A comprehensive waterproofing and concrete reinforcement system supplied by Sika has been specified for the building of a new district general hospital which is set to transform healthcare in an area of Scotland.

The £270m unit on the outskirts of Dumfries and Galloway will contain 350 beds as well as a brand new emergency care department, a combined theatre complex for day surgery, endoscopy and surgical patients, and consolidated ambulatory care. Specified by architects, Ryder Architecture, and the project’s contractors, Laing O’Rourke, approximately 18,000m2 of SikaProof-A will help provide a total waterproof solution for the hospital’s basement and below ground floor which include kitchen areas, operational plant rooms and a morgue.

This unique and easy-to-use waterproofing system contains a pre-applied sheet membrane facility, the surface of which is embossed with a grid pattern containing a sealant and is topped by a thin layer of fleece which forms a mechanical bond to the concrete when it dries. Sika has also been specified to provide its Watertight Concrete system – approximately 7,000m3 – for the project. Cost effective in comparison with membranes and other solutions, and able to deliver maximum usable area to the occupier, the product complies with BS 8102:2009 Type B Construction.

Building work on the hospital – which will also include a heli-pad and 980 parking spaces – is due to be completed in 2017. Sika has ensured the foundations of this vital facility will be safeguarded from damp and water ingress for many years to come.