1 Southwick Yard

Background

Seen as a great example of how new structures can be built in small, confined spaces, 1 Southwick Yard is a unique and valuable project for Paddington, London. Found a short walk away from Hyde Park, the structure’s use of space is limited. It’s also almost impossible to extend the structure’s properties above ground. That made maximizing 1 Southwick Yard’s footprint and building below grade critical.

Unfortunately, building underground does pose many engineering issues. One of which is that the amount of space to construct with is limited, so efficiency is a must, making it essential that the builders were not negatively disrupted from their work. On top of that, the further below grade the builders decided to go, the more susceptible to water intrusion and flooding the structure would be. With that in mind, 1 Southwick Yard’s construction team knew they needed a waterproofing method that could accommodate confined spaces and eliminate the risk of flooding while not compromising the structure’s footprint.

Solution

To help the structure’s contractor, MJ Rooney Construction Ltd., build a watertight basement, the construction team decided to call in Kryton for a consultation. That led to them going with Kryton’s concrete waterproofing system as they were convinced it would be the best solution. After all, it would require no installation equipment or site disturbance and would not sacrifice any of the structure’s footprint while also providing watertight waterproofing that could resist flooding, meeting all the criteria the construction team had. As a result, they used 110 m³ (3,884 ft³) of KIM-treated concrete for 1 Southwick Yard’s basement slab and walls.

Then, to protect the construction joints and details, they used Kryton’s Krytonite Swelling Waterstop and Krystol Waterstop Treatment, ensuring no areas were susceptible to leaks. Additionally, the waterstop was easy to install and able to swell four times more than competing waterstops, making it one of the most dependable waterstops on the market. Coupled with Krystol Waterstop Treatment, its protection would make all the joints and details watertight for the life of the structure. And currently, as of writing, 1 Southwick Yard remains fully dry and completely waterproof.