Structural waterproofing

Weber Adhesives Advice

Structural waterproofing | Weber Adhesives Advice

Site last published: 06/30/08

Structural waterproofing

Any structure below ground should be considered to be liable to water pressure. Even if ground water is below the excavation level, capillary rise, flood water and adverse weather conditions may cause water to rise. Structures cannot be expected to be completely rigid and even small movements can lead to cracking allowing water ingress.

New structures can be made water resistant by good design, by integral waterproofing (using a water resisting concrete mix with integral waterproofer), by providing waterstops or by incorporating a continuous external or internal impervious barrier.

Problem

Solution

Concrete is naturally porous and should not be considered to be a water-tight structure. Water will slowly seep through tiny pores in the concrete and this is exacerbated when the water is under pressure.

Before a structure can be used, it must be made waterproof and tanking is an ideal way to do this. Tanking is a procedure for providing a waterproof or vapour-proof internal or external lining to a structure.

13092_img

Before tanking can be carried out, ancillary actions such as sealing joints must be undertaken to prevent future leaks. Joints between concrete blocks or mortar in brickwork/blockwork are weak points in a structure and therefore more likely to leak.

13094_img

Internal corners are subject to large stresses and this often leads to cracking allowing water ingress. Pipes or light fittings that are cut into/through the concrete are also very likely to leak unless correctly fitted.

Use weber.cem dry structural waterproofing products

Even properly designed water retaining structures may not be totally watertight and curative measures need to be taken.

Remedial waterproofing can be a risky operation. Success or failure is visible immediately but risk can be minimised by understanding the causes of the problem and providing effective solutions through the application of user-friendly high performance products by specialist applicators.

13112_img