When it comes to preventing water damage and preserving the integrity of concrete structures, waterproofing is essential. In the case of concrete tanks, however, effective, reliable waterproofing is especially critical. Concrete tanks play a vital role in many communities.

They function as drinking water containers, waste-water treatment plants, and water storage reservoirs. Not only is a leak in a facility like this expensive and time-consuming to repair, it can be inconvenient and even dangerous to the community. A town’s water supply can be compromised by water-borne chemicals migrating into drinking water. In drought-affected areas, water lost through leakage from a reservoir can be costly. And wastewater leaking from treatment plants can contaminate the ground or environment.

Effective waterproofing is especially important in underground or partially buried concrete tanks because below-grade cracks and leaks may be more difficult to detect and more expensive and time consuming to repair.

Recognizing that the vast majority of concrete will eventually crack (and leak) due to shrinkage, settling, seismic activity, and other factors, how do you protect your concrete tanked structure and keep water in and contaminants out? The best solution is to plan ahead and invest in a high quality, long-lasting concrete waterproofing system. There are a number of concrete waterproofing systems available on the market today suitable for use with shotcrete:

Rubberized or polyurethane membranes or barriers that are applied to the positive (exterior) side of the structure before steel reinforcements are positioned and shotcrete is applied;

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