Saturday, October 21, 2017

What You Should Know About Concrete Waterproofing Admixture

By Stephen Nelson


It is important that concrete porosity is reduced in order to avoid its damage over time. These are measures that can be undertaken in many different ways. There are products that exist in place to make such building material composed of cement, gravel and other essential components waterproof. It is vital to use water in the making and treatment of cement but once that process is complete, an addition of water to the mixture is harmful and may cause adverse effects. Concrete waterproofing admixture are therefore used in these cases.

This building component may deteriorate with time if not properly waterproofed as the passage of water through it may deposit chemical substances and other impurities causing its destruction. There has been a production of advanced admixtures which are used to waterproof the structural building material and there have been improvements of these products as the years go by. Since there is a variety of mixtures to choose from, one can decide the one best suited for them.

In a bud to make building materials waterproof, it is essential to reduce water passage together with resistance to hydrostatic pressure. Also, sheet membranes were previously used as the mechanisms of doing waterproof from inside and outside of the structural components. Nonetheless, they are deemed ineffective since they present a number of limitations. Recently, crystalline mixtures, as well as other quality mixtures, have been relied on in construction. As opposed to sheet membranes, they may protect external parts of the materials but make these components to act as water barriers.

The fundamental application of these quality mixtures is in order to react to concrete and make it highly water resistant. Ideally, the densifiers found in these mixtures can chemically react with calcium hydroxide so as to a compound that makes this mixture to be denser while reducing hydrostatic pressure hence preventing possible future damage.

The functionality of this given mix may vary in the following ways. If the mixture is a pore blocking one, it obstructs the pores of the mixture, therefore, reducing absorption through capillarity and thereby reducing water intake. Other hydrophobic, mixtures work to react with other elements in the building structural material to create an insoluble substance that hinders capillarity and effectively restricting water passage.

The use of crystalline technology is also a method that has been recently embraced. These crystalline mixtures are introduced to the construction material either through a mixture or applying on the surface. These chemicals in the mixture restructure the crystalline structure of the construction material causing it to be impermeable to water. It can also be used for older surfaces to make them waterproof.

It is important to know the percentage that is needed to be added to the structural construction material in order to obtain effective results. There should be a balance in the ratio of the water added to the cement added to obtain efficient results. The resistance to water is ultimately dependent on the quality of the structural building component and effectiveness of the added mixture.

Although it may be costly to purchase such products to waterproof the building component, it is a significant method of reducing water seepage and overall damage to the building. Therefore, it is a good investment to undertake to prevent future losses.




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