In the
publication “The Concrete Advantage”, Green Rooftops states that the
installation of waterproof concrete will simplify the design, building and
maintenance processes. Therefore, various stakeholders will benefit from the
advantages of using waterproof concretes.
The unique
characteristics of the waterproof concrete make it commercially viable. It has
permanent built in waterproofing which makes it less prone to wear and tear,
and allows easier identification and reconditioning of minor defects. Defects
can be rectified with polyurethane grout injection repair, and can be done
without disrupting the green roof. These shorten the drafting process, lowers
per square foot costing as membranes are omitted and allow the reduction of
overall construction cost.
From the article,
it shows that the use of waterproofing concretes for greenroofs will make it
commercially viable, as it simplifies the processes for maintenance and
construction.
The first
reason the article talked about was the omission of the waterproofing membrane.
In a case study done by Miami Science Musuem Aquarium, it is shown that the
addition of a special mixture into concrete mix enhances waterproofing in
adverse conditions, even without the application of waterproofing membrane.
This approach reduced the construction cost by 30% as the design phase was
shortened due to the omission of the costly membranes (Hycrete benefits). This
supports the commercial viability of using waterproofing concretes in
greenroofs as compared to traditional application of waterproofing membrane.
Furthermore,
the article by Green Rooftops mentioned about the complications of repair work
relating to traditional waterproofing method. In a supporting article written
by Kadlubowski (2014), it stated that the common problems of traditional
waterproofing layers were the damage of the fragile layers due to rough
handling during constructions. Kadlubowski (2014) also mentioned that the grade
of waterproofing layer is essential as it is very difficult to carry out
maintenance work thereafter. However, the article by Green Rooftops mentioned with
the use of waterproofing concrete, there won’t be a need to wait for the
concrete to cure before applying the membrane, taking away precious time of the
construction. This supports the commercial viability, as time equal cost and a longer period will elevate the cost on
site due to rental and manpower.
The other
advantage mentioned was the exclusion of root barrier for the greenroof. This
research studies that is similar to the author’s article mentions that plants
with growing roots tend to penetrate the waterproofing layer. Adding on to the
pain is the tremendous amount of effort and money to carry out the tedious
repair works that are needed from time to time. Not only that, the process will
kill the green plants as the top layers have to be removed to reapply the
membrane (Tan, Chew and Wong, 2012). As such the problem is not a big issue for
waterproofing concrete as there will not be any membrane. However, there will
still be minor cracks which can be easily identified and resolved with a grout
injection repair that is cost efficient. This supports the commercial viability
as it simplifies the maintenance works.
In conclusion,
the author’s stand that waterproofing concrete is more cost efficient is reliable,
and supported by many similar studies. The article is also comprehensive as it
has discussed about simplification of processes during the different
construction phases, which helped to reduce cost. These unique features helped in revolutionaizing the way constructions are being carried out.
References:
The Concrete
Advantage. In Green Rooftops. Retrieved from http://www.greenrooftops.org/advantage.html
Case study of
Miami Science Museum Aquarium. In Hycrete. Retrieved from http://www.hycrete.com/wp-content/uploads/Hycrete-Case-Study-Miami-Science-Museum_v9-8-17-16.pdf
Hycrete
Benefits. In Hycrete. Retrieved from http://www.hycrete.com/products/hycrete-benefits/cost-savings/
Richard P. Kadlubowski (2014), "An Overview
Of Waterproofing Solutions". Retrieved from www.constructionspecifier.com
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