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Showing posts from May, 2021

KNOWING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRACKS AND THE CAUSES IN CONCRETE

When you see a crack in your concrete slab or wall, your first assumption is typically that something has been done wrong–but that’s not always the case. Actually, concrete cracks are very common, some are even inevitable. “Even with the best floor designs and proper construction, it is unrealistic to expect crack-free and curl-free floors. Consequently, every owner should be advised by both the designer and contractor that it is normal to expect some amount of cracking and curling on every project, and that such occurrences do not necessarily reflect adversely on either the adequacy of the floor’s design or the quality of its construction” I will explain 6 of the most common types of concrete cracks below. 1. Plastic shrinkage concrete cracks When concrete is still in its plastic state (before hardening), it is full of water. When that water eventually leaves the slab, it leaves behind large voids between the solid particles. These empty spaces make the concrete weaker and more prone

WHEN TO USE NEGATIVE SIDE WATERPROOFING

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While negative-side waterproofing is not the usual first choice in new construction of foundations, it clearly has its place. It is often selected as the last resort when other options (positive and blind sides) are impractical. Often, negative-side waterproofing is better than re-excavating the entire structure when the original waterproofing materials fail and water is actively leaking. Using nagetive side waterproofing on this basement walls because we can't excavate the foundation. When positive-side and blindside waterproofing are applied, water under hydrostatic pressure would not permeate the foundation and the building is expected to remain dry for life. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and the solution either involves excavating the foundation to conduct repairs or retrofitting the insides of the wall with a negative-side waterproofing application. Excavating the foundation to apply positive side waterproofing. Negative-side waterproofing