Increasingly, new building construction must occur on sites with limited space, contaminated water tables, or zero-lot-line parameters. To meet the challenges of these sites, design professionals have specified blindside waterproofing systems.
When designers first specified blindside systems, bentonite systems were the go-to choice. Experience showed that they were an effective and environmentally neutral way to protect structures from water seepage.
Over the years, however, these same design professionals have discovered vulnerabilities with bentonite systems in certain applications. One such vulnerability concerns their use in site excavations below the water table or in water-bearing soils.
Preparing to waterproof a site below the water table or with water-bearing soils is expensive and time-consuming. Even the most comprehensive site preparations can be negated if the waterproofing system is compromised by ineffective de-watering. To prevent this costly mistake, read
“Best Practices for Waterproofing Below the Water Table.”