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A leaking basement is one of the most serious problems in building construction, says Western International Insulation Materials.
The company says its approach to tanking is two pronged - prevention and cure - with its Flexobit/Trioject system.
The UAE-based company says it has strived to meet the special needs of the construction industry since its inception in 1986.
"With the ever-increasing demand for single, and multi-level basements, consultants, clients and contractors are faced with the problem of high water table and aggressive soil. These extreme conditions have made basement waterproofing one of the primary concerns of construction professionals," says a spokesman for Western International.
The company's Flexobit/Trioject tanking system has been successfully applied to several single and multi-storey basements, he says, with the Union House being among the latest.
He continues: "A leaking basement affects the serviceability of the built-up space, thus reducing return on investment for the owner. It necessitates costly and time-consuming repair work thus reducing profitability for the contractor and compromises the structural safety of the building. Hence the need for a reliable risk-free tanking system."
The tanking membrane Flexobit is made of a unique homogeneous and highly flexible SBS (styrene butadiene styrene)-modified bitumen without any fillers or reinforcements, according to the spokesman. The membrane is manufactured by Bitufa BV Waterproofing in the Netherlands and the product is said to be fully backed by an insurance policy.
Highlighting the advantages of the system, he says: "The extremely high content of SBS polymer gives so much body to the bitumen that the elasticity-impairing polyester and/or glass mat reinforcements in commercially available membranes have become completely superfluous.
"In practice, this means the following:
While Flexobit is the most reliable barrier against water ingress, unforeseen accidents - such as the failure of formwork, unreported damage by other trades and vandalism - may sometimes cause a leak, he says. Typically, the easiest path taken by underground water into the basement is through construction joints. Hence the need to seal these joints effectively.
This is where Western International's Trioject comes very handy, he points out. Elaborating on the product, he says, "Trioject consists of three injection channels capable of being injected independently of each other, as and when required.
''On the top and bottom of the channels, there are escape apertures, opening only with internal pressure build-up and allowing the injected material to escape into the joint. Trioject is fixed in the middle of the construction joint in loops of 8 m at the end of which a custom-made injection inlet/outlet is fixed.
"In case of water leakage, a flexible resin is injected through the hose into the joint using a high-pressure, pneumatic pump, thus sealing the joint completely against water ingress. The main advantage is that the whole process is completed very quickly and without any time-consuming drilling."
The unused channels are available for use at any later date during the lifetime of the building thus eliminating the need for any expensive repairs.
"A 20-year guarantee is available on the system and this reflects the manufacturer's commitment to produce top-quality materials and Western's commitment to state of art workmanship.
Besides the Union House, some of the prestigious and critical basement waterproofing projects carried out by Western International are the Dubai Chamber of Commerce Building, National Bank of Dubai headquarters, Twin Towers and the Emirates Towers.
Currently works are in full swing on the Shangri-La Hotel, the Union Properties Tower and the Commercial Bank of Dubai headquarters projects.
"With Western's Flexobit/Trioject system, the basement is in the hands of professionals with more than 15 years experience in the field," he concludes.
