IMPSEAL SDN BHD No. 3088, Jalan Merbau 2, Bandar Putra, Kulai $1000, Johor. Malaysia. Phone: +60 7598 9188 Fax: +60 7590 8788 23%” May 2017 Contact: dong imperiaseas.com ‘0 189067883 465 967918 jnlianaiperaseals come salesininperiiscals com AKTIF FA KONSULT SDN BHD LOT 17& 19 ND FLOOR BLOCK C DAMAI PLAZA PHASE 4 JALAN DAMAI LUYANG: 88300 KOTA KINABALU SABAH ‘Attn: WAH KHENG HAW Dear Sirs RE: RISING DAMP FROM THE FLOOR AND WALLS OF BUILDI Your professional certifications for meticulous forward looking designs of structural frameworks in building facilities is of paramount importance and is well recognised in the building industry In this respect, we would like to share with you a known phenomenon, which so many professionals in the building trade do not wish to know or take very lightly in the use of basie known products. That phenomenon is the rising damp. Vapour from the ground permeates through concrete floor slabs. through the capillary action process, causing indescribable damage to floor fini The loss of water from fresh concrete mixes through evaporation and gravitational seepages or absorption to the ground during concreting processes is also a point for consideration, “The loss of water from fresh concrete mixes will only result in the weakening of the eventual cured designed conerete strength, It is well-known, water is required for hydration. We hate to tell you this, but as responsible suppliers to the building industry, we have to unveil a known truth, It Malaysia, building professionals, such as architects, engineers, and developers have always condoned the use of recyeled PE films, a product most, if not all contractors, have opted to use in the hope that such products would prevent rising damp from occurring on concrete ground floor slabs. ‘The choice of suitable engineered polyethylene film is a very basic requirement to prevent rising damp and loss of water from fresh concrete from occurring. Specitic engineered polyethylene fiim has to be manufactured from virgin PE polymers and not manufactured from recycled PE polymers because such engineered products has to withstand the stresses from rising damp ‘and must be free from micro pinholes. which abounds in films manufactured from recycled PE polymers, While employed contractors stand fo gain monetarily with the use of substandard recycled damp proof ‘membranes and damp proof courses, itis the developers or at a later stage. the owners of the facilities that have everything to lose when restorative maintenance works have to be carried out in the longer term to get rid of rising damp. IMPERIALSEALS pay oomwoMmnneaNis Dav PROOF COURSES WATERSTORS” DIME SHEETS DRAINAGE STSTEMSGEOTEXTILS PROTECTIVE FILMS WATERPROOF COATINGS + EXPANSION JOINT SYSTEMS PRODUCTS SINGAPORE* Phone 6567847811 ax 1456784011. Webste wwmperaeals omgHistorically, Malaysian builders have been using recycled PE films under reinforced conerete slabs to pay lip aeive to conforming to a poorly understood need to lay'a piece of plastic film before concreting, For decades, no one had been sufficiently bothered to place a level of importance and value over a piece of sngincered polyethylene film in underground floor concrete slabs Specifications are generally crudely ssitten without specifies on quality and method of placement PeeFoesionals are guided and led by pootly read contractors fo use anything that is free or sufficiently cheap, as long as it does not hurt the contractor's purse. Developers, as usual are always in favour of deemed gigantie savings hen they pay heed to contractor's andvice In reality, the savings are meagre compared to the cost ofa project and the cost of having to carry out festoration works ata later stage while in operation Little do contractors know that the use of recycted PE films in underground floor Cone te slabs will twentualty induce defects that will cause owners or developers dearly in {uur restoration works against rising, damp With the clear disregard for proper material selection and specifications in building projects, contractors Weald generally bid very Tow prices for damp proof membranes (DPM) land damp proof course products. The ‘erage cost for material and labour for recycled DPM would be just RM 0.19 cents per square feet ‘Would it not be more pertinent if building engineers and architects’ advice ower and developers to reject the placement of recycled PE films recommended for use by contractor! Wt their new projects as it serves no purpose at all? It would have been much cheaper to use nothing under the conerete slab. ‘Would it not be more prudent to compensate contractors with a few dollars more it Your existing projects so 1s to avoid further damages from occurring? tt would seem unfair to make contractors pay for this change over asthe uss of recycled damp proofing tee pranss ave been deeply ingrained inthe trade despite its Follies, Foy just a few dollars more per square var one would have the finest engineered PE film manufactured from 100% virgin polymers in place in accordance to manufacturer's instructions This meagre expense will salva future maintenance expenditure your reputation as an engineer and save a huge portion of your client's Rising damp occurring from conerete floor slabs and brick walls have generally been deemed to be minor oF insignificant during the planning, tender, and construction Sta5es ‘with specifications written briefly without serious intent or not at al. Serving officials generally accept and condone the use of cheap recycled products even though they know full sett that such products should never have been allowed for use in any project Allowing the use of substandard recycled products that naturally have the lowest possible price structure does mot augur well with fundamentals of known threats of ising dap fo ground floor concrete slabs in building vMauetures. The defiance of bridging the basic building code will ne tably cause post construction trauma simi the unnecessary out pouring of more money for repairs and the unnceecare ‘experience by owners in having to face the scourge of failure on the floors and walls their facility in later years due 00 rising damp, Defeats like rising damp will occur and it does not take tong for signs oF ISIN damp to emerge from floor tile pointing or at a later date through tiles “The rampant use of reeyeled polymers for the manufacture of damp proofing fils for use below reinforced ren ete round floor slabs (be they suspend or not) have reached ‘catastrophic levels. As sou may know, reeyeled PE polymers produce blown films ofthe low tst possible quality imaginable. rattan are ft for use only as temporary protection covers at worksites snd other base related functions, such as the production of garbage bagsCharacteristically, they have the propensity to sustain short term usage before the films begin to degrade, tuming brittle and falling apart while in use. These recycled films or produets can be replaced and disposed of casily owing to its low cost. Disastrously, if recycled films are used under reinforced concrete slabs, it will be totally impossible to replace such films when rising damp occurs. It means removing the conerete slab Professionals in the building industry cannot afford to allow such products to be used as vapour barriers under reinforced concrete slabs. Itis no better than allowing old newspapers to be used as vapour barriers or at best it would have been cheaper to use nothing at all Functional vapour barriers are engineered films designed for the purpose of resisting rising damp in all ground floor concrete slabs. Vapour barriers are produced from 100% virgin low density polyethylene polymers, which are blown into films to achieve technical requirements on thickness and water vapour permeability levels: ‘© the minimum thickness of films must not be less than 300 microns after taking into account shrinkages which occur during manufacture; and © the permissible water vapour permeance should not be more than 0.01 perms These engincered films vary in thickness between a minimum of 300 microns to $00 microns depending on the findings of the soil conditions, A professional architect or engineer will appraise the soil condition and prescribe the brand and thickness of enginecred films to be used. Their specification is deemed to be final. No contractor should oppose such professional recommendations, Notwithstanding the said, all operatives within a construction project, such as the contractor’s representatives, the clerk of works, and the developer's representatives at site should ensure proper material selection and placement based on professional dictates, It will be futile to ever believe individuals who profusely propagate the use of recycled damp proofing membrane films or the use of cheap China felt to replace genuine damp proof courses (DPC’s). It must be semembered that the British and European countries have been using bricks for hundreds of years and have consequently’ been successfully designing and manufacturing distinguished damp proof course products based on the British Standard to prevent rising damp from ever occurring on brick walls. Professionals in the building industry are duty bound to ensure that technically engineered and qualified damp proof membranes and damp proof course products are used in building structures or facilities, which will ultimately prevent undue known damages to floors and walls in residential or factory facilities they are constructing, That prospective property buyer should be spared the worry of purchasing defective buildings for future upkeep and at the same time having to worry over the payment of monthly instalments for the next 30 years. Likewise. engineers and architects have to defend the less knowledgeable developers and their representatives against tarnishing their reputation by leaving out or insisting on using subgrade DPM or DPC for the sake of achieving cost reductions in their projects Developers have all the money in the world to employ and pay professionals to design proposed developments, without this, and due respect and adherence to professional advice, the project will generally fall into disart Calls for cost reduction may only be the result of poor foresight in planning on the part of management in managing a budget Known defects, such as rising damp occurring on the surface of concrete slabs or tile finishing is di treat, ult to Remedial works for the treatment of rising damp are tedious and expensive. No one would like to experience rising damp on their floors or walls during their period of occupancy One hundred percent virgin PE damp proofing membranes and Bntish Standard damp proof courses are the ‘most affordable armour used to safeguard the floors and walls of buildings for the lifetime of the structure“The most practical solution is to map out a well written specification in tender documents or contracts (0 prohibit the use of recycled films However, when specifications are badly written, contractors should not hold the architect or engineer to ransom by making them swallow the bitter pill of allowing them to use films which are recycled or are ‘substandard and are not permissible for use as a technical product in the building trade. “These days, building contractors must be technically inclined and well-read (technically) to know the basic, mnaterial types which are qualified and certified for use in basic construction. They should never be allowed to close a blind eye to basic building codes. We have attached a particular specification for your reference. We thank you Yours Faithfully, IMPSEAL SDN BHD pee ‘TECHNICAL DIRECTOR