Zoheb Mistry, Product Manager – Waterproofing and Sustainable Constructions, BASF India Limited, offers solutions for ensuring watertight systems in wet areas in drywall construction for high-rises.

Making Wet Areas Watertight
Waterproofing wet areas has always been a challenging task for the construction industry. With the introduction of the drywall concept, the construction industry is undergoing a change of materials being used to construct these wet areas. This has also created a need for reliable waterproofing systems. Current practices of waterproofing systems were originally designed for conventional brick/block masonry walls. These waterproofing systems do not serve their intended use in case of drywall panels. This article aims to provide an insight to singular component waterproofing system, which, when coupled with the correct adhesive systems, ensures a leak-free bathroom.

With the changing skyline, buildings are becoming more beautiful and making use of smarter materials. In such buildings, bathrooms are not just an area to clean up, but are viewed as personal spaces to get refreshed and rejuvenated. This calls for use of different building materials. Drywall panels are one such component, which are gradually becoming the material of choice in the construction of bathroom walls.

Use of drywall panels is advantageous to developers, but it is important to ensure the water tightness of these areas and still accommodate movement that would occur in these panels. Also, repairs in such areas can be a nightmare for owners as they can be extremely costly, and a lengthy and a disruptive process. Hence, it is important to use the correct systems to ensure a defect-free and durable structure.

Solutions

Single component, waterproof and flexible coating, MasterSeal 561, from BASF Master Builder brand, can be the perfect solution for under ceramic coverings in showers and bathrooms. Unlike traditional cementitious waterproofing systems, MasterSeal 561 not only has higher elongation properties (to accommodate movement at joints), but also allows the tiles to be laid directly over it. The solution saves time and cost for an overlay for protection before the tiling activity commences.

Making Wet Areas Watertight

MasterSeal 561 is the right fit for moisture sensitive substrates like plaster, Gypsum blocks, fiber boards, and particle boards. As the system is ready to use, it ensures minimal dependency on a worker for mixing of multiple components, and thereby, eliminating chances of error during application.

Coupled with special waterproofing tapes such as PCI Pecitape for the joints and PCI Pecitape Gaskets for the pipe penetrations and drain cut outs, the bathroom can be made completely water tight.

For application over sensitive substrates, such as drywall panels, it is advisable to adopt a holistic waterproofing approach, which includes tile adhesive as well. The MasterSeal Wet Area systems ensure a defect-free, durable, water-tight structure.
IIT Madras uses Solar Thermal Energy to Recycle Waste concrete
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have developed a treatment process using solar thermal energy to recycle construction and demolition debris. Waste concrete from demolition was heated using solar radiation to produce recycled concrete

Read more ...

Textile Reinforced Concrete - A Novel Construction Material of the Future
As a new-age innovative building material, TRC is especially suited for maintenance of existing structures, for manufacturing new lightweight precast members, or as a secondary building material to aid the main building material. Textile Reinforced Concrete

Read more ...

Technological Innovation for Use of Bottom Ash by-product of Thermal Power Plants in the Production of Concrete
The day is not far for the adoption of this innovative, eco-friendly, and cost-effective bottom ash – concrete process technology by construction agencies undertaking road/infrastructure project works, real estate developers, ready mix concrete (RMC) operators

Read more ...

Headed Bars in Concrete Construction
Using headed bars instead of hooked bars offer several advantages like requirement of reduced development length, less congestion, ease of transport and fixing at site, better concrete consolidation, and better performance under seismic loads.

Read more ...

Sustainability of Cement Concrete - Research Experience at CRRI on Sustainability of Concrete from Materials Perspective
It can be said that ever since the publication of the document of World Commission on Environment and Development [1], the focus of the world has diverted towards sustainability. Gro Harlem Bruntland [1] defined sustainable development as “development

Read more ...

Shrinkage, Creep, Crack-Width, Deflection in Concrete
The effects of shrinkage, creep, crack-width, and deflection in concrete are often ignored by designers while designing structural members. These effects, if not considered in some special cases such as long span slabs or long cantilevers, may become very

Read more ...

Concrete Relief Shelve Walls - An Innovative Method of Earth Retention
Relief shelve walls are a unique concept that use only conventional construction materials like PCC / RCC / steel reinforcements, and work on a completely different fundamental to resist the lateral load caused due to soil. Information on the various dimensions

Read more ...

Carbon Neutrality in Cement Industry A Global Perspective
Increasing energy costs, overcapacity, and environmental pollution are the top concerns of the cement industry, which is one of the major contributors to CO2 emissions. Dr S B Hegde, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Jain College of Engineering

Read more ...

Finnish company Betolar expands to Indian concrete markets with a cement-free concrete solution
Betolar, a Finnish start-up, and innovator of geopolymer concrete solution Geoprime®, has expanded its operations to Europe and Asian markets including India, Vietnam and Indonesia. Betolar’s innovation Geoprime® is the next-generation, low carbon

Read more ...

Why Fly Ash Bricks Are Better Than Clay/Red Bricks
It is estimated that in India each million clay bricks consume about 200 tons of coal and emit around 270 tons of CO2; on the other hand, with fly ash bricks production in an energy-free route, there are no emissions. Dr. N. Subramanian, Consulting

Read more ...

Low Fines, Low Viscosity, Self-Consolidating Concrete for Better Impact on CO2 Emissions
Production of low fines SCC with increased robustness in a highly flowable, less viscous condition meeting true SCC specifications is now a reality to help realise the architect’s and engineer’s dream of various complex profiles and shapes in

Read more ...

Methods & Factors for Design of Slabs-on-Grade
Sunitha K Nayar, gives the grouping of slabs-on-grade based on the design philosophies and a brief overview of the different design methods, the commonalities between design strategies in terms of the input parameters, assumed and estimated parameters, and the

Read more ...

FIBERCRETE®: Synthetic Fibers for Concrete Reinforcement
Kalyani Polymers is offering world-class made-in-India Synthetic Micro & Macro Concrete Fiber Products for the Construction Industry under the brand name FIBERCRETE®. Concrete is an integral part of any construction project, it can be roads, tall structures

Read more ...

Climate Control Concrete
Leading cement and concrete maker ACC has unveiled a revolutionary thermal insulating climate control concrete system in India. Sridhar Balakrishnan, MD & CEO, ACC Limited, discusses its attributes, applications, and benefits for home builders, architects

Read more ...

Innovations in Crack Bridging with Self-Healing Bacteria in Concrete
Dr. Manjunatha L R, Vice President - Direct Sales & Sustainability Initiatives, and Raghavendra, Senior officer, JSW Cement Limited, discuss bacterial concrete that can meet the requirements for strength, durability, and self-healing of cracks.

Read more ...

Sustainable Development Through Use of Self-Curing Concrete
Dada S. Patil, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department, AIKTC, Panvel, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra; Dr. S. B. Anadinni, Professor & Associate Dean (Core Branches), School of Engineering, Presidency University, Bengaluru; and Dr. A. V. Shivapur, Professor

Read more ...

Developing a Corrosion Resistant RCC Structure
Samir Surlaker, Director, Assess Build Chem Private Limited, emphasizes the importance of a clear cover for a concrete structure since concrete as a porous material needs protection of its reinforcement. Along with the thickness (quantity) of cover, the porosity of

Read more ...

Quest for Higher Strength Concrete From HSC to UHPC
Concrete technology has come a long way since the Romans discovered the material, with a number of ingredients, which include a host of mineral and chemical admixtures, besides of course, the Portland cement, aggregates (coarse and fine), and water. These ingredients

Read more ...

Modelling Methods for Protection of RCC Structures
Anil Kumar Pillai, GM, Ramco Cements, discusses two major softwares (Life 365 and DuraCrete), used in the industry for protection of RCC structures. The common design approach is faulty because we consider only the loading aspect, whereas the environmental aspect is equally

Read more ...

Bajaj Reinforcements LLP - Introduces Fibre Tuff heavy-duty synthetic fibres that offer a range of benefits to concrete
Fibre Tuff, macro synthetic polypropylene fibres, are heavy-duty synthetic fibres that are specially engineered for use as secondary reinforcements, providing excellent resistance to the post cracking capacity of concrete. They are replacing steel fibres in a range

Read more ...