Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1500470
Microscopic view of Eucon Vandex AM-10L liquid integral crystalline admixture. Xypex Bio-San C500 guards against corrosion and microorganisms in severe sewer conditions. J U N E 2 0 2 3 | 47 Waterproofing P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y EU C L I D A D M I X T U R E S; X Y P E X C H EM I C A L CO R P. Waterproofing solutions that rise above nature's challenges by ROBIN BRUNET I n terms of products, it would be difficult to beat waterproofing for sheer breadth of solutions, from membranes to admixtures and everything in between. This of course is accompanied by what seems like constant improve- ments and variations of these products. "We recently introduced a liquid version of our Eucon Vandex AM-10 powdered crystalline waterproofer called Eucon Vandex AM-10L," says Brian Salazar, national business devel- opment manager at Euclid Canada. Euclid is the only company to offer a liquid version of the commonly used Eucon Vandex AM-10. "Since most admixtures that go into concrete are liquid, this will be much easier for the ready-mix producers to administer through our standard dispensing equipment, rather than having to add the powdered products manually," Salazar says. "The same great benefits are offered in the liquid version." Eucon Vandex AM-10L is a liquid integral crystalline admixture formulated to interact with concrete capillary pore structures to provide a system that greatly reduces the permeability of concrete through the formation of tiny crystals that block the pores. It can also seal microscopic cracks and contribute along with other products like sealers to a system that waterproofs a structure. Eucon Vandex AM-10L can be deployed in above- and below-grade applications, plus it contains no added chlorides or chemicals known to promote the corrosion of steel. Kryton International Inc., which is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, is famous for its array of crystalline waterproofing and abrasion and erosion resistance solutions that continue to be used in the most demanding industrial circumstances, as well as for more routine residential and commercial water ingress prevention. Kryton president and CEO Kari Yuers discusses the importance of her com- pany's Krystol Internal Membrane (KIM), a hydrophilic crystalline admixture used to create permanently waterproof concrete. KIM lowers the permeability of concrete and is used in place of surface applied waterproofing membranes. By stopping the transmission of water through concrete, KIM adds durability and longevity to concrete by protecting it against chemical attack and corrosion of reinforcing steel. She says, "KIM is indispensable as developers strive to build better and achieve sustainability standards. The whole point of building durable structures in concrete is that they can last in excess of 100 years, and the less components that need to be replaced means less carbon output. KIM helps achieve that durability." Dry & Mighty Yuers goes on to note that KIM was recently used in the Hope Centre at the Lions Gate Hospital campus for above-grade walls to ensure longevity of the structure, without the need for coatings and sealers that must be reapplied over its life span. "The concrete will perform well without the added cost and environmental impact of such materials," Yuers says. In 2022, the Vancouver General Hospital Health Centre demolition and rebuild used KIM on all below-grade tunnels, which provide critical links and are at the lowest and wettest part of the project. Similarly, the BC Children's and BC Women's hospital redevelopment used KIM as well as full technical site support to ensure that the facility's concrete water tanks system would be waterproof. Yuers adds, "The recent White Rock Pier rebuild added KIM to the concrete to ensure longevity in saltwater, and the product was also used at the Olympic Cauldron pond at Jack Poole Plaza to protect from freeze-thaw damage and de-icing salts." Another company that provides concrete waterproofing by crystallization, Xypex, recently introduced a new product designed specifically for protection in harsh sewer conditions, where levels of H2S cause microbial induced corrosion. Xypex Bio-San C500 combines potent antimicrobial protection along with the crystalline technology of the Xypex Admix C-Series: the product contains bio-active mineral solids that become permanently fixed within the cement matrix impairing bio-film formation, thus inhibiting the growth of acid-caus- ing sewer bacteria such as thiobacillus – in addition to stopping the infiltration/ exfiltration of water.