Advanced Membranes Technology from Gaea

K-S-Shashidhar.jpg, Gaea Engineers & Contractors (P) Ltd.

“Solar membranes are the upcoming products, which will not only work towards waterproofing, but can also generate power for the building,” says Mr. K.S.Shashidhar, Director, Gaea Engineers & Contractors (P) Ltd.

What are the recent innovative solutions in the Waterproofing Industry?

Single ply membranes, single component PU-based spray applied coatings, and insulation with waterproofing are some of the new waterproofing solutions. One of the unexplored areas and an upcoming trend will be solar membranes these membranes serves as waterproofing laying and also membranes which helps Tap solar power to generate electricity.

Gaea has introduced state of art, “CAST-INSITU” Light Weight Concrete (Cellular Foam based) concrete which has excellent insulation properties & drastically, reduces the dead weight on the structure Density ranges from as low as 50 Kg/m3 to 1200 kg/m3 can be laid with ease & speed.

What are the main reasons for waterproofing failures, and what is the right method for product selection for different areas that need waterproofing?

Waterproofing alone is not responsible for all the failures.it is also important that the concrete structure should be sound and also confirm to good standard practice of constructions like Good compacting, curing & right admixtures to ensure sound, solid & Impervious concrete.

Many failures of Waterproofing is due wrong waterproofing specification, One needs to make comprehensive study of the structure subjected to various External factors such as Heat, cold load & membrane etc., understands fully the structure & specify products suitable to withstand the abuse will largely mitigate the failures. Also very important for Waterproofing contractors to ensure good co-ordinate between other agencies to ensure the treated surface is not damaged.

What quality standards are in place for the waterproofing industry?

We don’t have any established Indian systems so far, in place to qualify the standards. However, some manufacturers conform to the international ASTM standards, which of course is not an Indian standard.

How is the industry creating awareness of the latest waterproofing solutions?

There are some agencies involved in this activity, such as INSTRUCT in Bangalore that conducts various training programmes on best waterproofing techniques. Some companies are also imparting training for applicators. It is very important to train applicators to become more professional and skilled. In fact, it should be prioritized because the success of a waterproofing job depends not only on the right product but also on the applicators’ knowledge of the materials and his application skill.