Home plus Hypermarkets

The hypermarket – a very large retail store offering groceries, dry goods, home furnishings and more – is one of the fastest-growing retail trends in Europe and Asia. As a big retail draw, a store of this size naturally requires a sizeable parking facility. And since hypermarkets are often located in areas where real estate is at a premium, many owners and builders utilize the rooftops of these structures as parking lots. Home plus Hypermarkets have thrived in Korea where presently, Kryton  has worked on waterproofing over thirty-five of these locations. Samsung Construction had utilized a number of different waterproofing systems including rubberized asphalt, polyurethane coatings and various membranes, in past projects, but had experienced challenges with cracking, air pockets, fractures and peeling. Since rooftop parking lots are expensive to repair and difficult and inconvenient to take out of service, Samsung Construction needed a more reliable and permanent waterproofing option than had previously been used.

Solution

To date, Kryton has been involved in the construction of thirty-six HomePlus Hypermarkets. Initially, Kryton’s regional distributor, faced many questions from the project’s architect, supervisor and contractor and consistently recommended Krystol Internal Membrane (KIM) admixture as the product of choice. However, after seeing the effectiveness of the product a few times, the Samsung Construction project saw the value of KIM and have since consistently incorporated it into their specs. In a handful of these locations, Kryton’s T1, T2 and/or Waterstop products were additionally used.

Although each Home plus Hypermarket project had its own parameters, a typical location would incorporate approximately 5,000 kilograms (11,000 pounds) of KIM, which would be used in the rooftop suspended slabs and poured in multiple phases. 

Often, the joints would be treated with Krystol Waterstop slurry between pours for added protection. In the Dongdaemun Homeplus location specifically, cracks greater than 0.5 millimeters (0.02 inches) appeared and successfully self-sealed. Although all locations used varying quantities of Kryton products, integral crystalline waterproofing was the clear and consistent solution. 

The rooftop parking structures for all locations remain highly durable and have successfully resisted deterioration from environmental factors. As the development of the HomePlus Hypermarkets continues, Kryton is confident that they will be chosen as the waterproofing supplier in future projects.