Grace Construction Products’ Preprufe® waterproofing membrane has been specified to provide reliable, practical and unrivalled standards of waterproofing protection at the $240 million Tadawul Tower in Riyadh – a new, highly sustainable headquarters building for the Stock Exchange of Saudi Arabia.

Designed by Japanese architects Nikken Sekkei, managed by UK-based Mace Group, and built by Samsung, the Tadawul Tower will be one of the final projects to be completed as part of the redevelopment of Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District. Comprising 41 floors above ground and a further five floors below, the 400mtr tall building required a high performance membrane to provide fully bonded waterproofing, zero water tracking and exceptional concrete protection.

With low environmental impact and long term performance paramount, as well as the extreme climate to consider – where daytime temperatures regularly top 40°C – Preprufe® proved ideal. The world’s most advanced waterproofing system for below ground structures offered the perfect combination of outstanding watertightness, proven performance in challenging conditions and a simple application process.

Designed with synthetic adhesive layers combined with a robust HDPE film, Preprufe® provides a permanent physical barrier which will protect each structure against chloride and sulphate attack. Grace’s patented Advanced Bond Technology™ enables concrete to aggressively adhere to Preprufe®, forming a unique intimate seal, which prevents any water migration between the waterproofing and the structure and substantially reduces the risk of leaks.

No other system on the market protects a substructure from the harmful effects of water, vapour and gas more effectively than Preprufe®. It can be applied on wet substrates and is immediately trafficable after installation without protective layers, which makes for fast and easy application. When compared to conventional loose-laid and complex PVC systems, Preprufe® can be more than five times quicker – with approximately 500m2 laid in one day.

When completed in 2014, the 40-storey tower will cover a total area of 140,000 m2 and act as a focal point for Saudi Arabia’s new financial headquarters. Designed to balance construction value, sustainability and iconic design, the Tadawul Tower will be protected by the proven, market leading performance of the Preprufe® waterproofing solution from Grace – helping to establish it as a landmark building in one of the world’s fastest growing cities.