How to waterproof underground rooms in condominiums

Solutions for building and recovering underground spaces from water infiltration

There are many buildings in Italy that have underground or semi-underground rooms, therefore it is of fundamental importance to adopt effective waterproofing of underground structures.
It is known that 80% of the problems in construction are related toincorrect waterproofing of underground walls o underground structures in general; serious problems that could cause significant damage to the foundation (to be fixed as soon as possible).

It is therefore more logical to act preventively rather than resolve the problem later with all the complications that may arise.

Underground environment remediation in Türkiye Volteco

Per underground environment o basement These are areas below ground level 0 (totally or partially) that are built for various purposes.

There are different types of underground structures and each of these requires special precautions to avoid unpleasant events such as:

• water infiltration;
• health problems;
• humidity

All these are problems that would affect the livability andreliability of some environments such as foundations, completely underground rooms, structures bordering on vertical connections (staircase structures and elevator shafts), service ducts or any ramps leading to the sub-level.

Amphibia Volteco Waterproofing

Each type of underground environment therefore requires preventive attention to avoid inconveniences sometimes structural.

Types of underground premises and structures

The foundations hey underground walls of a building are subject to technical problems that can vary from level -1 to level -2 due to the different layers of foundation and sub-foundation soil, therefore it is advisable to proceed with caution at the beginning of the works in the case of new constructions or in the restructuring phase.

The foundations of the descending premisesinstead, are subject to hydrostatic thrust which varies according to each underground room and it would be of fundamental importance to guarantee a good water seal even in correspondence with work joints.

Amphibia Volteco System

I completely underground premisessuch as parking lots or cellars, are subject to direct contact with water, which is why the choice of the correct waterproofing must fall on a safe, repairable and complete system.

The stairs adjacent to the structure of a building, however, represent a critical point of passage of water and for this reason it is important to completely seal every weak point: if the stairs are open to the sky, and therefore subject to withstanding atmospheric agents of all kinds, systems of storm water disposal.

Waterproofing of underground wall Amphibia Volteco

Isolating foundations or retaining walls is of fundamental importance, but it is not the only necessary intervention. Two other delicate elements that are part of underground structures are added to the list:

The elevator pit it is a technical room or the lower space of the lift shaft which allows the lift to overtravel and is subject to continuous stress; good luck Instead, it serves to ensure correct ventilation and lighting of the underground rooms.
Both underground structures require rainwater disposal systems to prevent infiltrations that could compromise structural points of the building.

The onset of pathologies in construction moves parallel to the timeline: the more time passes, the greater the risks become, which progressively increase. It is therefore essential to adopt the best technological choice for along-lasting waterproofing.

Volteco: safety from water infiltration

When we talk about water infiltrations we are not always aware of what these can entail: underground structures are stressed not only by their own loadsalso from Strength such as ground pressure or hydrostatic forces.

The hydrostatic thrust It is a thrust directed from the bottom upwards that a body receives when it is immersed in a fluid. It is rarely considered that the water table can rise suddenly, yet it can happen during heavy rains, reaching the ground level or even exceeding it in the event of floods.

Amphibia System Vertical Installation Volteco

The critical points most subject to infiltration can be the crackspresent in height differences or in more stressed areas of the building, the passing bodies such as pipes, spacer bars and more, expansion jointsstructural lesions etc.

Waterproofing of underground structures can be the solution to eliminate the infiltration of water into the rooms, creating a waterproof system and healthy environments and improving the useful life of the structure and thus avoiding subsequent internal sealing interventions.

The waterproofing and structural restoration solutions proposed by VOLTECO

For structural lesions, cracks or structural connection joints the best solutions are Amphibia, Bi Mortar and Bi Flex system Of VOLTECO Spa.

Waterproofing underground structures excavations Amphibia

Both ensure effective waterproofing of cellars, garages and underground rooms, thanks to the synergy of different technologies.

Creating a waterproofing layer with Amphibia

Amphibia It is a cold-applied membrane that offers the advantage of self-sealing the overlaps creating an effective waterproofing barrier. It has the function self-repairing even on accidental holes and enjoys high flexibility and crack-bridging ability.

Waterproofing foundations Amphibia grip roll Volteco

It resists aggressive natural agents present in the soil, offers protection from radon gas inside the premises and it is possible to use it even in the presence of salt water while remaining easy and quick application.

Bi Mortar, waterproofing for irregular surfaces

With Mortar Instead, it manages to regularize and waterproof in a single gesture and with a single solution. Quick to apply and with high resistance to sulphates, it is a waterproof, fibre-reinforced plaster suitable for both external and internal use.

Bi Mortar can also be applied on irregular surfaces thanks to its excellent resistance to positive and negative thrust; it resists contact with water even for long periods and is easy to cure even in conditions of high humidity.

Bi Flex ideal for solving problems of humidity or localized infiltrations

In case of water infiltration into joints and cracks, Bi Flex represents a valid ally to guarantee excellent waterproofing in all rooms and underground spaces using two waterproof elements: an elastic tape based on elastomeric polymers and a two-component epoxy adhesive.

Bi Flex It is successfully used in ordinary and extraordinary maintenance interventions, even in the case of structures already built.
It is ideal for use in multi-storey basements, underground rooms or in elevator pits and manholes on all prefabricated elements.

The Volteco technologies they guarantee Total waterproofness and excellent adhesion between the elements. They are characterized by their significant capacity for absorbing and extending expansions, which make them resistant to chemical agents, defrost salts or high temperature levels.

Condominium: how to upgrade a space or underground garage

Insulating foundations from humidity, as well as waterproofing retaining walls and other underground structures is simple with waterproofing solutions from Volatilitywhich offer certain answers to the needs of condominium tenants, solving all problems related to water infiltration with excellent results.

Between most frequent problemsthat a condominium administrator finds himself having to deal with, there are those related to:

• all’rising damp such as the appearance of mold or fungi;
• the damage to the degraded external facades from the time required to recover detached front panels or coverings.

For routine maintenance work, an agreement between condominium owners can be easily reached, unlike major renovation works that involve large spaces such as cellars, elevator shafts, garages, ramps, etc. made inaccessible.

Since the elevator pit is the lowest part of a building’s structure, from -0.50 to -2.50 metres below the ground line, it is normal, when not properly waterproofed, for it to be the first to be affected by flooding or infiltration from the water table.

This could lead to the malfunction and blocking of the elevator, as well as damaging parts of the reinforced concrete structure and the hydraulic and electrical systems. Inconveniences of this kind can occur following therising water table and due to the lack of attention paid to the waterproofing factor in design phase.

The most frequent elevator pit problems:

• presence of wasp nests
• untreated cast footage
• untreated spacers
• problems in the casting of the slab

The combined action of Bi Flexcomposed of an elastic tape based on elastomeric polymers (to be laid both horizontally and vertically) and a two-component epoxy adhesive, as well as a Waterproof coatingallows you to quickly resolve incorrect or failed waterproofing of the pit.

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THE EDITORIAL TEAM RECOMMENDS

Il Team H2Out Volteco is the network in which companies specialized in waterproofing problems are registered, who have completed a training and experiential path on the technologies and application methodologies of the Volteco products and that can offer the market the Replacement Works Policy stipulated with Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni, as a further guarantee of the quality of the intervention.

VOLTAGE aims to finalise the know-how gained in the field of waterproofing and protection, arriving at the creation of a vast range of technical proposals conceived for the best solution to the problems of waterproofing e water containmentboth in underground and above-ground structures, through a technical and commercial presence throughout the country, managed from the Treviso office.

It offers a quality technical service, advising its customers from the project to the execution.