Media

THE RIGHT TERMS
Standardized terminology or in many cases, lack thereof, contributes to the breakdown of communication. We have seen this affect the concrete waterproofing sector specifically, as terms such as “waterproof” and “dampproof” were used devoid of education and clarification. The industry did provide basic differentiation between these terms, but it lacked definition. Dampproofing meant that there was separation between porous concrete and moist soil so that the moisture will not be absorbed into the pores of the concrete. No further detail was provided to describe what quantified as “significant” or what level of dampness meant the soil was moist. Moreover, academics did not like the term waterproof because, strictly speaking, few substances are absolutely waterproof. Everything is permeable to some degree and under the right conditions water molecules will pass through a lot of things that we might normally consider to be waterproof. So when we say something is waterproof, we simply mean that liquid water will not pass through in any measurable amount under commonly found conditions. It is important to note that one of those commonly found conditions is relatively high hydrostatic pressure, such as what might be found at the bottom of a deep building foundation or in an underground tunnel. So, an effective waterproofing system must be able to withstand hydrostatic pressure.