How to eliminate capillary suction in a building: cut-off waterproofing technology

There will be a continuous leak of moisture from the earth during a building’s operation if the foundation is not horizontally waterproofed during construction.

All wall structures will consequently be exposed to high humidity levels, which will cause them to gradually crumble.

This is avoided by using a cut-off type of moisture protection for the object, which involves drilling cylindrical holes in the foundation or lower portion of the wall to insert insulating material. Let’s examine this technology in more detail.

What is cut-off waterproofing?

In addition to direct contact, the rise of liquid along the pore structure in building materials causes water to negatively affect the object. Groundwater has the occasional ability to ascend several meters through the capillaries.

For your knowledge. There are a lot of sulfates, chlorides, and bicarbonates in ground water. These substances crystallize and increase in volume, which causes the structure to collapse.

The capillary sponge considerably shortens the time that the building site is operational.

A state-of-the-art engineering technique called Saching type waterproofing eliminates fluid capillary lifting in accordance with the building’s walls and foundation. It is predicated on creating unique holes (called bundling) all the way around the edge and packing them full of a material that is hydrophobic.

This approach is part of the pricey, but highly successful events. Among its benefits are:

• the possibility of implementation at any stage of construction and operation of the building;
• wide selection of hydrophobic materials;
• increasing the mechanical strength of structural elements;
• increasing the service life of the facility by more than 20 years;
• no preliminary surface drain of the surface before injection is required.

Injection waterproofing system for brickwork protection

The selection of an insulating mixture for work

Penetrating compounds are materials for shutoff waterproofing; when they react with stone, brick, or concrete, they form crystalline compounds that fill in all pores, cracks, and other voids. The particulars of the protected structures determine the composition that should be used.

Silovsan-based liquid or gel-like silicon-containing compounds are used for concrete, stone foundations, and brick masonry. These mixtures react with the processed material on capillary and crack surfaces to form a waterproof film that serves as a trustworthy insulating barrier.

In the event that the building was constructed with lime materials, silicate-alkaline component-based waterproofing solutions are employed. In this instance, a chemical reaction results in the creation of a substance that is completely insoluble in water, which leads to the creation of the waterproof barrier.

The quality of the insulating mixture determines how reliable the waterproof barrier is.

Cut-off type waterproofing technology

The foundation of this building moisture protection technique is the injection of a hydrophobic material into holes that have already been drilled. The waterproofing effect is retained for the duration of the facility’s operation if the right technology is used.

Surface preparation

The most important step in getting ready for cut-off waterproofing is clearing the base of any foreign materials, such as paint, plaster, cement, broken concrete, or brick. Metal scrapers, metal brushes, and power tools are used to eliminate superfluous elements.

Suggestions. Moisture-damaged plaster needs to be removed 800 mm around the moisture zone. Should gypsum plaster be present on the wall, it is eliminated entirely. At least 200 mm of cleaning is done on destroyed seams.

During the surface preparation stage, all superfluous inclusions ought to be eliminated.

The surface is cleaned of superfluous material and then completely saturated with moisture. Here, the excess water is removed because the base should be moist but not drenched.

Bumping rod and installation of packets

Squeaks are drilled holes that are two thirds of the depth of the wall and have a diameter of 18 to 32 mm, depending on the injection method and used packages. These holes are used for the injection beneath all walls. Spurs are positioned in steps of 150–250 mm and drilled at an angle of 15–30 ° to the horizontal plane (the smaller the step, the better the impregnation). The holes are made on both sides if the wall thickness is greater than 600 millimeters.

Note: An electric or pneumatic tool is used to drill holes; this type of tool does not produce vibration.

Packers are positioned in a staggered pattern to improve the effectiveness of moisture protection.

Following the drilling process, all holes are pressure-washed with water before packers are placed inside of them.

Injection methods

There are two methods for injecting a hydrophobic composition for cut-off type waterproofing: under pressure and free-flow.

In the first instance, a funnel or watering can is used to fill the holes. Here, the quantity of material needed is determined ahead of time. The building that needs to be treated is impregnated throughout the day, or until the wall has absorbed all of the solution.

Vital. During injection, the air temperature needs to be higher than 5°C in order to guarantee the longevity of insulated objects.

Injection of pressure

With the use of a specialized pump, the insulating composition is introduced under pressure. If the wall is more than half saturated with water, which hinders the solution’s natural absorption, this technique is employed.

Stages of reconstruction of an old building

The following tasks are carried out in order to restore older buildings using the cut-off waterproofing method.

1. Boreholes are drilled in the lower part of the wall according to the technology described above.
2. The holes are filled with a special waterproofing composition based on cement and active components, which is designed to strengthen stone and brickwork.
3. After several hours (after the solution has set), the boreholes are re-drilled, the drilling mud is removed from them and packers are inserted.
4. Before injection, 2 layers of elastic material are applied – one 20 cm above and the other 20 cm below the injection zone. This is done to prevent the injection material from escaping through cracks and other holes.
5. Injection begins with the outer packer and is carried out under pressure from 3 to 10 atmospheres. A liquid material based on siloxanes is used as a hydrophobic solution, creating an effective waterproof barrier in brick or stone masonry. After injection, the packers are removed.
6. Depending on the ambient temperature, the hardening process of the solution may take 1-2 days.
7. After the waterproofing composition has dried, the holes are sealed with a repair mixture.

The injection method makes it possible to preserve even ancient historical structures.

Cutting off the waterproofing is far more effective than coating or penetrating it.

It strengthens the structure in addition to producing a dependable moisture barrier by saturating even the smallest gaps in the material, which is especially crucial for older structures.

With cut-off waterproofing technology, capillary suction—a common source of moisture issues in buildings—can be effectively addressed. This technique entails building a physical barrier inside the walls to prevent water from moving upward. Water can’t rise through capillary action if a waterproofing agent is injected or a waterproof membrane is installed at the base of the wall. This preserves the building’s structural integrity and contributes to the upkeep of a dry and healthy interior atmosphere. We’ll go over the procedures for cut-off waterproofing in this post so you can handle this problem effectively and quickly.

One of its drawbacks is the intricacy of the technology, requiring precise hole drilling at the ideal angle and location. It is preferable to leave these tasks to professionals as they have the requisite experience and will yield the intended outcome.

Video on the topic

Capillary suction mechanism | Tiprom series water repellents

Capillary suction is to blame

Voronovitsy, Mozhaisky Palace, destruction, capillary suction

Injecting PeneSplitSil to cut off capillary suction

Installation of cut-off waterproofing at cultural heritage sites

Elimination of capillary suction of moisture

Cutting off capillary suction