The Verve, a new 25-storey tower in Calgary’s East Village right on the shore of the Bow River, is set to be a beautiful addition to the urban neighborhood. The property will contain 288 suits and have a balance between retail spaces and residences. The building is in a flood zone, during the 2013 Alberta floods the East Village area saw significant flooding. With this in mind, the construction team knew they needed a superior performing waterproofing system to secure their 3 levels of underground parking. After a review of performance and long-term benefits, the Kryton crystalline waterproofing solution was chosen as the optimal solution over externally applied membranes.
To provide the long-term concrete waterproofing, Krystol Internal Membrane (KIM) was used in the concrete mix for all the below-grade walls. KIM was added to the structural shotcrete used to build the foundation and parking walls. Once in place, a chemical reaction creates insoluble needle-shaped crystals that fill capillaries and micro-cracks in the concrete. KIM is designed to withstand high hydrostatic pressure and grows increasingly effective over the lifespan of the structure. Any moisture introduced over the lifespan of the concrete will initiate crystallization and self-sealing ensuring permanent waterproofing protection. Thus, a perfect solution for an area which may be subject to increased water pressure due to local flooding.
To complete the waterproofing system, the project team used Krystol Waterstop Treatment and Krytonite Swelling Waterstop as a double protection system on all the below grade construction joints. Krytonite is a synthetic rubber waterstop that uses swelling pressure to seal concrete construction joints and stop water. It has superior swelling pressure and performance that stops water better than Bentonite and other competing swelling waterstops. It is extremely durable and will not deteriorate over time.
Krystol Internal Membrane (KIM) is a hydrophilic crystalline admixture used to create permanently waterproof concrete.
Krystol Waterstop Treatment is a cementitious crystalline slurry that is applied to horizontal and vertical construction joints to provide additional waterproofing protection, and protect rebar from corrosion.
Krytonite Swelling Waterstop is a synthetic rubber waterstop that uses swelling pressure to seal concrete construction joints and stop water.