Construction And Waterproofing chemicals

We generally do the water proofing jobs in basement/exposed to sky structures etc based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Kindly let me know the tests that can be done before selection of the water proofing compound. However in case of superplasticizers it is not a problem as we can monitor the slump and its rentention and the srength of concrete before accepting a mix design.

SIR I AM AN MTECH STUDENT AND WANTED TO WHAT ARE TYPES OF WATERPROOFING CHEMICALS AND WHAT ARE THE TEST CARRIED OUT TO ACERTAIN THEIR PERFORMANCE !! 

SIR I AM AN MTECH STUDENT AND WANTED TO WHAT ARE TYPES OF WATERPROOFING CHEMICALS AND WHAT ARE THE TEST CARRIED OUT TO ACERTAIN THEIR PERFORMANCE !! 

Integral waterproofing Admixtures doesnot completely ensure watertightness. selection of appropriate waterproofing system of a structure depends on various factors like grade of concrete, age of concrete,intensity of porosity,no of construction & cold joints, usage pattern,no of drainage discharge points,loads coming on structure - static  or dynamic & various other factors.
A thorough study of the structure to be waterproofed should be done & then only a appropriate waterproofing system be recommended / specified.

Dear all ,

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using admixture for each and evry concreting work is a common practice. But the thought to be given whether the same has a good compactablity with the type of cement which we are using for the concrete. 

Thanx every one for participating, lets get in to the details as when started it was vague. In concreting the basic containts are cement sand and coarse aggregates, to make the concrete sound and to reduce the water cement ratio plasticizers are must which imparts better cohesiveness and workability even at reduced water cement ratio. As far as water proofing is concerned there are different products available like admixtures, coatings and other tratments. 
The most important thing is the right system and product selection, for example for areas which are constantly in contact withy water or or moisture crystalline coatings are advisable particularly in places like basements and water tanks, since this coating is rigid it'll not take expansion and contraction but it has good penetration quality and this system works for longer time when ever a new capillery is developed this coating becomes active and reacts with water and blocks the capillery but for roofs and terraces this coating is not advised since the area is exposed to the climatical conditions and lot of expansion and contraction takes place so a flexible membrane coating is advisable again in this there are varieties single component or dual component and this has to be covered with a sceed to protect it even a crack in the screed is taken care and the water'll not seep in, before this treatment chipping the surface to remove the loose material cleaning the surface with wire brush and water to remove dust and loose particals, identify any cracks cut them in 'V'shaped groove fill them with crack filling mortar or simply pour grout or micro concrete after this go for pressure grouting to fill the voids and capilleries to strenghten the concrete.cure the surface normally and check for seepage or leakage by ponding water. For toilet blocks same treatment is suggested one can use crystalline or flexible membrane coating with the same procedure but two coats are always advisable. Almost all the manufacturers are using similar technology with bit of difference but the procedure and system is same all depends on good workmanship, what is important is following the proper procedure to get best results and always remember there is no SHORTCUT.It has been observed that in a new project the cost of water proofing is just 5% of the cost of the entire project but if neglected it could be 20-40% later on. It is bit difficult to cover every thing in single strech, friends you all are requested to participate and give your valued suggestions and methods by doing this we can rectify the short falls and improve our knowledge.            

. I think construction chemicals and waterproofing compounds are vary useful for new and old buildings in every stage of construction and through out life span of the building. In new construction, the chemicals to be used should be selected on the basis of the physical properties of the materials used in the site. But, we have no clear data regarding the relations between the properties of materials used in site and the chemical useful for the purpose. I think, the manufacturers needs to go for vibrating marketing strategy and create awareness to field staff and engineers

Sir 
Above all are discussed about using the water proofing chemicals like CONPLAST,CEMFLEX OR OTHERS BUT NONE OF THEM ARE DISCUSSED ABOUT various types of methods for using water proofing in building terraces, chajjas like BOXTYPE,TOPSTOP METHOD,INJECTION METHOD,JCAKETTING LIKE choosing the for which method which chemical is required.

Water proofing in buildings is the core requirement for the life of the buildings as well as the quality of the life of the occupants during and before construction we should take measures to the treatment process before construction it should be ensured that the water logging conditions of the site be treated by proper foundation design with adding chemicals to the footings concrete and maintaining proper slope and drainage of the ground area surrounding the building and preferably cavity wall construction be adopted to prevent dampness in side the building and while roof casting commercial grade calcium chloride should be mixed with the concrete which will give quick setting and water proofing qualities to the roofs and also if proper slope is provided during casting it will also help in the free flow of the storm water without any heavy terracing treatment 
Using of the cavity wall CC blocks for masonry purpose will also help in the good water proofing as well as less thick plaster on the wall sides which proves to be economic also
other factors like Rain water pipes Etc should be diverted to storage tanks for water harvesting that will give us an additional advantage of saving water 

Waterproofing is a very necessary part in any construction business. With the proper system of water movement, wastage of water can be prevented to a lot extent thus helping the environment to a lot extent. Nice article Mehernathji, really very informative. Thanks for sharing...

Don't you all think we need different types of waterproofing agents/ chemicals for different usage i.e basement walls, roof terraces, terrace gardens, DPC, swimming pools again depends on the location and not only the usage also the location where the site is located. We probably need different materials for post construction usage. 

Another point I have noticed is that by waterproofing people say the Dampness should not be visible and they put a waterproof Coat there. Now what happens is that the dampness inside the structure acts as a septic and keeps on damaging the structure. So we should make sure that water proofing is done at the source of entry of dampness and not at exposure point.

Waterproofing in Indian construction industry  is considered as a generalised item and in a zest to reduce the cost of construction people tend to use inferior or non appropriate products and endup spending 10times later on for rectification works. Waterproofing should be considered as a system rather than a trading product and it has to be done by expert in the field and we have to look for a system which is guaranteed by parent company iiself rather than applicator gurantee.

Our about-40-year-old, first-floor-flat was having a poor roof/open terrace and we had to change the whole ceiling, which had almost crumbled and cracked into pieces, in about the 35th year of the flat. Unfortunately no tiling or weathwer-proof course could be done due to many reasons and the top surface is getting brittle into a sandy layer. Now as we dont want to redo the ceiling all over again and there is fortunately no seepage of water from top to the bottom surface till now, what best can be applied over the top surface, of course, after plastering what is now brittle sandy layer, other than bitumen tar sheet?Silicone-based brush-on paste/paint mentioned by one commentator here for wall-side is available, for applying over flat concrete top surface too?

Adding to what I had written sometime ago on this topic, let me explore a few more important useage of construction chemicals. The one group of construction chemicals I highly recommend for usage are the plasticizers for concrete and mortar. They aid in producing denser and stronger concrete (by reducing water requirement) which have better workability (pumpable) making placement and compaction easier. For concreting in bulk where the concrete comes from a batching plant quite far away, using a plasticizer cum set retarder is a must. The set retarder has an added advantage of reducing the effect of heat of hydration by better dissipation through green concrete. However, there are certain rules for using plasticizers in concrete, which need to be followed to get the best results. Plasticizers can be seggregated into two basic types; normal plasticizers giving upto 100 mm slump and the super plasticizers which can give 200 mm or more slump. The selection depends on the usage of the concrete and the placement constraints. The 'integral waterproofing chemicals' are mostly a combination of plasticizers and very fine grained filler materials, which attempt to provide waterproofing by creating a denser product and the fillers filling up the capilliaries in concrete, thus blocking passage of water. The absorption of water in concrete can also be limited by using Air entraining agents to create bigger voids in concrete thus braking the capilliary paths. Air entrained concrete is a common defence against frost & ice damage to concrete in sub-zero weather.

Membrane waterproofing, wherever used, needs to be appropriately chosen for the service and have to be protected from mechanical damage, which increases the cost of installation. For using membranes in underground construction, one has to know the aggressive agents in the soil and choose a product for suitability. For example, my personal favourite is to use polymer modified bitumen membranes in most underground applications except where hydrocarbon contamination is present in the soil. Latex based reinforced membranes are much more expensive. Silicone based brush on treatment can be very effectively used on external faces of walls, which prevents rain water from soaking into the plaster and then finding a way to create damp patches on the inside. In fact this actually draws out the moisture present inside the wall and makes it dry. The usage of this is not very welknown, as there are not many manufacturers in India, hence not publicised.

I do agree that admixtures plays an important role now a days in concrete industries,
 Here in oman generaly we use redy mix concrete only, most of the ready mix plants they use conplast RP 264 - 2.5 Ltr. per cum & conplast SP 495 1.75 Ltr. cum. for C-35.

Dear Friends!

Here i have got several openions on Waterproofing Chemicals and there applications but, i am not finding my querries here? My 2-3 querries are roaming in my mind, which are as below:

1. What is the procedure of choosing a good and appropriate Water proofing system/ product for different membrane/ location? Here let me clarify againg that i am not asking for the company name, i just want to know the process only.
2. How do we ensure that which we are using or the method we are adopting is full proof? Is there any Test?
3. Some of the companies are suggesting for Polymer based/bitumenous treatment, some are recommends for chemicals to be added with Concrete to make itself as Water proofed, So my questation is how these different materials work inherently to protect the water mainly?

Please response if there is any answer to anybody.

Regards..

Gentlemen, before using any waterproofing compound or admixture, one needs to understand the philosophy of water ingress into concrete, the deleterious constituents of the water, the behaviour and exposure conditions of the concrete element, the mechanisms by which the deleterious constituents damage concrete and the mechanisms by which different waterproofing systems try to prevent water ingress into concrete or reduce the effects of the deleterious material. Prescribing any system of waterproofing or waterproofing & admixture combinations without understanding these aspects will lead to expenditure without satisfactory results. For example, specifying bituminous or polymer modified bitumen membranes without specifying proper sloped base for drainage of water and top protection in accessible terraces will lead to breach of waterproofing within a very short span of time. This is ofcourse very basic, there are much more subtle nuances to specifying proper waterproofing system for a given situation. Unfortunately, most sales persons from the waterproofing products / admixture manufacturers that I have met, do not have a clue to the efficacy and suitability of the product they are selling.

Best Regards

         Now a days we are getting so many water proofing compounds which can be used as admixtures in cement as well as surface treatments to make the concrete water proof and to avoid seepage from wet areas and from rain. Infact a particular compound u cannot suggest for it. As NITIN said SIKA products are good and in parallel PIDILITE group also developed so many polymer based and acrylic based water proofing liquids or compounds which can be used in original construction work and as well as for rehabilation of damaged parts of the structures. Concrete is the porous material. We cannot make it completely water tight. Only we can reduce the voids by using some admixtures and reduce the W/C ratio by using some plasticisers or super plasticisers. So that the porousness can be reduced and we get better compaction of the concrete so that a durable concrete can be produced. Roofing is concerned we have a five layer integral water proofong treatment available in Delhi Shedule of Rates. This item is very time tested and i am sure it is very effect if you follow the specfication of CPWD. 

I do not think we have to start with "Sir" here. Please avoid it...not because it is not decent but because it is not appropriate here.

We have used SIKA Product for water proofing works :  

Products such as CEMFLEX (Water proof Membrane chemical for Terrace and Toilet area) , PLASTROCRETE PLUS (mixed with Cement Sand Mortar for Water Proof Plastering Works.

 Sir,
Here i want add more information about highly economical concrete plasticizers ,which are used in congested reinforcement such as RCC Slabs, Beams, and Columns and also for industrial floor concreting.

Following are the attributes of our plasticizers:

      • Recommended for M15 to M30 grade concrete
      • Makes concrete cohesive
      • Reduces bleeding
      • Improves compressive strength
      • Reduces water cement rate by 10-15%

It is suggested to be pre-diluted with water and then added to wet concrete mix in a quantity of 75 ml to 200 ml per 50 Kg bag of cement. The suggested dosage for the mix is 140 ml/bad.

Sir,
Admixtures does not make the concrete waterproof.Only integral waterproofing admixtures makes the concrete waterproof but not completely.If we want to make the concrete waterproof, we must use the coatings & membranes systems only.But it is depands on the requirements of area of application.

sir, The admixture will make the concrete waterproof, but specially the footings or the areas which are underground has to be treated with membrane or such type of coatings, polymer modified bitument coatings or two componenet coatings are always adviced since any cracks, capilleries or pourosity in the concrete will allow the water to penetrate and damage the structure. since the membrane coatings generally adviced are flexible in nature and they can take care of the cracks and allow the surface to breath and will not allow the water to seep in. So in other words instead of calling it waterproof coating let's call it protective coating and definitely worth spending money to increase the life of the structure,and you are well aware it is not only costly but almost imposible to repair such severe damages. 
Specially footings or backfilled areas are constantly in touch of water, atleast the moisture which will reduce the life of the structre. 

We are using a Watermixing admixture knowns as KIMs which has to added to the concrete which has considerably helped in the waterproofing. that means it is very fast like we dont have to wait for the membrane / cuddappa / etc to be placed before backfilling of the footings/ Retaining wall.