Client: Ashton-under-Lyne Canal Boat Museum
Type of works: use of Rotafix Aquachem®

Rotafix Aquachem® is a resin based primer that is painted and rollered onto the surfaces, leaving a hard glazed finish, through which the substrate is visible.

The problem addressed was water penetration through ground retaining stone and brick walls in a disused canal basin where the buildings had been demolished in the past, leaving the residual ground retaining walls open to the elements for many years.

A new four storey building was under construction, with the retaining wall shown built against the ground at the bottom level and subject to extreme hydrostatic ground water pressure.

The walls were sand blasted, all stone joints and cracks in the stone were cut open and structurally pointed. The water pressure was such that dozens of pipes had to be inserted in the walls to form water pressure release valves whilst the tanking was undertaken, only removed and stopped up once the main body of tanking was complete.