Waterproofing SPECIAL FEATUREMAR-APR 2018 SEAB 79
An Interview with Xypex Chemical Corporation
Mr Loch Jackson, Senior Business Development & Sales XCC - Hong Kong, shares
his views.Photos supplied by RNC Integral Concrete Technology (M) Sdn BhdQ: Can you highlight to us the importance of waterproofing
in a building project?
A: Over the past decade, the recognition of the cost of
maintaining steel reinforced concrete structures and the
effect that has on our environmental foot print has encouraged
developers, designers and asset owners to adapt waterproofing
design to increase structural durability, reduce the financial
impact of ongoing structural maintenance, reduce ongoing
environmental impact and increase opportunity for the practice
of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Q: Can you highlight to us the importance
of waterproofing in a building project?
A: Waterproofing is a construction measure
designed to prevent from damaging
a building. Poor waterproofing brings
serious risks to the integrity of a building.
When exposed to water, foundation cracks
or joints may lead to bigger structural
problems. These include leakage, spalling
and deterioration.
Q: How should architects select the
waterproofing system that they should
specify for the project that they are
working on?
A: Selection should be based on life-time
cost performance. This should include not
only the initial performance and cost of the
waterproofing system but also the cost of
replacing a waterproofing system failing
prematurely and other cost associated with
the failure. An experienced and qualified
person should review the qualities of
a recommended product in meeting
existing standard tests. Test certificates
An Interview with Parexgroup Pte Ltd
Ms Jacqueline Ng, Sales Manager, Waterproofing, Parexgroup Pte Ltd, shares her views.Photos supplied by Parexgroup Pte Ltdand previous job references should be
submitted to confirm the compliance
within the stated specifications.
Architects should also review on
the suitability and characteristics of the
waterproofing systems. For example,
small areas like toilets are not suitable topropose materials like preformed sheet
membrane systems, as these systems are
more suitable for large areas.Q: For a weather like Singapore which,
experiences heavy rainfall and high
temperatures, what measures are taken
to ensure to prevent leakage of water
and fading away of the waterproofing
components?
A: The measures taken to prevent
leakage of water and fading away of the
waterproofing components are:- Ensure good drainage. Poor drainage
weakens the foundations, causing cracks,
uneven settling and pathways for the water
to enter. - Check the water leaks and fix them. If
you fix a leak soon after it starts, there
may be no long-term damage at all. - Re-waterproof an existing roof after 10
years of the installation of the waterproofing
membrane. Re-coating should be done on
a 5-year basis.
Davco K10 Green Sheet R is a high
performance, multi-layer, fabric reinforced,
waterproofing system that can be installed
using a special spray equipment or roller. It is
specially formulated to be fast drying hence
increasing productivity and reducing the
risk of the membrane being wash out due
to the sudden occurrence of rain on during
installation.Q: How should architects select the waterproofing system
that they should specify for the project that they are working
on?
A: The cost of waterproofing materials is generally suggested
to be under three percent of a structure’s total cost, therefore
cost cutting in this critical deliverable for a structure’s optimum
performance does not seem to make economic sense. What
does make economic sense, however, is specifying the use of
products with multiple application formats based on a single
performance quality. In this way, the use of a waterproofing