November 1, 2007 Hycrete Technologies has developed a water based admixture that acts as waterproofing and corrosion protection when added to regular concrete. It does this by sealing the capillaries within the concrete and making the resultant product completely waterproof. The Hycrete is so effective that no external waterproof membranes, coatings or sheeting treatments are required, which is good news for the environment as it is usually these waterproofing methods that render concrete unsuitable for recycling – without them the concrete can be crushed, recycled, and reused.
30% of landfills in the US made up of building materials, and 40% of that number is made up of concrete – a material that is made up of rock, sand, stone and water. By eliminating the use of membranes, coatings and sheeting treatments, Hycrete ensures that concrete remains a sustainable material and helps reduce the amount of waste going into landfills. The admixture also contains no Volatile Organic Contents (VOC’s) or nasty chemicals and is one of a handful of materials in the US that has been rated “Cradle-to-Cradle”, meaning it can be returned to the earth.
"One of the fundamental problems with concrete is that it is a hard sponge," said Hycrete Technologies CEO David Rosenberg. "Through capillary action it sucks water in." Hycrete Admixtures transform concrete from an open network of capillaries and cracks into an ultra-low absorptivity, waterproof, protective building material. If you want to get technical Hycrete claim that concrete batched with Hycrete liquid admixtures achieve hydrophobic performance of less than 1% absorption under BSI-1881 122.
The elimination of the entire external waterproofing process also offers other benefits. Designs can be simplified, material demands are reduced and projects can be completed quicker - all things that contribute to a better bottom line. These factors also contribute to making Hycrete admixtures an attractive proposition for applications such as deep foundation slabs and walls, podium and plaza decks and roof, parking and tunnel structures, where waterproofing and corrosion concerns are paramount.
Potential future applications of the technology include mixing the admixture into drywall to combat moisture seepage, while the possibility of adding it to roofing material offers the prospect of rooftop lawns – a trend that is gaining popularity in urban environments such as Tokyo. In the not too distant future the phrase, “I’m going up to the roof to mow the lawn”, may not sound so unusual.
For further info visit Hycrete Techologies.
