Water proofing

Water proofing
Waterproofing is the process of making an object or structure waterproof or
water-resistant so that it remains relatively unaffected by water or resisting the
ingress of water under specified conditions.Water-
resistant and waterproof often refer to penetration of water in its liquid state
and possibly under pressure, whereas damp proof refers to resistance to
humidity or dampness.

In construction, a building or structure is waterproofed with the use of

membranes and coatings to protect contents and structural integrity.In
building construction, waterproofing is a fundamental aspect of creating
a building envelope, which is a controlled environment. The roof covering
materials, siding, foundations, and all of the various penetrations through
these surfaces must be water-resistant and sometimes waterproof. Roofing
materials are generally designed to be water-resistant and shed water from a
sloping roof, but in some conditions, such as ice damming and on flat roofs,
the roofing must be waterproof. 

Within the waterproofing industry, below-ground waterproofing is generally

divided into two areas:

 Tanking: This is waterproofing used where the below-ground structure

will be sitting in the water table continuously or periodically. This causes
hydro static pressure on both the membrane and structure and requires full
encapsulation of the basement structure in a tanking membrane, under
slab and walls.
 Damp proofing: This is waterproofing used where the water table is
lower than the structure and there is good free-draining fill. The membrane
deals with the shedding of water and the ingress of water vapor only, with
no hydro-static pressure. Generally, this incorporates a damp proof
membrane (DPM) to the walls with a polythene DPM under the slab. With
higher grade DPM, some protection from short-term Hydro static pressure
can be gained by transitioning the higher quality wall DPM to the slab
polythene under the footing, rather than at the footing face.
In buildings using earth sheltering, too much humidity can be a potential
problem, so waterproofing is critical. Water seepage can lead to mold growth,
causing significant damage and air quality issues. Properly waterproofing
foundation walls is required to prevent deterioration and seepage.

Another specialized area of waterproofing is rooftop decks and balconies.

Waterproofing systems have become quite sophisticated and are a very
specialized area. Failed waterproof decks, polymer or tile, are one of the
leading causes of water damage to building structures, and of personal injury
when they fail. Where major problems occur in the construction industry is
when improper products are used for the wrong application. While the
term waterproof is used for many products, each of them has a very specific
area of application, and when manufacturer specifications and installation
procedures are not followed, the consequences can be severe. 

From the late 1990s to the 2010s, the construction industry has had
technological advances in waterproofing materials. Below we will look at the
various water proofing techniques.

1. cementitious admixture

 It is a type of admixture which prevents the passage of water through

hardened concrete under a pressure head. It is also called as water resisting
admixture or permeability reducing admixture or damp proofing
admixture.Water is a vital part of concrete construction from the mixing of
concrete to the curing of concrete. But once the concrete has gained its
required strength, thereafter any moisture or water penetration in concrete
can cause damage to the concrete. The damage can be due to corrosion of
reinforcement or due to freeze thaw. When a concrete work has finished and
curing completed, the water content evaporates and leaves voids inside the
concrete. Thus for a good durable concrete construction, low water/cement
ratio is recommended so that porosity of concrete can be reduced. But then
also, a concrete cannot be completely made waterproof even by using the
minimum water/cement ratio. Concrete is a porous material and water can
penetrate through pores and micro-cracks of concrete due to capillary actions.
Thus there is a need of an admixture which can control the porosity of
concrete.
A permeability reducing concrete admixture or waterproofing admixtures
function in following ways:

 It reduces the size of capillary pores, their numbers and continuity

inside the concrete structure.
 It blocks the capillary pores of concrete, or
 It may line the capillary pores with hydrophobic materials. This
prevents the absorption of water in the pores due to capillary
absorption.
These water resisting admixtures cannot significantly prevent the movement
of water through cracks in concrete or through poorly compacted concrete
which are the most common reasons for water leakage in concrete.

 The materials include Hydrophobic or water-repellent chemicals such

as oils, petroleum products which can block the entry of water into the
pores by forming a layer along the pores in concrete. These materials
do not fill the pores.
 Finely divided solid particles (powders)of inert and chemically active
fillers to act as densifiers and restrict the movement of water through
pores.
 Crystalline materials with hydrophilic nature which increases the
density of calcium silicate hydrate and / or generate the pore-blocking
deposits to resist water penetration.
Dosage of these admixtures vary depending on the type of admixture and the
level of performance required. 2% of hydrophobic type admixture is commonly
used, and may be 5% or more for the pore blocker types. These percentage is
calculated based on weight or volume of concrete and not on cement.

The mechanism of water resisting admixtures is to reduce the porosity of

concrete. To reduce the porosity of concrete, the water content or the water
cement ratio must be reduced. If water cement ratio is decreased below 0.45,
the porosity of concrete reduced considerably. If we further reduce the
water/cement ratio, the workability of concrete decreases. This can be
prevented by the use of water-reducing admixture that can ensure sufficient
workability of concrete for full compaction and reduce shrinkage cracking.

2. Brush applied water proofing

It is a specially developed waterproofing coating that can be simply painted on
the surface to be made waterproof. The concept behind this technique is that
certain chemicals dissolves in certain solvent and when this solution is applied
o a surface, the solvent evaporates leaving the coating behind. They are
basically of two types. They are

A) Acrylic based

B) Polyurethane based

Its unique features are:

 Easy to apply
 Forms uniform coat
 Life expectancy up to 5 years for outdoor applications with UV
exposure
 Minimum 15 years life expectancy for indoor application
 Cost effective

Applications
 Sunken slabs e.g. bathrooms, toilets & kitchens
 Basements
 Swimming pools & water tanks
 Retaining Walls
 Effluent treatment plants
 Rain water harvesting tanks

3. Plastic water proofing

Plastics is the future of building and construction industry. Plastics encourage creativity
among-st people, making it one of the leading materials in building and construction.
Plastics help in new developments for entrepreneurs, for architects and builders and for
common man. It has propagated to new end-use and innovations such as polyethylene
(PE) geomembrane as a waterproofing membrane for building and construction industry.
Plastics could also be used in vertical and horizontal walls of building and construction
preventing each building from water seepage leading to longevity of each building. In
vertical walls PE geomembrane could be inserted in each brick so that this PE film
stands in a vertical position embedded in the vertical walls of each building. PE film is an
impermeable membrane preventing seepage of water in buildings. Plastics are long
lasting products which help buildings last longer. Lining the walls of buildings with plastic
geomembrane leads to damp free walls. This prevents leakage in buildings which leads
to collapsing of structures.

The issue with this type of water proofing is that, plastic is not flexible. As a result when
the concrete slab expands or contracts, plastics might crack. So it is advisable to use in
small scale construction works like residences and all. For large slabs, this system of
water proofing might fail.

4. . Self adhesive rubberized polymer membrane

This type waterproofing is actually a polymer formed by the mix of rubber and
plasti. It provides adequate amount of waterproofing. As the polymer contains
rubber, it is good with elongation. So, when the slap is getting contracted or
expanded, the polymer will also expand and contract accordingly. Baically it
can stretch upto 3 times its actual length.

5. Gunniting

Guniting is a process used in construction for the application of slope

stabilization and certain rehabilitation purpose mainly in the construction of
retaining walls, swimming pool construction, tunnel construction, in fluid tank
construction and some of the concrete repair works.Guniting was a method of
early origin in the US, where the method is defined as the process of spraying
a mix or mortar or concrete to a surface of application with the help of a spray
gun. This method makes use of a spray gun and hence the process was
named as Guniting.The guniting is hence called as the dry-mix shotcrete
process which convey dry material from a machine to surface of application
through a nozzle by means of compressed pressure and high velocity.

The application is facilitated by the addition of water at the nozzle area. The
mix that finally comes out is a combination of dry material and water. The
operator has the control on the addition of water and the combination water
content.

advantages:

1. The process of guniting is highly versatile in nature.

2. As the water added to the mix is carried out at the nozzle, the control of
water is possible.
3. When compared with the wet shotcrete process, the dry-mix shotcrete or
the guniting mix can be prepared quickly.

4. For small works like filling the cracks for a smaller region or for very thin
lining or coatings or for very fine treatments, it is recommended to opt dry-mix
shotcrete process (guniting) when compared with the wet-mix shotcrete
process.

5. Guniting is a best choice in those work types were unexpected stoppage of

work is possible.

Disadvantages :

1. The process of guniting will require highly skilled and experienced labor
2. The guniting process will face the issue of rebound of the mix.

6. Injection grouting
Injection grouting is a process of filling the cracks, open joints, voids, or
honeycombs, in concrete or masonry structural members, under pressure with
a material that cures in place to produce the desired results like strengthening
a structure and prevent water movement.

Grout is a flowable plastic material and should have negligible shrinkage to fill
the gap or voids completely and should remain stable without cracking, de-
lamination or crumbling. There are different types of grouts such as cement
grout, polymer-cement slurry, epoxy, urethane, and high-molecular-weight
methacrylate

Grouting Procedures

1. Drill Ports : Drill short holes, which is also known as ports, into the cracks/
openings in order to be used as entry and venting terminals. 

2. Seal Cracks Between Ports : The crack /opening surfaces between ports
are sealed by applying epoxy, polyester, strippable plastic surface sealer for
low injection pressures, or cementitious seals if surface appearance is
important to the surface of the crack.

3. Cleaning Ports and Cracks : Before grouting, flushing is done with clean
water

4. Make Grouting Hose Connections

5. Grouting Process