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Increasing Durability for the World’s Tallest Buildings

Las Vegas, NV – (January 22, 2014) For 130 years, the United States was home to the world’s tallest buildings. Today that honor is held by the Burj Kalifa in Dubai, but for how long? Up to the year 1930, 99% of the world’s skyscrapers stood in the USA. Today more than 60% of the world’s tallest buildings are in Asia and the Middle East, with new buildings being completed every year. The race for the sky is definitely a way for emerging economic powers to express their national pride to the world.

How high can buildings actually go? Is a mile-high building out of the question? Some designers believe a mile-high building will eventually be built – it is just a matter of time. The engineering challenges presented by extremely tall buildings are immense and include interior layout, wind loads, seismic events and mechanical challenges. An additional challenge for modern-day skyscrapers is sustainability. Buildings that are constructed today are expected to pay particular attention to resource use and durability.

The primary building material used to construct high rise buildings is concrete. Even a steel building will have concrete at its core and for its foundations. But concrete has an enemy and that enemy is water. Water is everywhere – even in the desert – and water penetration can cause damage to concrete structures in a variety of ways. Water causes cracks and leaks and carries corrosive chemicals in to the reinforcing steel. Water is a component of several expansive reactions that can break concrete apart. To remain durable and thus truly sustainable, the building’s concrete core and foundation must be protected from water penetration.

Just as we have seen remarkable growth in the construction of very tall buildings, so too have we seen tremendous advancements in the technology of building materials and methods. The days of protecting concrete with polymer sheets and coatings are coming to an end. Integral crystalline waterproofing technologies are the way of the future. Innovative designers and engineers are discovering that crystalline waterproofing is not only better and more reliable, but it is also faster and cheaper.

Kryton International Inc. has developed innovative products and systems that are designed to protect concrete structures from water and waterborne chemicals. These systems have proven themselves, not just in the laboratory but through many years of performance in real-world projects. Through a combination of improved resource use and greatly enhanced durability, Kryton’s products are contributing to a greater level of sustainability in the construction of tall buildings around the world.

About Kryton International Inc.
Kryton International Inc. is the inventor of the crystalline waterproofing admixture and has been waterproofing concrete structures with its proprietary Krystol technology since 1973. Kryton was a pioneer of crystalline waterproofing and leads the industry today through its active involvement with the American Concrete Institute, International Concrete Repair Institute, American Shotcrete Association and many other thought-leading organizations. Kryton manufactures and exports its products to more than 50 countries around the globe.

For more information about Kryton, please visit www.kryton.com.
You may also contact us by phone: +1.604.324.8280 or by email: info@kryton.com