Comparative Analysis of Concrete Water-Proofing Materials

Abstract

Concrete is porous when exposed to water, because water passes through its pores defacing the concrete and corroding the reinforcements, this overall effect weakens concrete. Waterproofing of concrete is very essential in building parts which are constantly exposed to moisture from ground water and rain water. This study compared bituminous felt with cementitious crystalline waterproofing materials for concrete. In this study, a particular square area of concrete slab was assumed, and a market survey was conducted to determine the cost of purchase and installation of bituminous felt and cementitious crystalline waterproofing materials for the assumed square area. The bill of quantities for both options was done to aid the comparisons and cost of maintenance of both materials. The results of the study showed that bituminous felt was the most widely used waterproofing material, while cementitious crystalline waterproofing material on the other hand is not a very popular material as most building professionals did not know about its existence. The market survey showed that it was cheaper to install cementitious crystalline waterproofing material than to install bituminous felt and the cost of maintenance of cementitious waterproofing material was also negligible compared to bituminous felt. Though cementitious crystalline waterproofing material is new in Akure market, it has a promising future in the construction industry not only in Akure but in Nigeria’s construction industry at large.