Friday, 20 February 2015

Concrete Waterproofing - Evercrete Vetrofluid®


Churchill's are pleased to introduce a revolutionary waterproofing product to the UK.

The product is Evercrete Vetrofluid® manufactured by an Italian company called ecoBETON, along with other products in their range Evercrete  Vetrofluid® has been successfully used across Europe & USA for many years but has never been available in the UK until now, so what is Vetrofluid®?

Evercrete Vetrofluid® is a special waterproofing and anti-deterioration product for concrete, its specific catalyst allows the product to penetrate up to 40mm in concrete, both new & old, and to become a waterproofing barrier, permanent and definitive in time. It is a permanent waterproofing system that preserves concrete from the erosive action of water for the entire lifespan of the artefact, it is recommended for application on underground artefacts, bed castings, ceilings, above ground walls and earth retaining walls.

Evercrete Vetrofluid® is colourless and does not leave any films or foils on the surface of the support. Consequently the concrete maintains its natural aspect. It replaces all other technologies (bituminous membranes, water repellent products, impregnating agents) and can be used on all sorts of concrete artefacts and installations, both vertically and horizontally.

It is also effective in negative pressure (up to 10atm), for waterproofing from within or for waterproofing when building a retaining wall or a structure in contact with soil.

Evercrete Vetrofluid®: Characteristics

·         It is permanent and definitive treatment
·         It penetrates up to 40mm into the concrete
·         It creates a permanent and definitive waterproof barrier also in negative pressure (up to 10 atm)
·         It seals the internal porosity of the concrete
·         It consolidates the concrete
·         Applied on foundations and bed castings it blocks rising damp
·         Resistant to chemical aggression
·         It is environmentally friendly non toxic, safe for humans and the environment
·         It has excellent resistance to cycles of freezing and thawing and to de-icing salt aggression
·         It bears the CE marked in conformity with the UNI EN 1504-2 (Certificate number GB08/76012 issued by SGS United Kingdom Ltd)
·         It is marked EPD –Environmental Product Declaration. (Certificate number S-P-00143, www.environdec.com

What is Waterglass?

Waterglass is a chemical substance that has been known for centuries and since 1825, thanks to Johan Nepomuk von Fuchs, the industrial production of water – soluble sodium  silicates has been analysed becoming known as ‘liquid glass’ (waterglass). Waterglass, or liquid glass, or soluble glass is nothing else but sodium silicate (xSiO2 *Na2O), where the ration between sodium and silicate (x) can vary between 0.50 and 3.75 on a molar basis. Soluble glass used for applications on concrete has a x=3.25.
The chemical reaction impregnates the porous in the concrete with liquid glass and leads to the formation of a calcium silicate and lye based gel: Ca(OH)2  + Na2O * xSiO2 = 2Na (OH) + CaO + xSiO2

This reaction occurs thanks to the presence of free calcium hydroxide present in the composition of the concrete reducing the average pore section, sealing and protecting them from water and deterioration phenomena.

Evercrete Vetroshield®, in the same way as waterglass, reacts with the cement material triggering the vitrification reaction: the pores and micropores in the concrete are sealed and the concrete is waterproofed, while maintaining its breathability.

Consolidating Treatment

·         Increases the concrete’s a cortical compressive strength by 30%
·         Has a resistance in the negative pressure of 1MPa – ca 10 atm
·         Resists without being damaged to 300 freeze-thaw cycles
·         Reduces 70% of the absorption of water under pressure

Treatment Against Carbonation

Evercrete Vetroshield® is able to prevent the carbonation phenomena and the detachment of the concrete cover maintaining the concrete intact and preserved. In fact, the treatment blocks the passage of moisture and carbon dioxide avoiding the triggering of carbonation reaction

Anti Acid Treatments

Evercrete Vetroshield® resists;-

·         To sulphuric, nitric, hydrochloric acids
·         To acetic acid
·         To salts
·         To chlorides and sulphates
·         To other acids of organic origin

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