Aggregate Industries, a leading UK construction materials supplier and infrastructure solutions company, has partnered with BASF Construction Chemicals to launch Watertight concrete, a new versatile range of specialised concretes designed to protect a structure from water ingress or to retain water within a structure.
When compared to traditional methods of achieving watertight structures, Watertight is said to offer contractors and specifiers a fast track solution that prevents water from flowing into or from a structure. When correctly specified and constructed, Watertight is fully compliant with BS 8102:2009 code of practice for protection of below ground structures against water from the ground Type B construction; reduces installation time; is not sensitive to weather conditions and is available as a pumpable or flowing mix in slump and flow grades.
Designed by Aggregate Industries, the Watertight range encompasses a full scope of admixture-driven solutions and is available as a three-tiered waterproofing solution; Watertight Pro Protect, Watertight Super Protect and Watertight Core Protect.
With a full range of specialist products, offering a one-stop-shop-solution that include Type A, customers can choose the right solution depending on application and level of waterproofing required. On request, this solution can also be supplied with a manufacturer's warranty - giving the customer confidence in specifying and using a unique product.
Each tier is specially formulated using Watertight concrete mixed with a custom blend of BASF’s MasterLife WP 799, a high performance integral waterproofing system for concrete incorporating combined waterproofing and superplasticising components.
Reflecting the company’s commitment to sustainability, Aggregate Industries is also the first construction materials supplier to offer an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) on its Watertight concrete, providing clients with detailed information on its environmental impact.
The EPD, published by the Institut Bauen und Umwelt (IBU), is based on life cycle assessment (LCA) calculations using BASF’s Life Cycle Analyzer tool, which has been developed and third party verified, in accordance with BS EN 15804:2012 Sustainability of construction works – Environmental product declarations – Core rules for the product category of construction products.
The tool enables Aggregate Industries and BASF to quantify the environmental impact of specialist and conventional concrete mix designs based on factors such as global warming potential, o-zone depletion potential and acidification potential and generates a full life-cycle assessment of concrete (cradle-to-grave) or an assessment of the production stage only (cradle-to-gate).
Joanne Wilkins, head of Business Development - Asphalt and Ready-Mixed Concrete at Aggregate Industries, said: “At Aggregate Industries, we understand that waterproofing isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. That’s why we’ve partnered with BASF to develop our Watertight range into a new three-tiered system – giving architects and specifiers greater flexibility than ever before when choosing an appropriate waterproofing solution.
“What’s more, given the ever-rising importance of sustainability, we are the first construction materials supplier to offer Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to determine the environmental impact of our Watertight concrete. This will make it easier for our clients to meet the environmental requirements of a project by providing detailed information on everything from production to recycling options.”
BASF provides RIBA-approved CPD seminars to architects, contractors and specifiers to help them understand the different types of waterproofing products available, their key characteristics and where they should be specified for maximum performance and durability.
