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J UNE 2015 | 51 Waterproofing The testing triumph wasn't Euclid's only advancement in 2014. Last September, the company also announced that its formulators had cracked the code on using VOC-compliant solvents in water repellent products. "It's a bit tricky to create a product that meets the VOC regulations, but also does an effective job sealing," Salazar explains. VOC-compliant solvents flash off quickly, so they're environmentally friendly, but they don't give the active ingredients much time to be absorbed. "Our chemical masterminds have come up with a formula," Salazar says. The result is a new product called Euco-Guard 350 – a deep-penetrating siloxane sealer for wet or dry concrete, decks, pavement and other surfaces. It defends against the effects of de-icing salts, moisture and weather. The product is low-VOC, of course, but since it's solvent-based, Euco-Guard 350 provides a higher concentration of active ingredients compared to water-based products, so its protective properties last longer and it doesn't have to be reapplied as frequently. Salazar notes that the admixture market is strong. "We sell quite a lot in B.C. That's where many crystalline waterproofing companies started out, because of the high rainfall and the potential for leakage." Thankfully, here in Canada, Euclid's product is sold as a secondary means of defence. "If we use low water-cement ratio mixes that meet the CSA standard, we generally have pretty watertight concrete in the first place," Salazar says. Expansion joints play critical roles in protecting buildings from moisture. RedLINE by SITURA Inc. is a new type of expansion joint, far more advanced compared to the raised expansion joint technology of the past 50 years. This solution accommodates movement while maintaining water tightness. It's installed at the membrane level, so it provides a non-obstructive joint that allows water to drain freely. "What really sets it apart from other solutions is that it is a single uninterrupted waterproofing seal," says Steeven Lapointe, SITURA technical director. "RedLINE is made with all of the factory fabricated turns, corners and transitions as part of the joint. There is no site fabrication or patching required like traditional expan- sion joint materials. And since all of the transitions are pre-made and RedLINE is installed with the waterproofing membrane itself, installation is quick, easy and very cost effective." Flexibility is the key to RedLINE's performance, he says. "It doesn't require excess material, such as a loop, to accommodate the movement like other types of expansion joints do, since it has an elastic gland at the centre of the joint. It allows for uninter- rupted water flow and simplifies drainage patterns to prevent ponding water." Builders of a new church in Utah turned to SITURA for a high-performance expansion joint solution. Nearing completion now, the Provo City Center Temple was erected on the site of the former 114-year-old Provo Tabernacle, which was severely damaged by fire in December 2010. Fire officials found that the fire was caused by a high-power lamp placed too close to a wood structure inside the temple. The reconstruction incorporated RedLINE. In fact, the project involved one of the more complex fabrications of the product. The customized joint for the temple had to follow the intricate geometry of the foundation, which had hundreds of inside and outside corners. Because of the way SITURA designs and manufactures RedLINE, the joint fit perfectly and formed a continuous seal all the way around the building. Factory fabrication brings certain benefits – quality control among them. "Every corner is made to the exact dimensions of the building and it's always in the same conditions," Lapointe says. "Whereas in the field, you're dependent on whoever is doing the corners and the site conditions at that time." SITURA aims to help advance construction projects by providing superior, high- tech joint solutions. The company wants to help push the industry forward in other ways, too. Last year, SITURA launched an iPhone app; the software enables contrac- tors to submit specific site information to SITURA so the company's technical team gets accurate information to craft each custom expansion joint. Thanks to companies such as SITURA, Dryvit and others, the construction indus- try is ready to create buildings designed to stay dry even when Mother Nature has plenty of wet weather in store. A Euclid's Euco-Guard 350 hard at work. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY EUCLID ADMIXTURES

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