ᐅ Producing small quantities of waterproof concrete yourself
Created on: 24 Feb 2019 17:47
K
Kellerkind83K
Kellerkind8324 Feb 2019 17:47Hello,
I am currently working on constructing new exterior walls in my basement, following the method of sectional underpinning. At the moment, I am setting up the formwork, and as soon as the weather permits, I plan to start pouring concrete.
The problem is that, due to the sectional pouring, I only need small amounts of waterproof concrete per section, so delivery is not an option for logistical and cost reasons. I have done some research and found the following products that might be suitable for my project.
I plan to mix the concrete using my forced-action mixer and then compact it with a vibrating poker.
As a base, I was thinking of using:
Baumit dry mortar 25 kg (55 lbs), 8mm, C 25/30 (DIN EN 206-1)
And as additives, I found the following:
1. Ceresit_CC_93_liquid_DM
2. PCI liquid waterproofing additive for mortar, dark brown, 5 liters (1.3 gallons)
3. Ravenit DM-F concrete waterproofing agent (apparently only available in Austria? Why?)
My question is:
Is it even possible to produce waterproof concrete this way?
Does anyone know these products?
How do they differ?
Any recommendations?
I would appreciate any help!
Best regards,
Hannes
I am currently working on constructing new exterior walls in my basement, following the method of sectional underpinning. At the moment, I am setting up the formwork, and as soon as the weather permits, I plan to start pouring concrete.
The problem is that, due to the sectional pouring, I only need small amounts of waterproof concrete per section, so delivery is not an option for logistical and cost reasons. I have done some research and found the following products that might be suitable for my project.
I plan to mix the concrete using my forced-action mixer and then compact it with a vibrating poker.
As a base, I was thinking of using:
Baumit dry mortar 25 kg (55 lbs), 8mm, C 25/30 (DIN EN 206-1)
And as additives, I found the following:
1. Ceresit_CC_93_liquid_DM
2. PCI liquid waterproofing additive for mortar, dark brown, 5 liters (1.3 gallons)
3. Ravenit DM-F concrete waterproofing agent (apparently only available in Austria? Why?)
My question is:
Is it even possible to produce waterproof concrete this way?
Does anyone know these products?
How do they differ?
Any recommendations?
I would appreciate any help!
Best regards,
Hannes
Unfortunately, I don’t know, but here are a few possible approaches:
Where did you get the individual materials from? Did you come up with them yourself, get them from a professional, or research online? That might help to understand how practical what you have is.
Have you asked a building materials supplier how to produce it yourself?
Isn’t waterproof concrete always partly a matter of the steel used? The more steel, the stronger, denser, and less permeable the concrete becomes.
As I understand your plan, you want to cast a second wall in front of the existing basement wall, correct?
You’re doing everything in sections — wouldn’t it be better to do it all in one pour to avoid joint seams between the partial areas? After all, your approach will always result in slightly different consistencies of the mix, as well as varying ambient temperatures and humidity when casting the individual sections next to each other. That would worry me more.
Where did you get the individual materials from? Did you come up with them yourself, get them from a professional, or research online? That might help to understand how practical what you have is.
Have you asked a building materials supplier how to produce it yourself?
Isn’t waterproof concrete always partly a matter of the steel used? The more steel, the stronger, denser, and less permeable the concrete becomes.
As I understand your plan, you want to cast a second wall in front of the existing basement wall, correct?
You’re doing everything in sections — wouldn’t it be better to do it all in one pour to avoid joint seams between the partial areas? After all, your approach will always result in slightly different consistencies of the mix, as well as varying ambient temperatures and humidity when casting the individual sections next to each other. That would worry me more.
With waterproof concrete (WU concrete), you need to make sure the water-to-cement ratio stays below 0.55, which is usually only achievable by adding a plasticizer (e.g., PCE plasticizer from Sika).
The easiest way is to pick up a small amount of WU concrete from a ready-mix plant using a trailer and ask the plant operator how much water they deducted per cubic meter. Then, mix it on-site accordingly.
The easiest way is to pick up a small amount of WU concrete from a ready-mix plant using a trailer and ask the plant operator how much water they deducted per cubic meter. Then, mix it on-site accordingly.
WU concrete is not just a material but always a complete system. For example, every construction joint must be executed with internal joint sealing tapes and proper joint preparation. Achieving a truly watertight result is a challenge even for experts. The same applies to the connection between the wall and the base slab; a joint tape must be installed here as well. Without a bituminous coating, you will not achieve a watertight seal.