One of our clients recently asked how best they could combat moisture related problems encountered at the newly constructed Australian Tax Office in the Brisbane CBD.

It is important to remember that when dealing with concrete surfaces, you should be aware of the relative humidity of the surfaces throughout the project. The new Australian Standards for Resilient Floor Covering states that relative humidity (RH) levels in concrete may never exceed 75%.

So, when a leading Queensland based flooring company working in conjunction with Grocon tested the concrete throughout the building, they found what we suspected. The test results showed that the flooring in the building had readings of 90% RH, and in some locations even higher than that, indicating that the building was in serious need of Densi Crete.

The readings were also a major concern for other contractors who had to apply additional coatings to the concrete. Ardex K12 levelling compound was scheduled to be installed, followed by Interface carpet tiles, and both these products are susceptible to failure when applied to surfaces with RH levels higher than 75%.

Luckily, with the use of Densi Crete, the team of contractors were able to continue with grinding and applying the coatings, while still adhering to an already tight schedule. Within 24 hours of the installation of Densi Crete, the Ardex levelling compound was installed, and made ready for the Interface carpet tiles.

The reason why Densi Crete could be used, is because it only requires 10% Portland Cement in a given surface for the substance to form its waterproofing gel, safeguarding the surface from moisture, and Densi Crete can be used on concrete surfaces of any age, and any level of moisture content.

Densi Crete is a 100% Colloidal Silica that:

• can be applied to almost any concrete product containing Portland cement.
• is easy to apply and can be sprayed on to existing concrete or concrete at time of pour.
• is foot traffic-able after just 1 hour after application.
• accepts coverings within 24 hours of application to existing concrete or within 14 days of application if used at time of pour.
• is 21% cheaper than other waterproofing membrane methods.

For more information about DuraCore’s range of products, please feel free to contact us or visit www.duracore.com.au. Alternatively, to find your nearest distributor please click here.