When the car park on the site of the redeveloped Old Magistrates’ Courts in Liverpool started to show signs of damp, it was necessary to look for a reliable and durable waterproofing system. To achieve this, the Sika 1 Pre-bagged Waterproofing System from global building products manufacturer Sika, was specified.
The overall project is a substantial rebuild and renovation project in the city centre, including construction of two award-winning glazed apartment blocks, Eden Square, conversion of the Grade II listed Old Magistrates’ Courts and the construction of a 200m2 underground car park.
A high profile redevelopment in Liverpool’s city centre, it was essential that all vehicles within the building’s underground car park were kept safe, dry and free from any damage that could be caused by damp and water ingress.
As with many concrete structures, its ability to restrict damp and water ingress had gradually diminished over time. Consequently, ground water had started to penetrate and seep through into the underground car park and so a reliable and durable waterproofing system was required.
The Sika 1 Pre-bagged Waterproofing System, with a successful track record of over 100 years, offered a solution that was proven, reliable and would offer long term, maintenance free protection.
The system includes all necessary mortars, screeds and renders, plus the specially made Sika 1 liquid waterproofing admixture. An integral part of the Sika 1 Pre-bagged Waterproofing System, it features a colloidal silicate liquid, which reacts to water by swelling on contact to create a jelly-like substance once moisture reaches it. Effectively filling the gaps and capillaries within the applied cementitous render and stopping the intrusion of water for the lifetime of the structure, it eliminated any threat of future water ingress.
Completed by contractor Specialist UK Restorations, the company cast a layer of Sika 1 Spritz Mortar over the entire concrete structure. This was followed by a second and third layer of Sika 1 Render and Finishing Mortar to the walls and, equally, a second and third layer of Sika 1 Screed Mortar to the floor – creating a three layer system of protection.
Now complete, the car park will benefit from a solution in accordance with the requirements of the updated BS 8102:2009 – Code of practice for protection of below ground structures against water from the ground – the highest recognised standard of waterproofing protection. The system meets the three grades detailed in the British Standard and is suitable for applications to all basements including where the water table classification is high and permanently above the underside of the base slab. Sika 1 Pre–bagged Waterproofing System has also been certified by the British Board of Agrément (BBA) to last the life of the building, providing exceptional standards of durability and reliability.
As well as BBA certification, Sika 1 Pre-bagged Waterproofing System is supported with the Sika Waterproofing Registered Contractor Scheme, a scheme that has been created to minimise risk for specifiers, main contractors and clients. It ensures that all projects that require waterproofing benefit from the proven performance of Sika 1 Pre-bagged Waterproofing System, matched with exceptional technical service from Sika’s team and first class installation from one of the company’s Registered Contractors.
With a new waterproof coat ensuring its car park is impervious to water penetration, tenants and visitors to the redeveloped Old Magistrates’ Courts can rest assured that their cars will remain completely dry – at least for the time that they are in the underground car park.
For online specifications, please visit SikaSpec at http://www.sikaspec.co.uk. Easy to use, the system has been designed to offer an efficient, accurate and reliable method of producing specifications for basement refurbishments, as well as new build projects.