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Park Square's pedway bridge in Edmonton, AB. Trowel application of Vandex BB 75. J U N E 2 0 2 2 | 51 Waterproofing P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y R J C EN G I N EER S; EU C L I D A D M I X T U R E S Waterproofing products and systems are helping prolong the life of buildings and increasing their resilience against climate change by ROBIN BRUNET J ust as death and taxes are inevitable, so too is the damage water ingress causes over time to even the most resilient structures. And from an engineering viewpoint, it is something that warrants constant attention. Enzo Vercillo, principal at RJC Edmonton's Building Science and Restoration Group, says, "The issue is always on our radar, and our job in the commercial realm is to assess client assets and make recommen- dations – a process that can take less than a day or up to several weeks, depending on the size of the project. We also, at all times, look for the most effective and economical solutions for clients, and this could be as simple as deck coatings on high-traffic areas. "If we have an all-encompassing statement to make to property owners, it would be to get your structure checked on some sort of regular basis. This could be generally every year or every two years depending on its current condition and could apply to heavy-use areas such as parking structures, or once a year for some retail businesses and residential condominium corporations." One example of the work RJC performs is the structural condition evaluation of Park Square's pedway bridge in Edmonton, which had been constructed in the mid-1970s. The evaluation revealed severe corrosion of the metal deck, in addition to corrosion of supporting structural steel joists and trusses. After evaluating various methodologies, and considering the client's desire for long-term rehabilitation of the pedway bridge, it was recommended the entire composite concrete topping and metal deck assembly be removed and replaced. RJC incorporated numerous measures to maximize service life and future durability, including corrosion-inhibiting concrete admixtures and cementing materials, heavier-gage galvanized deck coatings, application of protective coatings to metal decking and structural steel members, improved drainage systems and surface slopes, and installation of a new waterproof membrane and expansion joints. Localized repairs included reinforcement of support connections for struc- tural steel support members and precast wall panels, concrete delamination repairs, and replacement of deteriorated concrete upstand walls. The project was completed in two phases in order to maintain pedestrian access and was within the owner's schedule and under budget. While engineering firms such as RJC continue to excel in restoration work, many companies provide a variety of waterproofing technologies in the perpetual battle against water-induced structural erosion and failure. One of the better known is Euclid Canada, and its national business development man- ager Brian Salazar reports that "we've been coping with raw materials shortages and supply chain issues by reformulating – and in many cases improving – our products, and this has worked out well. In terms of products that are widely used across Canada, Eucon Vandex AM-10 is used to integrally waterproof con- crete in water treatment plants and many other facilities where its NSF rating makes it feasible for use in potable water situations." Eucon Vandex AM-10 is an integral crystalline admixture specifically formulated to interact with concrete capillary pore structures for waterproofing that is a permanent part of the concrete matrix. It can be used in above-and below-grade applications. For horizontal and vertical/overhead uses, Euclid offers Vandex BB 75, an engineered surface waterproof coating with hydrophobic properties that also Seal Our Fate

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