Case History

An area of 20,000 square meters of the lake was previously used as a temporary lake to capture storm water runoff and had been subjected to bacterial growth. These areas were cleaned to remove bacterial growth and then treated with X-Treat Sanitizer to sanitize the surface of the concrete to prevent future bacterial growth. Surface preparation was completed using a captive blasting technique. Six captive blast teams were able to prepare 6000m² of concrete surface per day. This process produced a lightly exposed aggregate finish that revealed all the bug holes (blow holes). X-Shield Bug Fill, a two component high-build thixotropic epoxy resin, was used to fill bug-holes and surface imperfections prior to coating the lake bed.

Only 4 years old and a central feature of the prestigious Westin Diplomat Hotel, the group of 3 fountains was discovered to be leaking water into the foyer and below ground parking area. The fountain constructed from concrete was originally coated with an epoxy coating which was showing signs of cracking and delamination. As these fountains were located in the central reception area of a very busy hotel any remedial work had to be carried out quickly with minimal disruption to guests. The need was for a lining system that would cure quickly allowing quick return to service, flexible UV and chemical resistant and could function under full immersion.

Existing roofing system was an 18 year old 24000 ft² PVC fully adhered membrane roof. The PVC was showing signs of weathering and needed some patching to stop leaks. There were also flat areas on the roof where ponded water would collect. Under new ownership and as part of the overall refurbishment of the hotel, it was decided to recoat the roof to extend the working life. The problem was finding a roofing system that would adhere to the PVC and that would also handle ponded water.

The elevator pit needed to be deepened to satisfy building codes. The elevator shaft was also prone to frequent flooding due to the high water table. Geotechnical investigation identified Perchloroethlene (Perc) in the ground. Perc is extremely volatile and classified by the EPA as a Class1 carcinogen. Perc is a strong solvent and very aggressive to most waterproofing materials. The problem was finding a waterproofing system that would resist Perc. Under the direction of Environmental Consultant GZA, contaminated water was collected and used to test Rawmat HDB membrane to prove that the product would be resistant to the Perc contaminated into system.

Originally built in the late 1960s, this Reflecting Pond was lined with asphalt and contained 3ft deep water. Due to the harsh Minnesota winters the pond only held water for 6 months of the year (May-Sept). Over time, the asphalt substrate had cracked and it was costing the owners $30,000 to $40,000 per year to keep the pond watertight. The need was for a lining system that could waterproof the aged and cracked substrate and also withstand the 6 months wet and 6 months dry UV exposure for many years with out cracking.

The existing roofing system was a 16 year old 8000 ft² EPDM fully adhered membrane roof. Constant maintenance and repairs had been completed over the life span of this system. Numerous leaks into the structure had frustrated the management and prime rental rooms were unable to earn revenue because of water damages, falling drywall and the odd odor of mildew. It was determined that bad flashing details, splitting seams and screws from the mechanical attachment of the 1" ISO insulation were backing out and popping through the EPDM membrane

The existing concrete substrate was painted with a lead based paint that was flaking and delaminating. There were also traces of PCB contamination in the concrete. The fish hatchery was located up stream of a heavily fished spring which presented the danger of contamination to both fish and wild life in addition to local residents. There were also numerous cracks in the concrete. A total of 52,000 ft² of concrete need to be coated. After the lead paint was safely removed the Engineer required a coating that would form a dense barrier to the contaminated concrete and also have the ability to accommodate the cracked concrete. A key factor was also that the coating had to be no toxic to fish and wildlife.

Due to the complexity of the cladding design many of the gutters were unsuitable for the specified Hypalon ® sheet membrane to be used as it requires to be cut, welded and glued. In addition the gutters had many penetrations. The cladding sub contractor required a fast cure liquid membrane as many other trades were on the roof and we jumping in and out of the gutter. This traffic would damage a conventional liquid membrane as it would need more than 24 hours to cure.

A concealed aluminum gutter system was used on these structures to channel away rain water. The joints were simple overlaps riveted together. Minor leakage through the joint was acceptable as rain in Dubai is infrequent and the gutters would drain the water away quickly. The problem was with dealing with the early morning condensation which created an unforeseen volume of water. The gutter design was not able drain away this amount of water quickly resulting in almost daily leakage of water through the joints.

In order to cope with increased electricity demand during the summer months when temperatures can reach 45^oC (113^oF) The Government of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates is investing in dual fired State of the Art high efficiency generators developed by Rolls Royce. They have recently purchased two 30 MW units powered by the same fuel efficient jet engine as fitted the Boeing 777.

The Al Bahara Ball Room was to be the Crowne Plaza Hotel's opportunity to entertain Dubai's elite. The floor screed had to be sufficiently level to carpet, structurally sound to cope with the heavy movement expected and also hold many service conduits that would carry the electrics to leading edge multi media equipment.

During the 2007 renovation of the park, a new barbecue area was installed. To avoid oil and fat from the barbecue staining the stone facades and floors, X-Shield StainBlock Sealer was applied. Using low pressure spray equipment the sealer was applied in the late evening and was open for use the following morning.