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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 | 17 Concrete P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y K RY TO N I N T ER N AT I O N A L P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y EU C L I D C A N A DA In the additives and admixtures realm, Kryton International continues to provide robust water- proofing and corrosion resistance solutions thanks to its proprietary Krystol crystalline technology. One of the more recent examples of Kryton prod- ucts being used to solve water ingress problems is the mixed-use condo tower project The Heights on Austin in Coquitlam, B.C. Doug Adam, Kryton's technical services technician, notes that water ingress from a subterranean river caused signifi- cant cracking from the fourth to sixth levels of the east tower's parkade, the result of not being treated with the high-performing crystalline admixture. Also, steel rails used in conjunction with rebar had been placed with insufficient cover, further contrib- uting to cracks at regular spacing. The solution was a full-on concrete leak repair system consisting of a rapid setting hydraulic cement, a crystalline grout with advanced fibre technology and shrinkage-controlling additives, and a surface-applied crystalline slurry treatment. Adam points out that all of these materials were capable of working in synergy with the crystalline waterproofing admixture that had been used in the first three levels of the parkade. A combination of grout and injection repairs were also undertaken, with the entire process taking about six months to complete. The cast-in-place structural walls were left looking pristine and free of any residual water. Finally, it has been a busy year as usual at Euclid Canada, dealing with complex administrative tasks as well as providing the construction market with a wide range of concrete-strengthening admixtures. National business development manager Brian Salazar explains, "We've spent a great amount of time and effort obtaining our EPD certification; as we speak in September our fibre additives produced in our Georgia plant have received designation, and we're aiming for the additives made in our Canadian plants to follow suit next year." It wouldn't be hyperbolic to describe the paper- work and auditing necessary for the certification as onerous, but the reason for pursuing such a com- plex process is simple: more and more developers are requiring EPD certified products to be used in a wide range of projects in order to secure LEED points. Whether good or meddlesome, certifica- tions such as EPD have become a business necessity: if a company decides to postpone being designated, sales could be lost. With Euclid products such as PSI Fiberstrand and Tuf-Strand SF, EPD assures users that the company's fibre reinforcement products for concrete do not contain any hazardous substances according to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and do not release dangerous substances to the environment, including indoor air emissions, gamma or ioniz- ing radiation, or chemicals released into the air or leached to water and soil. For the record, PSI Fiberstrand fibres are synthetic monofilament and fibrillated polypropylene micro- fibres for concrete, mortar, and grout specifically designed for plastic shrinkage crack control and sec- ondary reinforcing applications for slabs and pre-cast concrete. Tuf-Strand SF is a patented polypropylene and polyethylene synthetic macrofibre for composite steel deck construction and is used for replacement of limited structural steel in pre-cast, slabs on ground, pavements and shotcrete applications. A Application of Tuf-Strand SF for composite steel deck construction. Completion of a full-on concrete leak repair, The Heights on Austin, Coquitlam, B.C. The Definitive Concrete Waterproofing & Watertightening Checklists FREE E-BOOK SCAN TO DOWNLOAD SMART CONCRETE ® ®

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