WITH the new Triac Drive AT, Leister Technologies has brought out the perfect solution for welding waterstops easily, reliably and economically in civil engineering, which is a particular requirement in the Middle East, says BMC Gulf Trading, the sales and service centre for the Swiss manufacturer.

Waterstops are a proven method used as part of a waterproofing system to protect concrete structures reliably against penetrating groundwater or seepage water, says Fabian Beermann, division manager for the UAE-based BMC Gulf.

“Waterstops are welded onto the previously installed geomembranes in crucial sectors,” he explains. “They prevent the water from penetrating further; the more sectors planned – and hence waterbars used – the smaller the area that needs to be repaired in case of water penetration. A separating geotextile material is then placed on the sealing system.”

“When using waterstops, a damaged area can be localised with injection channels leading to the sealed-off sectors after completing the building structure. An injected two-component gel then displaces the penetrating moisture in the relevant sector, thereby making the system watertight again,” he adds.

Waterstops are widely integrated in waterproofing systems in the Middle East.

“Leister has responded to the huge demand in this region and has developed two special versions of the new Triac Drive AT for waterstops,” says Beermann.

In contrast to the standard versions, these have steel rollers – instead of the softer silicone rollers – which allow the required higher pressure to be applied when guiding the tool.

As the distance from the edge of the tape to the first web varies depending on the waterstop provider (whether Sika, BASF, Mapei, etc), two different versions are available correspondingly, one for 40-mm and the other for 12-mm weld seam width.

As an accessory, Leister provides a pressure roller and welding nozzle for both weld seam widths separately. This means both versions can be converted to the other seam width with very little effort, Beermann points out.

The Triac Drive AT ... perfect for welding waterstops.

“The new Triac Drive AT from Leister not only gives the user a reliable, versatile and flexible tool, it also makes overlap welding much more economical than if done manually, no matter whether welding horizontally or vertically,” he says.

The product is a development on the semi-automatic welding machine Triac Drive, now featuring the Triac AT as the hot-air unit.

“The Triac Drive has long been proven in welding waterstops, allowing such operations to be done up to three times faster than if using only a hand tool. The convenient and lightweight tool comprises a drive motor and a hot-air unit. The latter can also be used as an autonomous hand welding tool.

“The Triac Drive has been newly equipped with the Triac AT as the hot-air unit. Here the air temperature reaches its level automatically, thereby compensating any voltage fluctuations. The air volume can also be modified independently of the temperature. A clear display shows all relevant data,” explains Beermann.

Based in Switzerland, Leister is an international leader in the development, production and sale of tools for welding plastic. Its core business comprises hand tools, welding machines and hand extruders for trade, as well as hot-air systems for industrial applications.