Water Proofing Materials

One of the most important applications in a construction is waterproofing. Waterproofing

improves the durability of many different surfaces in construction.

In addition, waterproofing materials should be applied in order to ensure the comfort of the
house or office to be used after the construction is finished.

So, what are the most ideal waterproofing materials? Which waterproofing material should
be used for which part of a house? 
Waterproofing is the process of making an object or structure waterproof or water
resistant. Thanks to this process, the insulated material or structure remains unaffected by
water or resists water ingress under the specified conditions.

Such articles may be used in wet environments or under specified depths. Sometimes it is
used to increase the comfort of buildings by using on surfaces such as balconies or
warehouses which are thought to be in contact with water.

The answer of question of what are the waterproofing materials should be given in
accordance with the area of use.
Waterproofing in buildings is the formation of an impermeable barrier on the surfaces of foundations,
roofs, walls and other structural elements to prevent the passage of water from these surfaces. Building
surfaces are water-resistant and sometimes waterproof.

In other words, waterproofing is a protective measure that makes a surface water resistant or prevents
unwanted penetration of liquids under other external forces such as hydrostatic pressure and capillary.

It is a process that allows the installation of a continuous system with the application of elastic and
durable membranes. It is a technique used in construction and design industries to reduce the effect of
liquid penetration on systems. Insulation increases the durability of concrete surfaces in a building.
Waterproofing Methods in Different Places
Waterproofing methods differ in rural areas and urban areas. Therefore, the answer to the question of what
are the ideal waterproofing materials also changes in rural and urban areas

Rural Areas
Since rural areas are uniformly monotonous and less utilized in terms of the use of various materials, certain
construction styles, typical problems of the region's natural problems may arise. The use of natural and locally
available materials makes it a very typical and limited work to remove the wear of the structure. Workmanship
is handled at a grass root level to address any problems that may occur.

Urban Areas
In urban areas there are various corners and surfaces. Macro climate changes, excessive pollution, excessive
use of soil, lack of green space, excessive use of greenhouse gases, roads are the most important causes of
weather conditions effect the process of waterproofing in urban areas. This situation causes the material to
withstand high temperature variations due to its weakening, large changes in its composition and the
development of cracks. However, often the construction, materials and methods are advanced and therefore it
is easy to control and improve.
Benefits of Waterproofing

Each building is subject to deterioration if it is not properly maintained. In this way, some natural factors such as air,
water, climate, wind and humidity becomes manageable. If a structure is not protected from water, problems such as
deterioration or damage to a structure from foundation to plaster can be encountered. Against the following causes
buildings need to be insulated against water:

1. Natural factors
2. Unexpected fire accidents
3. Water - rain and humidity
4. Strong wind
5. Big earthquakes
6. Non-natural factors
7. Damage caused by theft
8. Collapse of buildings
9. Structural failure in buildings
10. Other anti-social actions

Building waterproofing is a process designed to prevent water from entering a building. In general, extensive
waterproofing measures are added to provide moisture control to the building during construction, and waterproofing
can also be made after a building has been constructed, or when it arises as part of a building improvement or renovation
process.
Water Proofing
Background

• The most widely and effectively used construction material in world today is
concrete, beside steel and wood.

• Making good concrete in the laboratory is not at all difficult.

• But at the site, it is possible to make concrete waterproof.

• Ideally, the concrete is supposed to be watertight, if it is done in a manner in

which all the parameters are followed strictly.

• But, in practice, concrete is quite porous

 Waterproofing Meaning

• “Any system or material (s), which helps in preventing ingress of water into
structures can be broadly termed as waterproofing .

• Waterproofing is often misused and misunderstood term

• Waterproofing is defined as treatment of surface or structure to prevent the

passage of water under the hydrostatic pressure
 IMPORTANCE OF WATERPROOFING

If we refer back to the definition of waterproofing as an impervious barrier designed to prevent water entering or escaping
from building structures.

Problems caused by water

1. Rotting of timber structures and finishes such as floor joints, beams, floors, studs, skirting, architraves and frames.

2. Corrosion of metals such as steel reinforcement in concrete, steel beams, lintels, metal door frames etc.

3. Swelling of plasterboards and the subsequent debonding of ceramic tiles.

4. Electrical hazards causing the possible short circuit of lighting and power points.

5. The blistering of paint.

6. Unsightly deterioration of the building facade.

7. Health problems due to dampness, which may lead to respiratory problems.

8. Rotting carpet.
Source & Causes of leakages
Sources of leakages
1. Subsoil water rising by capillary action.
2. Cracks in external plaster
3. Vegetation growth
4. Separation gaps between partition wall and beams and the columns.
5. From expansion joints

Causes of leakages
6. Defective structural design
7. Use of poor quality construction material
8. Porous structures
9. Improper methodology of construction
10. Improper slopes on top surfaces.
 Conventional Waterproofing Systems

1. Brick Bat Coba system or Lime Terracing

2. Bituminous Treatment/Systems

3. Metallic Sheet Wrapping

4. Poly-urethane based Water- proofing treatment

5. Epoxy Based Waterproofing Treatment

6. Box Type Waterproofing System

 Brick Bat Coba system or Lime Terracing

• This system was developed during the initial stages of flat roof
construction with lime mortar & burnt clay brick aggregate

• This system involved laying of lightweight mortar on the roof and

spreading it to give gentle slopes for draining away the rainwater
immediately. The mortar consisted of lightweight brick pieces as
aggregates and ground brick with lime as binding matrix
Brick Bat Coba system or Lime Terracing

• Procedure

• All existing treatment, coatings on roof slab top is to be removed and surface cleaned by hard wire brush and
washed with water.

• The surface should be free from any oil, grease, dust etc. Remedial measured by provided to all structural cracks.

• Expansions joints should be treated as per standard practice

• All non-structural cracks more than 0.5 mm wide and construction joints if any, should be cut in “V” shape,
cleaned with wire brush and washed, the cracks are then filled by polymer modified cement or mortar using
acrylic polymer, with addition cement slurry mix is spread upon cleaned SSD roof surface. Over this 15 mm thick
cement, sand mortar, 1:4 admixed, with water proofer is laid.

• On the above green mortar, a layer of brick bats, soaked over night in water, is laid, having an average thickness
of about 110 mm, about 70 mm near rain water pipe and 150 mm at ridge.
Brick Bat Coba system or Lime Terracing

• Limitations :

This system has following limitations

1. There is a possibility of improper compaction

2. Chances of crack development on the top surface.

3. Brickbat coba is a source of water retention and absorption.

4. If slab has cracks the retained water may leak.

5. The absorbed water may allow penetration to the slab level.

Bituminous Systems

• Bitumen is more commonly used in the form of felt or flexible membrane formed by
sandwiching jute fabric or fibre glass/polypropylene mats with chemically modified
bitumen.

• These membranes are laid on the roofing system over a bitumen primer.

• There are two types of membranes one is cold applied and the other is hot applied
which means one needs to heat the edges of the felt ,so that they melt and stick to the
second layer in the overlap area.

• On the RCC flat roofs, the bitumen felts have not been successful because of the
unacceptable black appearance and inaccessibility of the terrace for other social uses
Bituminous Systems
• There are certain essential pre-requisites for any bitumen based water proofing system to be successful.

• The surface to be treated should be smooth, having proper slope.

• There should be no depression or cracks

• The surface should be dry.

• Any structural defaults in the roof or the parapet wall should be attended to before starting the treatment.

• Detailed steps in laying of the bitumen based surface barrier systems will

i) Make surface smooth, even and dry, remove local depressions and loose dirt.

ii) Paint the dried surface with bituminous primer and allow it to cure.

iii) Apply foundation coat of bitumen.

iv) Lay surface barrier membrane i.e. bitumen felt.

v) Apply on coat of bitumen and finish with grit or coarse sand.

Bituminous Systems
• Technically, it is not preferred because bitumen layer or felt on the terrace not only makes it watertight but
also airtight. Concrete has the breathing property.

• It takes water/moisture and breathes out water vapour.

• Hindrance of this breathing property of concrete develops pore pressure which causes blisters in the felt.

• After a few seasons, the blisters multiply and eventually delaminate the felt from the concrete surface.

• Hindrance of breathing property of concrete, makes the concrete weak.

• But on the asbestos cement sheets and zinc sheets in factory roofs, this bitumen felt is the only dependable
waterproofing system. Hence most of the factory roofs in India adopt this waterproofing system Bitumen is
still the product of first choice where it is commonly recommended, in areas such as industrial roof
waterproofing, basement water- proofing, and damp-proof course.

• Moreover, bitumen is the most economical product presently available for waterproofing
Polyurethane Based Waterproofing Treatment

• Polyurethane consists of two liquid components one is called the Base component and the other is
called reactor or curing agent
• Base is a polyol and the reactor is an isocyanide.
• The combination of these two ingredients results in a formation liquid applied rigid membrane or a
foam depending upon the selection
• In waterproofing, this rigid liquid membrane was tried with fibre glass reinforcing mats. The systems
failed because coefficients of thermal expansion of concrete and rigid PU membrane being different
lateral movement or creep occurred with the passage on one working climatic cycle. When exposed to
ultra violet rays or direct sunlight, most polyurethane rigid membranes became brittle and crumbled.
Apart from this, the application of polyurethane coating needed very rigorous surface preparation.
• Surface Preparation  : needed, neutralization , alkalinity.
Epoxy Based Water- proofing System
• Like polyurethane epoxy is also a two-component system having a base resin and a reactor or
curing agent.

• Base resin is obtained by dissolving Bis-phenol ‘A’ flakes in epichlorohydrin. This base is
available in various viscosity ranges to suit different application conditions.

• The curing agent is an amine/polyamine aliphatic or aromatic or an amine-adduct for general

applications and polyamide or an amino-amide for coating purposes.

• After mixing base and reactor components, the resultant viscous liquid or paste if some fillers
are added to it can be brush applied like a paint or trowel applied like a mortar. 
Box Type Waterproofing

• This type of waterproofing system is used only for basement waterproofing or structures below the
ground level from outside to prevent leakages of subsoil water into the basement. 
In this method, limestone slabs (Shahabad Stones) are first laid in the excavated pit over blinding
concrete in a staggered joint fashion to avoid the continuity of the mortar joints.

• The joints are effectively filled with rich cement, sand mortar admixed with integral waterproofing
compound and cured. Over this, the raft is laid and shear/brick walls constructed.

• The limestone slabs are erected around the walls in a similar fashion leaving a gap of one to two
inches between the external surface of the wall and the inner face of the stone surface.

• The joints again effectively sealed with rich admixed mortar and the same mortar is filled in the
gap between the wall and the stones. This stonework is continued up to ground level.
Box Type Waterproofing

• In this system, the raft and the sidewalls are protected from direct exposure to sub soil water  
This system works on two principles of common sense.

• First the area exposed to subsoil water is only the area of the joint where as the whole stone is
impervious to water, hence only a fraction of area, that is, that of the joint is exposed to
subsoil water when the joint itself is filled with rich and quality mortar.

• Secondly, the path of water to reach the raft or the sidewall is elongated. This elongated path
is through quality mortar. This system seeks to delay the occurrence of leakages in the
basements. A lot of building structures are waterproofed using this system. A few notable
successes are to its credit especially in five star hotels and of-course there are a few failures as
well.
 Box Type Waterproofing

• For basements, Swimming Pools and under-ground ducts such as lift-pits, the waterproofing has to withstand
the water pressure in addition to it’s basic stress. Shahabad Box Type treatment method of waterproofing is
very commonly used in India.

• A base-coat in cement mortar 1:4 mixed with waterproofing compound is laid over the Raft PCC and above
this rough Shahabad tiles of size 2’-0” X 2’-0” or 2’-0” X 3’-0” are fixed with minimum thickness of joints.

• Joints are staggered. Thickness of the Shahabad tile should be between 32mm to 40mm (1.25”-1.5”). After
fixing the tiles, the joints are sealed with C.M. 1:3 and 15mm metal is pressed in the joints for enhanced
strength and less shrinkage.

• Over this, a jointless layer of C.M. 1:3 with waterproofing compound approx. 25mm thick is applied and
cured for 7 days. This layer provides a smooth layer for the raft and also protects the Shahabad tiles from
getting damaged by steel bars laying and labour movement.
Box Type Waterproofing

• Over this plastered base, raft is cast and RCC retaining walls are erected. Shahabad tiles are fixed
to the vertical retaining walls from outside. Cement paste is applied on all four corners of a
Shahabad tile and it is pressed firmly on the RCC wall in line and level. At a time only a height of
1m is fixed.

• Total height above the ground level is taken as 1’-6”. Joints are then sealed in C.M. 1:2
(Pointing). The Shahabad dado is then grouted using cement slurry with waterproofing compound
and cured for 7 days.

• After curing, a jointless waterproofing plaster coat is applied and cured. Thickness of this
treatment is around 65mm to 75mm.

• This entire process forms a box around the structure and does not allow any water to seep through
or leak from the basement.
Box Type Waterproofing
Box Type Waterproofing ( Basement waterprofing)

Limitations/Disadvantages

• Use of Shahabad tiles, joints should be grouted properly or else the leakage would be from the joints.

• It is a labour intensive work for which it requires more time for installation

• Waterproofing membrane such as Bituminous, polymer modified bituminous of APP (Atactic Poly Propylene)

• SBS (Styrene Butadine Styrene), PVC, HDPE can be used for basements

• Since APP membrane is torch applied, it requires more skilled labour and a protective screed to avoid any
damages to the membrane.

• SBS is cold applied by simply sticking with a paste. But it is not suitable for high water table. It also requires
a screed for protection

• HDPE is the best material for waterproofing in high water table .

 Modern Techniques in Waterproofing

• Modern technique aims to understand the functional behavior of the

structure, understand the properties of the available materials to arrive at a
system, which is best suited for the structure and incorporate the design
stage itself.
• A single product or technique is not usually enough, involvement of various
bodies and techniques in coordination is essential for making structures
waterproof.
• For success of any system, the building structure should have sufficient and
efficient control joints if the slabs dimensions are more than twenty meter in
any direction.
1. Crystalline Waterproofing System
2. Flexible membrane waterproofing system
 Crystalline Waterproofing System

• The method of treatment involves saturating with water the surface to be treated.
• Then mixing two and half volume of the powder with one volume of water to form neat
consistency hot slurry.
• This slurry is brush applied on the saturated surface. The active ingredients in the slurry
pass through the water bearing capillaries and react with calcium oxide present in the
concrete to form insoluble crystals, which effectively block the capillaries.
• Further the chemical ingredients of the product remain in concrete to reactivate the
process of crystallisation and when a new capillary is developed.
• This system of waterproofing, the water retaining structures is practiced in most of the
developed countries
Crystalline Waterproofing System

• Cracks if any should be cut into ‘V’ shaped grooves one inch wide and proper size width & depth Cut honey combed
areas back to sound concrete.

• Repair these areas first by priming with crystalline waterproofing slurry and then by filling them with crystalline
modified mortar produced by mixing crystalline waterproofing powder OPC and zone II sand in the proportion of
1:1:4 and water enough to produce a stiff consistence paste. Allow the repair mortar to dry.

• Thoroughly sprinkle water on the area to be treated till the surface becomes saturated. Some recommend overnight
ponding for effective results

• Prepare crystalline waterproofing slurry by mixing the powder and water in the proportion of two and half volume of
powder to one volume of water to form a hot slurry. Brush apply this slurry on the water saturated surface in two
coats.

• When the second coat is still wet plaster the surface with 1 : 4 cement sand mortar admixed with an integral
waterproofing compound and cure properly.
Flexible Membrane Waterproofing System

• The main product used in this system, comprises two components one liquid and the other is a powder packed
roughly in the proportion of 1:4 by weight. The liquid component is an acrylic emulsion and the powder
component is a polymer-modified cement with film forming chemicals and fillers

• When these two ingredients namely the pre-weighed powder and the liquid are mixed together an uniform
slurry results.

• This slurry is brush applied on the roof surface, which upon drying forms a flexible film. Since there is cement
in this product, its compatibility with concrete is excellent.

• The film further allows the breathing of the concrete without any hindrance hence there is no problem of its de-
lamination from the concrete surface.

• This film being flexible takes care of the deflections in the slab and the movements caused because of primary
or secondary settlements, movements due to wind loads and temperature stresses developed in the concrete
Flexible Membrane Waterproofing System

• Cracks if any should be cut into ‘V’ shaped grooves of a proper size in depth.

Cut honey combed areas back to sound concrete.

• Repair these areas with a stiff paste of fibre reinforced polymer repair mortar
generally sold in the name of crack fill.

• Mix the powder and the liquid components of the product to form an uniform
slurry and brush apply this slurry on the surface to be waterproofed.

• When the waterproofing coating is still tacky apply 1 : 4 cement sand screed
and cure normally
Membrane Selection

When selecting a membrane it is essential to consider a number of relevant factors including :

1. Whether the membrane will be exposed to weather or protected by subsequently applied floor
finishes
2. The type of floor finishes and adhesives that will be applied
3. The exposure conditions of the membrane (e.g. coastal or other aggressive environments)
4. Anticipated substrate movement
5. Ambient weather conditions (some membranes must be applied within specific temperature and
humidity ranges)
6. The durability of the membrane
7. Ongoing maintenance requirements
8. Availability of specialist contractors to apply certain systems
9. Ease of application
10. Re -coating time and time before subsequent finishes can be applied
11. The moisture content of the substrate.
Comparison
of
properties
of different
coatings
Desirable Properties of Membrane

1. The membrane must be impermeable to prevent the passage of water.

2. Flexibility - membranes need to accommodate any normal movement that may occur in
building structures.

3. The membrane must be durable, it must be able to retain it's integrity over a long period of
time.

4. The membrane must lend itself to design details in a building. It must be suitable for each
specific application. The membrane is useless if it cannot be applied where needed because of
structural details.

5. The membrane must be able to breathe permitting the escape of moisture vapours from
building interior and substrates.
6. The membrane must be compatible with adhesives to ensure long term adhesion
where tiles are directly fixed over the membrane.

7. User friendly, the membrane must be easy to apply, relatively lightweight, non
hazardous, and environmentally safe.

8. In exposed areas such as rooftops, the membrane should require little maintenance,
and in the event of damage must be easily repairable.

9. It should provide a continuous film, without areas of weakness such as overlaps,

which could prove to be a potential source of water entry.

10. The membrane must be suitable to withstand environmental and climatic conditions.
Precautions to be taken by the Client and
Consultant
• Selection of an effective waterproofing system for a structure
taking all the performance criteria of the structure into account
and also taking into the consideration, the performance of the
materials in the system is of prime importance for any success
of the waterproofing job.
• Waterproofing jobs awarded to waterproofing contractors
purely on economical price considerations often fail.
• It is always advisable to involve the architect or the structural
engineer in selection of a system and requisite performance
guarantees should be taken from the contractors.
 Precautions to be taken by the Client and Consultant

• It is better to avoid bargaining for the job value out of contractor’s margins.
This could result in stretching the product beyond the coverage specified by
the manufacturer or substitution of cheaper material in the system to cover
the cost.
• Always supervise the job and the incoming materials for the intact
tamperproof seals and quantities.
• Use the services of an engineer or architect in selection of materials. That
too only procured from well know manufacturing firm.
Failure of Waterproofing Systems
• Application of a waterproofing product in non-
specified areas, such as using a crystalline
waterproofing system in waterproofing the terrace or
using a flexible membrane system in the water tank
results in failures even though the products
themselves may be genuine.
• Stretching the coverage of the products beyond the
specified limits by the manufacturer results in
inefficiency of the product and hence a failure.
Different Water Proofing Materials – Properties and Recommended Applications
LIST OF SOME RELEVANT IS CODES