When the owner of White Cross Farm, located on the outskirts of Broughton in Staffordshire, decided to build a new property on his land – consisting of a swimming pool – keeping water out of the underground structure presented more technical challenges than keeping it in.
The solution, however, was presented by preservation and protection specialist, ProTen Services and its long-term working relationship with Kent based Triton Systems, who jointly designed and supplied an integrated package of waterproofing products to successfully tank the external perimeter wall forming the basement, which will house subterranean spa in very challenging ground conditions. The two companies, whose association goes back four decades, were working on behalf of the owner Tony Hall, also the main contractor for the project.
Triton’s Regional Sales Manager, Malcolm Cook first visited the site when the ground level was being reduced, to confer with ProTen Services’ Construction Manager, Tommy Burden. The subsequent specification process also involved Triton’s specialist structural waterproofing consultant, Mike Dunn, in devising a system which would not only provide guaranteed protection, but which was also fully appropriate to the desired build method and practical to install.
Aside from a high-water table and suspect stability, the waterproofing also had to respect the architect’s preference for constructing the retaining walls using Stepoc walling, which comprises concrete blocks whose interlinking void spaces are intended to accept both horizontal and vertical steel reinforcing bars, before being infilled with a high slump mix.
Despite being fair-faced, there is the potential for the completed wall to contain unseen voids and the system does not readily accommodate water bar within construction joints. Triton and ProTen therefore considered the most dependable solution would be to apply the TWS EX100 self-adhesive HDPE membrane across the primed outer face of the Stepoc blockwork and then to protect it from damage and static pressure using the Triton Platon Double Drainage membrane. The latter creates a permanent void space to channel groundwater to a rodable French drain at the lower level, with a top-hat profile to prevent soil or debris entering.
Prior to the walls being built, the basement slab was cast across concrete blinding and overlapping sections of the Triton Hydrolock: a BBA approved composite formed from two layers of geotextile containing pulverised bentonite clay which swells on contact with water to create a highly effective waterproof barrier. The issue concerning the practicality of inserting water bar, meanwhile was dealt with by applying Triton Super TT as a slurry coat across the top surface of the slab to fill the pores of the concreate with an impermeable crystalline structure, thereby completing the integrity of the Triton system.
Tommy Burden commented:
“The project was a new build swimming pool facility for a private customer, Tony Hall, where we were asked to structurally waterproof the outer structure to the basement which gives access around the perimeter of the swimming pool itself. As ever we received very good CSSW qualified technical design support from Triton, while our lead operative, Mark Woolard along with Tommy Burden who both worked tirelessly on the project to get the job finished on time and to the highest standard. The internal swimming pool is to be completed by the client’s own specialist contractor.”
As a long established manufacturer with a very successful track record, Triton Systems offers a wide range of well proven products to cover damp-proofing problems, timber protection, structural repairs, condensation control and the penetration of gases such as radon and methane. Its technical advisory service is also able to offer advice on specific Structural WaterproofIng project requirements as well as guidance on relevant product compliances.
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