Moisture, typically, is the arch nemesis of any building
project. Rain or water ingress during construction can cause lengthy delays.
However, it’s crucial that structures are also equipped to deal with the threat
of moisture over the long term, beyond completion.
Water
ingress is the most significant root cause of building remediation costs. Moisture
can enter structures in a variety of ways so it’s necessary to comprehensively
safeguard against all possible circumstances.
Repairing concrete is a particularly labour-intensive and costly
process. Spending on remediation can skyrocket the longer the damage is left
unaddressed, which highlights the importance of preventive measures.
To waterproof structures that are water retaining or below
ground level requires careful design, shrewd selection of materials, as well as
skilled workmanship. Onsite quality control has a big part to play in ensuring
optimal waterproofing results.
Interestingly, Australian Standards don’t cover all facets
of waterproofing requirements. Given that some elements remain unregulated, there
exists no clearly defined standard.
Instead Sika Australia recommends a strong emphasis on
‘requirements analysis’, in keeping with the British Standard 8102. This
involves all stakeholders working together to develop a strategy and robust
specification during the design stage, which is followed right through the
construction process.
During the requirements analysis phase it’s necessary to
assess geological conditions of the site and the presence of hydrostatic
pressure. These steps should allow plans to increase structural durability by
considering future developments and being able to pre-emptively counter their
impact.
With over 100 years of innovation and experience, Sika offers a wide range of quality
waterproofing systems and solutions tailored to all applications. Their
products and services cover both new build and retrofit of basements, waterproofing, cellars, carparks, roofs, balconies, podiums, retaining
walls, lift pits, water tanks, swimming pools, ponds, and wet areas.
See
here for access to Sika Australia's free whitepaper that looks at the key issues of structural waterproofing and addressing water ingress.
