Brick Wall Waterproofing and Reinforcement – Damp Wall Repair

Описание: The presented renovation took place in a rental apartment building on Troststrasse in Vienna. The building manager informed us that after every rainfall, water flowed into the courtyard of the residential complex and then into the basements and the elevator shaft. He therefore turned to us for assistance.

During the technical audit, we examined the courtyard drainage system. We determined that water was entering through it and penetrating the basements and elevator shaft through the brick wall joints of the building.

It also turned out that the building had undergone a major renovation years earlier. At that time, a closed garden for residents was created. The design included partial absorption of rainwater into the ground and partial discharge into the stormwater sewer system. However, it was not anticipated that this would be insufficient, especially during heavy rainfall.

In this case, we recommended that our Client repair the elements of the building most affected by moisture damage, particularly the basement niches, which required immediate insulation with mineral mortars.

In this part of the building, the biggest challenge proved to be the electrical cables and pipes passing entirely through the brick walls. Despite having been insulated during the previous renovation, water was still flowing along them into the basement.

Another particularly troublesome issue for residents was the periodically malfunctioning elevator. Each time it was flooded, it had to be switched off for safety reasons.

At the bottom of the elevator shaft, water accumulated—sometimes up to 20 cm in height. Our audit showed that it entered both through the horizontal and vertical joints of the concrete slabs from which the shaft was constructed.

Another weak point was the joint between the concrete slabs and the floor. Water also penetrated there. Sooner or later, this occurs in every elevator shaft.

For the repairs, we used NCT Crystal and NCT CEM mineral mortars. At the points of application, they created a watertight waterproofing layer. All structures covered with them completely retain water within, forming crystals from it. This creates the so-called “aquarium effect,” which cannot be breached even by strong hydrostatic pressure after heavy rain.

Our Client received a 30-year warranty for the basement wall insulation and a 5-year warranty for the insulation of the concrete slabs in the elevator shaft, as vibrations occur there during elevator movement. These vibrations may cause cracking of the insulation, although we have had only one such case in the entire history of our company.

Our mortars penetrate brick walls and seal them up to 5 bar, which corresponds to the pressure of a 50-meter water column.
In the case of old brick, they increase its compressive strength from 2–5 N/mm² to 14 N/mm² (approximately 300%).
NCT mortars also strengthen the mortar joints in brickwork, which contain lime. Through synthesis with it, a kind of internal reinforcement is formed.
The combination of brick, joint mortar, and NCT mortars also guarantees full resistance to salts and chlorides.

More: https://nctaustria.at