Soil and Commercial Investments

Hydrostop brand expert Marek Mularczyk discusses soil considerations for commercial investments.

Are you considering implementing waterproofing but unsure which materials to choose?

Together with Hydrostop expert Marek Mularczyk, we have prepared a short series dedicated to waterproofing. Here, you will find answers to questions such as: What is waterproofing? How is waterproofing performed? Is foundation waterproofing necessary?

Soil for Commercial Investments

So far, we have only discussed single-family homes. Let's shift our focus to larger structures. Good, load-bearing soils are depleted in cities, and now we build wherever there's a spot available, not necessarily where we would prefer. Commercial investments are reaching upwards to the maximum height allowed by law. This situation creates a challenge in terms of load distribution on the soil.

Increasingly, our buildings are founded as shown in the illustration—on broadly defined columns or piles, which are structures that transfer the load deep down to the load-bearing layers. What does this have to do with waterproofing?

The top of the pile resembles a reinforcement crown or an I-beam protruding from the ground. It is crucial to apply waterproofing underneath the foundation slab as well. How should this be done? While one might consider using coating materials, the likelihood of successfully sealing the crown with coatings is almost zero. Moreover, Professor Starosolski once pointed out that if we lay two layers of tar paper on the crown and then pour another layer of concrete over it, unfortunately, a joint form is created. This would no longer be a column with a technological break in the concrete but a column with a bituminous joint. This is because the bitumen will always remain, even if it is compressed by the building's structure, leaving a few millimeters thick layer that will not transmit the load deeper into the column.

What can be done in such a case? It's essential to explore other more effective methods, such as using specialized waterproofing membranes that can bond directly to the concrete, ensuring continuity and load transfer without the issues associated with bituminous materials.

In such cases, it is advisable to use mineral materials, such as a dry sprinkle with our products, like the mixture 203. This approach avoids the formation of a joint, ensuring that the structure remains continuous. Thus, waterproofing can be executed without compromising the structural integrity of the building. This method ensures that the load is effectively transferred throughout the column, maintaining both the waterproofing and structural reliability.