 2-3 meters in width and
     rial                                        The spray applied waterproofing system in         are self-adhered. During application, the roll
Ÿ    The partitioning element that divides       tunnels is used with single shell linings. The    is laid out flipped over and the backing
     surfaces into sections to help locate       conditions of the application of this system      removed. The sheet is placed onto the con-
     leaks.                                      are analyzed in terms of the deformation          crete with the adhesive in contact with the
Ÿ    The injection and control element           and surface condition of the first layer of the   concrete and pressed into place. The
     enables the integrity of the sealed sur-    shotcrete shell, water ingress and water          sheets can be applied either as a blindside
     faces and any resins injected into parti-   pressure behind the waterproofing mem-            waterproofing against sheet piling or a tem-
     tioned sectors to be checked.               brane. This method can bond to both the pri-      porary support system or can be applied
                                                                                                   after partial cure of the concrete.

                                                                                                   Sheet Membrane waterproofing system

                                                                                                   The epoxy Liner waterproofing system

                                                                                                   These are two-component systems and
                                                                                                   generally are produced in two formulations:
                                                                                                   one for horizontal surfaces and one for verti-
                                                                                                   cal surfaces. The difference is that the verti-
                                                                                                   cal material is non-sag to better adhere to
                                                                                                   the vertical surfaces. The formulations are
                                                                                                   not interchangeable due to the requirement
Hybrid waterproofing system                                                                        to have non-sag for vertical surfaces to

March 2021 • Constrofacilitator                                                                                                             16
TUNNEL WATERPROOFING

develop the required thickness. Typical
installation of epoxy systems is performed
by spraying the epoxy.

PVC waterproofing membrane system

The double-layered system of PVC-P, in
combination with waterstop, injection
valves, hoses, a tunnel waterproofing sys-
tem can be divided and compartmentalised
into small independent watertight sections.
The tunnel/ structure is therefore divided
into manageable sections that can be
treated as individual entities. This system
allows us to test for water-tightness at loca-
tions suspected of accidental damage, or in
the case of leakage. Furthermore, the water
infiltrations would be limited to the single     Crystalline waterproofing system
damaged section/compartment. Any dam-            The product should be made up of virgin         that will last for the life of the tunnel. These
age/leakage would remain localised, thus         PVC compound and plasticized for long           solutions are easy to use and do not require
rendering easy rectification, and thereby mit-   term flexibility and durability. The mem-       special weather conditions. This water-
igating one of the major concerns with tradi-    brane shall be supplied with a signal layer,    proofing system is designed for use in
tional PVC-P applications. This                  i.e. a thin sheet of different colour, bonded   above- and below-grade applications,
compartmentalization forms this watertight       to one side, which is intended to facilitate    MasterLife 300 series admixtures react in
control by utilising the gap between the two     the detection of damage.                        concrete to form non-soluble crystalline
waterproofing membrane layers. This gap                                                          hydration products in the capillary pores of
can be exploited to monitor the waterproof-      Crystalline integral waterproofing system       the concrete. These crystalline hydration
ing system sealing and allows for simple                                                         products effectively reduce the permeability
future repairs by resin injection.PVC-P twin     Crystalline integral waterproofing solutions    of concrete and seal the hairline cracks.
layer membrane is generally used as a            protect the structural rebar from corrosion
waterproofing membrane, must be highly           and provide a durable, leak-free solution       Conclusion
durable and shall be judiciously selected.
                                                                                                 A long service life of tunnel construction
                                                                                                 requires durability of all components. A
                                                                                                 major part in this context plays the water-
                                                                                                 proofing layer and various components,
                                                                                                 especially those which are supposed to
                                                                                                 blend together. The designers, owners and
                                                                                                 project managers should select the com-
                                                                                                 plete system judiciously and understand in
                                                                                                 detail the functioning of each component,
                                                                                                 which together shall work in designed
                                                                                                 period of life and not just the warranty
                                                                                                 period.

                                                                                                 References:

                                                                                                 master-builders-solutions.com, sika.com,
                                                                                                 tunnel-online.info, tunneltalk.com,
PVC waterproofing membrane system                                                                extruflex.com, prnewswire.com

  17                                                                                                         March 2021 • Constrofacilitator
Waterproofing membranes
Waterproofing membranes are available in sheet form or liquid form. Liquid membranes are sprayed, rolled or trow-
elled onto the concrete surface and cure to form a rubbery waterproof coating. Sheet membranes come in sheet form
and are stuck to the concrete surface to provide a waterproof barrier preventing water intrusion into the structural ele-
ments of a building or its finished spaces.
Metropolitan Transportation Service (MTS) recently unveiled a new, high-efficiency wheel truing pit to keep rail
cars rolling smoothly. On this project, an underfloor truing pit-with a metal milling machine-can simultaneously re-
profile wheels of passenger or freight cars, while the wheel set is attached to the rolling stock.
During excavation, the specifications outlined the depth of the pit to be almost three feet under the water table.
When the general contractor began digging, water poured in quickly, filling the bottom of the hole. In order to finish
the excavation, seven dewatering pumps were needed to drain the area and keep the water out. Original parameters
specified installation of a waterproofing membrane. However, the project manager looked for a better solution to
prevent water seepage through the concrete. The solution includes a range of crystalline products to treat all the con-
crete for the footings, slab and walls of the truing pit. It also seals all the cold joints and helps to patch any remaining
cracks and imperfections in the new structure.
This reduces permeability by permanently sealing micro-cracks and this also helps protect the concrete against wa-
ter penetration, even under high hydrostatic pressure. This is only one example. Construction materials continue to
advance, enabling workers to build structures that are waterproof from the elements, ensuring a long-lasting struc-
ture.

Self-healing, water-repellent, spray-on coating

Self-healing, water-repellent, spray-on coating developed at the University of Michigan is hundreds of times more
durable than its counterparts. It could enable waterproofing of vehicles, clothing, rooftops and countless other sur-
faces for which current waterproofing treatments are too fragile. It could also lower the resistance of ship hulls, a
step that would reduce the fuel consumption of the massive vessels that transport 90 percent of the world’s cargo.
The developers say the new concoction is a breakthrough in a field where decades of research have failed to produce
a durable coating. While water-repellent finishes are available at present, they’re typically not strong enough for ap-
plications like clothing or ship hulls. This discovery changes that.
The coating is made of a mix of a material called “fluorinated polyurethane elastomer” and a specialized water-
repellent molecule known as “F-POSS.” It can be easily sprayed onto virtually any surface and has a slightly rub-
bery texture that makes it more resilient than its predecessors.
If it is damaged, the coating can heal itself hundreds of times. It can bounce back “even after being abraded,
scratched, burned, plasma-cleaned, flattened, sonicated and chemically attacked,” the researchers wrote in a paper
recently published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
In addition to recovering physically, the coating can heal itself chemically. If water-repellent F-POSS molecules are
scraped from the surface, new molecules will naturally migrate there to replace them. That’s how the coating can re-
new itself hundreds of times. Its healing ability is limited only by its thickness.
March 2021 • Constrofacilitator                                                                                        18
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