THE WATERPROOFING STANDARDS 2016

BELOW GROUND STANDARD BS 8102:2009 Waterproofing Standard

The principle considerations are listed in order to develop a robust design for protecting a structure against groundwater. The overall general principle is to assess the risk of water reaching the structure and then to select a waterproofing system capable of achieving the required internal environment. The ideal waterproofing solution would be defect- free. However it should be noted that two types of defect might occur in any waterproofing where a structure is subject to water pressure, and this could mean that the required internal environment is not achieved.

DEFECTS Defects owing to poor quality workmanship. Defects owing to the specific properties of the materials being used It is essential that the construction methods and materials used are designed such that the defects in workmanship are avoided and are generally minor. Contingency planning for dealing with any localized defects or system failure that arise should be included as part of the overall water resisting design of the structure. It is vitally important for specifiers to design waterproofing systems that take into account the form and feasibility of remedial measures. The inability to repair external systems has changed the way professional waterproofing contractors now guarantee external waterproofing projects.

RISK ASSESSMENT As a part of the new design standard it is advised to carry out a risk assessment stipulating that the principle risks with respect to water ingress into structures. The environmental conditions. As a part of the risk assessment, it maybe suggested to perform a Study to actually know what is involved when installing below ground waterproofing.

CONCLUSION To sum up, the below ground Standard when in practice in Queensland, will be upgraded to include the new technologies available to waterproofing designers. The waterproofing design may involve a qualified design team to address any issues which may result from failures of waterproofing systems, namely poor workmanship and poor choice of materials. These changes give manufacturers, specifiers and clients the peace of mind that waterproofing, when installed by a professional waterproofing contractor, will hopefully manage out any poor quality design and installation.

ABOVE GROUND STANDARDS AS 4654 Waterproofing membranes for external above ground use. AS 4654.1 Waterproofing membranes for external above ground use-Materials. AS 4654.2 Waterproofing membranes for external above ground use-Design & Installation.

This Standard has been prepared in response to numerous requests from industry representatives in the field of external waterproofing, especially in the areas of roofs, decks and balconies. The objective of this Standard is to provide a consistent and reliable approach to the materials used in the design and installation of external waterproofing membrane systems. The objective of this revision is to align this Standard with the protocols and requirements as set out by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB). This Standard is Part 1 of a series of Standards on external waterproofing, as follows: AS 4654 Waterproofing membrane systems for external above-ground use Part 1: Materials Part 2: Design and installation The term ‘normative’ has been used in this Standard to define the application of the appendix to which it applies. A ‘normative’ appendix is an integral part of a Standard.

This Standard sets out the requirements for materials forming part of a waterproofing system on the surface of building materials, to prevent the ingress of water. These requirements are based on the need to identify suitable criteria for the range of waterproofing materials. Industry research and experience has shown that the design of roofs, decks, balconies and planter boxes contributes to many of the failures of waterproofing mediums used and, by setting a standard for materials design and installation for construction, the failure rate will be dramatically reduced. The Australian Standard for the design and installation of waterproofing building elements (such as roofs and similar horizontal surfaces and retaining walls and similar vertical surfaces) was first published in 2009 (AS 4654.1).

WET AREA STANDARD AS 3740-2010 WATERPROOFING OF DOMESTIC WET AREAS This Standard sets out minimum requirements for the materials, design and installation of waterproofing for domestic wet areas. The Standard does not cover situations where flooding of the wet areas occurs through overflowing of vessels and showers or plumbing failures and excludes concrete admixtures or penetrant sealers or similar and decorative coatings.

The objective of this Standard is to set out the criteria for waterproofing wet areas within domestic buildings. It gives minimum requirements for materials, designs and installations. The objective of this revision is to bring this Standard in line with the current waterproofing practices in the building industry. Changes to the previous edition include the following: Risk levels of different areas. Appropriate details for various risk levels. Clarification of usage definitions. Increased ease of reference for varying conditions. Revised design and installation techniques. Additional change to the previous edition is the inclusion of Appendix C, which provides guidance on the extent of waterproofing for wet areas. This Standard is not to be interpreted as preventing the use of materials, systems or methods that meet the design and installation criteria set out in the Standard, but are not specifically referred to herein (alternative solution).

Thank You 2016