{"data":{"news":{"items":[{"title":"GCP waterproofing system for Thailand’s ‘largest aquarium’","date":"2019-05-13 01:38:25","id":1613,"author":"","blurb":"\n\t\n\n\n\n","blurb_image_uid":"https://dxfpracgmlczp.cloudfront.net/2019/05/1557458092863__JD46611.jpg","blurb_expanded_image_uid":null,"article":"\n\t\n\n\n

Aquaria Phuket is set to be the largest aquarium in Thailand, slated to open this year. Aquawalk Thailand Co Ltd, the company that owns and will operate the aquarium, has commissioned Aquablu Technologies Sdn Bhd to design and build the aquarium, along with finding a high-performing waterproofing solution that would be safe for the marine life.

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“All of the tanks that we apply waterproofing technology to, at the end of the day, are used for fish, marine mammals and other animals, so we have to make sure that the construction materials and the systems that we install are safe for the animals,” said Matthew Boyle, chief operating officer at Aquablu.

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Located inside the Central Phuket megamall, the roughly 6,000-sq-m aquarium is expected to house some 25,000 marine creatures. It is also planned to become a working research and breeding centre, in addition to being a tourist attraction. The aquarium is partnering with Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok to research marine life.

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When it comes to waterproofing, especially an aquarium, the biggest challenge is said to be delivering a solution that is safe for the marine life without compromising waterproofing integrity. For Aquaria, Aquablu wanted a high-performing durable solution that would address waterproofing vulnerabilities, offer flexibility in application and be easy to install.

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“One of the challenges we face in the construction phase of any aquarium project is the timing and the speed that we’re able to apply the waterproofing or the liquid membrane system,” revealed Mr Boyle.

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After researching liquid waterproofing systems for the tanks at Aquaria, Aquablu selected several Silcor liquid-applied waterproofing products from GCP Applied Technologies. These include: Silcor Primer BS – fast-drying, single-pack modified polyurethane primer for elastomeric polyurethane membranes; Silcor 990 MP – two-part, fast-curing, pure polyurea, spray-applied elastomeric coating; and Silcor LM PU Sealant – one-part joint sealant based on proven polyurethane elastomer technology.

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“With Silcorwaterproofing, we found we had a lot of flexibility. Plus, the speed that we’re able to apply it gave us a lot of advantages with our project schedule and the timing of the overall work,” explained Mr Boyle.

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The Silcor system comprises liquid waterproof membranes, top coat, primers and detailing products. Its flexibility in application overcomes vulnerable joints and protrusions while delivering waterproofing integrity. With proper application, Silcor waterproofing can result in excellent adhesion to concrete and steel, and also offers flexibility through spray as well as trowel application.

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“We received a lot of information early on about the Silcor system, which helped us select the correct products and application methods to overcome challenges on the site,” said Mr Boyle. “The technical support we received from GCP was excellent — they helped us to tick all the boxes.”

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The specially formulated Silcor liquid membrane incorporates advanced polymer resin to optimise product application and durability. It is a liquid system that cures rapidly to form a seamless, monolithic membrane fully bonded to the substrate. It is highly durable with excellent wear and chemical resistance to enable long-lasting waterproofing protection.

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“One of the huge advantages of Silcor waterproofing is the speed of applying the product and the curing time,” pointed out Mr Boyle. “Once we apply it, we can work within the area in a very short window of time. This enables other contractors and other works to be scheduled ahead and completed on time.”

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The Silcor liquid-applied waterproofing system in ocean blue and blue black were applied on two of the largest tanks at Aquaria to provide marine-strength protection. The durable Silcor system, fully bonded to substrates, eliminated water migration and prevented water tracking. The elastomeric system is also able to accommodate structural movements and offers excellent resistance against wear and abrasion. Applied by spray or hand, this has allowed Aquablu to boost productivity and achieve daily coverage application to speed up the construction process.

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With a wide application temperature and humidity range, the Silcor liquid system provides a seamless, continuous waterproof barrier on the tanks to ensure waterproofing integrity. It is also available in low volatile organic compound grades, making it safe for animals.

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“One of the other huge value-adds for us with Silcor990 MP waterproofing is that it has potable water certification,” delighted Mr Boyle. “We believe the Silcorsystem offers a huge advantage over many other systems available on the market.”

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www.gcpat.com

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GCP Applied Technologies offers the Aquella waterproofing system, which is designed to deliver high performance, durable waterproofing for heavily reinforced soil-retaining walls such as diaphragm walls or contiguous bored pile walls.

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“In countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, the use of heavily reinforced walls is popular for below-ground construction because it accelerates project completion time,” said Robert AuYeung, director of marketing for Asia Pacific at GCP Applied Technologies. “However, it is susceptible to leak problems, which leads to high repair costs and construction delays. We engineered the Aquella waterproofing system to specifically address the challenge of waterproofing heavily reinforced steel walls when building deep basements, tunnels and mass rapid transit projects.”

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GCP explained that in Southeast Asia, contractors often encounter underground conditions that are damp and wet. With limited waterproofing options, they typically use waterproofed concrete but often find the results unsatisfactory for this application. In response to this, GCP developed the Aquella waterproofing system to provide a reliable and easy-to-apply solution for contractors and engineers in the region.

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The Aquella system is a tri-component, spray-applied, high performance membrane especially developed for waterproofing earth-retaining structures. This polymer-modified liquid waterproofing system enables direct application onto damp substrate surfaces, such as contiguous bored pile walls, secant pile walls and diaphragm walls. It enables excellent bond and seal around rebar and tie rod penetration to reduce long-term repair costs, and offer excellent weather and exposure resistance for schedule flexibility.

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The system allows a dual adhesion bond to both the substrate and the subsequent poured concrete. This helps to prevent lateral water migration of up to 10 bar of hydrostatic pressure, said GCP, and results in a durable and effective barrier against water ingress.

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Aquella waterproofing is easy to use, because it is spray applied - this expedites the construction process while providing a tight waterproof seal. It is also solvent free and can be cold applied so it does not require hot works, making it safer for workers and more environment-friendly.

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In addition to Aquella waterproofing, GCP offers a complete waterproofing system, which includes the Preprufe pre-applied waterproofing system, Bituthene self-adhesive waterproofing system, Silcor liquid-applied waterproofing system, Hydroduct drainage composites, Adcor waterstops and joint protection systems, as well as De Neef resin injection systems. GCP also offers an extensive range of fully compatible waterproofing products and accessories for effective protection of foundations. 

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www.gcpat.com

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Nestled in the heart of downtown Singapore, the 290-m, 64-storey Tanjong Pagar Centre is currently the tallest building in the country. Developed by GuocoLand Limited, the project is essentially a ‘vertical city’ with a carefully curated mix of office space, retail shops, a luxury hotel, upscale residences and an urban park. Its successful integration of five elements to provide a holistic work-live-play experience won the 2014 World Architecture News Award for Mixed-Use Future Projects.

GuocoLand held the topping out ceremony for Tanjong Pagar Centre in January 2016. In October of that year, the company announced that it has received the temporary occupation permit (TOP) for the office component, Guoco Tower, and the basement retail component of the building. The other components of the project commenced their operations not long after that, in phases.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), a US-based architecture firm, designed the skyscraper, which was built using the top-down construction method - allowing the basement and aboveground levels to be built simultaneously. Contractor on the project was Samsung C&T.

To ensure the 1.7 mil sq ft skyscraper project could meet tight deadlines and stringent material requirements, the project’s developer partnered with concrete experts Pan-United (PanU) and GCP Applied Technologies. “Constructing Singapore’s tallest building was no easy feat,” said Chan Wai Mun, PanU’s director of operations. “The challenge was expediting the construction time and limiting disruption in the congested financial district.”

Top-down construction method

“Given the access constraint of the top-down method, the project required concrete that possessed high flow, long slump retention and good rheology properties, so that kingposts could be inserted later for bore piles before the concrete could set,” explained Shu-Qiang Zhang, GCP’s Asia Pacific technical director.

PanU and GCP assembled a team of scientists, engineers, materials and logistics specialists for the Tanjong Pagar Centre project. The team of product and admixture experts focused on gaining a deep understanding of site conditions, material requirements, delivery timelines, regulatory specifications and safety guidelines, to determine the right concrete product type with the required control flow for the raft foundation.

The interdisciplinary team found the ideal mix using the Concera range of admixtures from GCP along with PanU’s self-compacting concrete and retention concrete. These specialised concrete mixes met the stringent specifications for high flow and extended slump retention.

“Concrete is a complex material and can be very tricky to get right. For the award-winning Tanjong Pagar Centre we had a team working closely to ensure the customised Concera admixture for PanU’s mix had the perfect chemistry,” said Mr Zhang. “Concera admixtures - formulated to deliver consistent, segregation-resistant control flow concrete - did not disappoint.”

The top-down construction method also made the site conditions particularly challenging because it restricted the local concrete discharge point and limited the opening access to the basement mass foundation slab. The six pump trucks housed on-site further exacerbated the space limitation. Plus, the nature of the concrete allowed the team only a workability period of three hours.

“Working closely with GCP, we easily overcame these obstacles,” said Mr Chan. “We also devised a seamless concrete production workstream to ensure that the appropriate quantities of pre-approved materials were on standby throughout the duration of the entire project.”

Concreting gigantic raft foundation

Another project challenge was pouring more than 13,500 cu m of concrete - enough to fill five Olympic-sized swimming pools - to create the building’s gigantic raft foundation. This 3,814-sq-m foundation reportedly required one of the largest concrete foundation pours in Southeast Asia.

For such a massive amount of concrete, it was vital to ensure that the concrete met stringent material and workmanship specifications - from temperature, durability, mix design and performance to pour preparation, delivery timeline, safety and access.

“To ensure quality and consistency throughout the entire casting process, daily plant trial of actual batching were carried out to determine the ease of repeatability,” said Mr Chan. “All concrete batches were closely inspected at the batching plants for flow and temperature before dispatch. Any batch that did not meet the high standards were corrected or rejected.”

On 3 May 2014, the team began concreting the mega raft foundation, which lasted for two days. During the record-breaking 44-hour continuous pour on site, the concrete mix flowed easily in a controlled manner under the force of gravity. The segregation-resistant concrete mix also offered substantial environmental benefits — noise pollution reduction. Since the concrete fills irregular voids quickly, it eliminates the use of loud mechanical compactors, which are typically used to smoothly spread and compact the concrete for a stable foundation.

A large team from PanU and GCP worked seamlessly in 12-hour shifts on site to inspect the concrete for consistent quality and flow. The project required intricate logistics involving 120 mixer trucks, six concrete pumps and one direct discharge chute to deliver 13,500 cu m of concrete from 10 concrete batching plants across the island. The concrete was poured at a steady speed of one concrete truck delivery every 90 seconds and peaked at 531 cu m/hr.

“Customising concrete for the tallest building in Singapore was no small feat,” said Mr Chan. “Thanks to great teamwork between PanU and GCP, we created an accurate mix that not only achieved high flowability but also high quality slump retention.”

www.gcpat.com

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Concera admixtures from GCP Applied Technologies create control flow concrete that bridges the gap between conventional and self-compacting concrete. Its labour-saving benefit could prove valuable as Asia’s labour market grows increasingly tight.

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“Control flow concrete shows promise in decreasing labour demand and time for concrete placement. It also reduces the risk of segregation,” said Dr Hua Zhong, Asia Pacific’s product director at GCP.

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Unlike self-compacting concrete, which is considered costly to produce because it requires a specialised mix design with high powder content and small coarse aggregates, control flow concrete offers many desirable characteristics of conventional and self-compacting concrete without the corresponding negatives, explained GCP.

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The company added that like self-compacting mixes, control flow concrete flows and places easily without losing stability, which prevents aggregate segregation. It can be placed with minimal vibration, which helps to cut labour costs. And it does not require extensive quality control to produce, so it eliminates some of the costs that come with self-compacted concrete. It is manufactured using conventional mix designs, with lower powder contents and larger coarse aggregates, further reducing material costs.

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“Control flow concrete has distinct rheological behaviour compared to conventional concrete and self-compacting concrete,” said Dr Zhong. “The range of Concera admixtures creates control flow concrete and works with conventional mix designs.”

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The image above shows a comparison between conventional mix design with Concera admixtures (first image) and one without Concera admixtures (second image).

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GCP also highlighted that, like self-compacting concrete, control flow concrete is higher flowing than conventional concrete, and can be placed into forms with minimal vibration needed, making it an ideal solution for construction slabs and walls, where a smooth surface is vital.

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“Adding Concera admixtures to conventional concrete results in highly flowable, segregation resistant concrete that can help improve placement productivity and provide an aesthetically pleasing finish,” added Dr Zhong.

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Traditional construction of tunnels, high rises and supporting columns on bridges is labour intensive because conventional concrete needs to be pumped to flow through the heavy steel reinforcement that is required. With control flow concrete, contractors could reduce labour costs since it flows easily and can be easily pumped. With minimal vibrations needed to place the concrete, fewer workers are needed on the jobsite, plus additional cost savings is achieved since vibration equipment is not needed or minimised.

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“Concrete quality is related to the mix and the actual installation. With control flow concrete, since it’s highly flowable, it doesn’t require as many skilled workers to move and place the concrete,” said Dr Zhong.

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Control flow concrete is also ideal for creating precast concrete beams, columns and underground elements, said GCP, because it is durable and the high flow concrete speeds up placement into forms while reducing the labour and equipment required. The ease of placement also enables precast producers to manufacture more daily, leading to improvements in productivity.

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“The global precast construction market is projected to reach US$185 billion by 2022, spurred by increased construction spending and increased urbanisation,” explained Dr Zhong. “With Concera admixtures, precast producers could meet the increasing demand without increasing their investment thanks to the admixtures’ ease of placement and high flowability.”

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GCP works with concrete producers and contractors to tailor the right Concera admixture for every project. The company has a network of specialists across Asia with knowledge of local construction methods, materials and building environments, to ensure its customers are able to receive the right product for their project.

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According to GCP, the first projects using the new technology have already been completed with favourable feedback. Concera admixtures have been featured in a range of primary applications including horizontal slabs, elevated decks, vertical walls and columns.

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For a trial mix of control flow concrete featuring Concera admixture, contact GCP Applied Technologies at: asia.enq@gcpat.com

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Website: www.gcpat.com

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