What are Waterstops?
Waterstops are commonly available in various construction chemical suppliers. These are used to create watertight seals in concrete construction projects. Since almost all concrete buildings feature seams and joints where the poured areas meet, a waterstop needs to be included to ensure the construction or expansion joints remain impenetrable to water.
A waterstop installed in concrete joints is an important component of an overall waterproofing design of any building construction to protect below-grade portions of a concrete structure. It is a good design practice for building foundations, with or without a positive-side waterproofing membrane.
Furthermore, waterstops including Corrotech Waterstop, are used as part of the overall waterproofing protection on a variety of concrete structures including:
- Basement walls
- Slabs
- Subway
- Pedestrian tunnels
- Parking structures
- Water and sewage treatment facilities; and
- Canals, locks, and dams
One of the most common types of waterstops is PVC waterstops. PVC is used to waterproof construction joints by embedding it in both sides of the joint to create a physical barrier. These are available in various widths, thicknesses, and sizes in order to suit almost any construction joint. The advantage of PVC waterstops is that they can be installed in virtually any conditions, including rainy and wet conditions. In addition to this, they also tend to last for a long time. However, the challenge comes in the actual install process. It takes time to correctly position the PVC to embed it in the joint, and during the concrete pour, it can easily become damaged. So, it is always advisable to seek professional help when applying PVC waterstops.
One good example of PVC waterstop is the Corrostop PVC from MCT UAE. It features high-grade PVC profiles designed to be cast into construction or expansion joints to prevent the passage of liquids under pressure. It is typically used on below ground, water retaining or water excluding structures such as basements, tunnels, culverts, manholes, pumping stations etc.
Aside from that, MCT also offers Corrostop HWS. It is a hydrophilic waterstop based on polymer technology that is commonly used in construction joints of water retaining or excluding structures, particularly where traditional PVC waterstops are difficult to apply.
At Molecular Corrosion Technologies, they stock a variety of waterstops and other construction chemicals. To view their complete product range and services, visit their website at https://www.mctuae.com/.
Post originally published here:
https://www.mctuae.com/blog/what-are-waterstops-and-when-to-use-them/