In the construction industry, professionals are always looking for new ways to improve the efficiency of their installations and deliver durable projects using new materials and methods. In the case of waterproofing system installations, geotextile reinforcement provides an important benefit of reinforcing elastomeric materials for a long-term protective solution because they are more effective than a glass mesh, or fiberglass mesh, both of which can also be used for the same purpose.
Geotextiles are fabric made sheets that are used as reinforcement in various applications but mainly are used in drainage and construction projects. For the most difficult and demanding areas of construction to a simple concrete roof, geotextile fabrics can be used for drainage and filtration purposes, for stabilizing the ground or even in reinforcement materials.
They are divided in two categories, the non-woven and the woven geotextiles, which both have differences on how they are produced, their properties and how they are used in applications. Woven geotextiles have a high load capacity and tensile strength, are mainly impermeable and they are ideal for stabilization and reinforcement applications.
On the other hand, ideal for waterproofing applications are the non-woven geotextiles which although they possess a lower tensile strength, they provide durability and ease of application benefits.
Geotextile in waterproofing applications
Geotextiles protect and separate a membrane from a structure. With their pre-brake elongation capacity, higher than other materials such as glass mesh or fiberglass mesh, they can follow the movement of elastomeric waterproofing materials, achieving reinforcement and long-term durability.
It is common for unsound substrates to have high movement or large cracks which can cause problems on unarmed waterproofing membranes, causing tearing of the membranes and/or loss of adhesion. Even if the elastomeric waterproofing membranes hold great elongation properties, they still need reinforcement because the crack’s width may increase in the future. In that way they prevent the potential creation of future cracks in membranes.
To effectively seal and protect details in an area like a roof we can use wet on wet a waterproofing membrane with geotextile, securing their efficiency against water ingression and mechanical pressures. This is a reliable method of reinforcing construction details, flashing, joints etc. and repairing existing cracks and gaps.
ALCHIMICA offers a high-tensile strength range of non-woven geotextiles, made of 100% polyester fibers, manufactured with the needle punching process.
They can be applied on the full surface between the first two layers of the HYPERDESMO® System, providing the required reinforcement of waterproofing in certain applications (i.e. over old bitumen membranes, unsound screeds) by preventing the potential creation of future cracks
They are suitable for either solvent-based or water based liquid waterproofing systems.
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