Frequently Asked Questions

Radcon Formula #7®

1.

Radcon penetrates as deep as it needs to, in order to achieve a sub-surface seal, self-repairing internal membrane in cementitious concretes.
Radcon in the field has shown 60 mm + penetration in 140 year old soft sand/lime mortars between sandstock bricks.
The result a mortar material more durable than the original product.
Radcon has tests showing 14mm to 17 mm average penetration in 40 m.p.a. highway grade concretes (CSIRO).
And further NATA supported material laboratory testing showing average 20 mm penetration in 32mpa concrete (Warnock Hersey)

 

2.

Radcon is lifetime waterproofing: it will waterproof the concrete for its entire useful life. Once Radcon is applied to cementitious concrete the structure will never leak, the steel will never rust, although attack from the underside of such untreated areas may occur.
Radcon treated areas will permanently eradicate concrete spalling whilst preventing freeze/thaw and de-icing salt damage.
Testing furthermore demonstrates that the penetrated zone increases in hardness from 6 to 8 on Moh’s scale; 8 being equivalent to granite.

3.

Radcon is the "World's most environmentally friendly concrete waterproofing"

Radcon is one of the most environmentally safe waterproofing technologies ever to be developed.

Radcon has been approved by Ecospecifier in Australia and Green Label in Singapore.

It can gain points for ratings systems such as LEED, BREEAM, ESTIDAMA PEARLS and GREEN MARK.

This is why Radcon is certified as acceptable for use in potable water tanks and additionally has been utilised in Salt Water marine aquariums. Salt water creatures are amongst the most sensitive of all when it comes to death by toxin leaching, should any toxins in materials be present.

4.

Radcon must be applied above 5°c to ensure there is no moisture frozen inside the concrete to be treated. Furthermore Radcon can only react with free calcium and water to create it's chemical seal with the temperature being 5°c or above.

In very high temperatures around 40 degrees Centigrade Radcon will encounter increased evaporation prior to soaking into the concrete, resulting in product wastage. To avoid this it is recommended that where possible spray Radcon in the early hours of the morning when the concrete will be cooler. Additionally use whatever methods are possible to increase evaporative cooling so that the concrete temperature is lower prior to application. This will minimise any wastage.  
Once Radcon has been properly applied, temperature becomes irrelevant making the product suitable for sub-zero or high-heat applications. This has been proven by numerous Radcon done in the intense heat of the Gulf region of the Middle East and the freezing temperatures of Eastern Europe.

5.

Asphalt when placed over Radcon at 160°c will have no detrimental effects on efficacy.
Asphaltic bond test conducted by Washington Highway Authority shows no bond loss when placed over the control and Radcon treated samples.
Of course it is critical that proper asphalting procedures are undertaken, in particular the placement of the "tack coat" prior to asphalt placement.

6.

The Material shall be a clear colourless, odourless, sodium silicate based material as globally supplied by Radcrete Pacific or their nominated global agents.
The material shall react at ambient temperatures with free lime present in the concrete forming non-water soluble complex calcium silicates which are chemically resistant compounds that fill the pores of the surface and sub-surface concrete including any leaking cracks present to produce a continuous sub-surface membrane with outgassing properties.
The material supplier must be able to produce a Federal Government certification confirming the materials ability to conform to the equivalent of a protective surface coating Clause 4.3.1(c) of AS3600 Concrete Structures Code to ensure you are purchasing a genuine waterproofing technology and “NOT” a generic sealing material only.
Suitable waterproofing certifications would include BBA certification, EU certification or Australian Government certification by CSIRO Technical Assessment.
Once applied the material will have the capacity to re-seal any newly formed cracks as may appear, preventing both water and salt ingress to all reinforcing, prevent concrete spalling and prevent freeze/thaw damage.

7.

The other tangible benefits utilising Radcon can be both significant and varied.
a)Low cost application – Radcon can be applied very fast when compared to traditional membrane detailing work.
b)Fast Track Construction – Often in wet climates the need to have all moisture removed from the concrete prior to placing a non-breathing material over the top can add significant time delays. By comparison Radcon can be applied as soon as the concrete surface is visually dry.
c)No Mechanical Damage – Once applied Radcon cannot be damaged by other trades on site.
All too often perfect membrane applications can be damaged by other trades leading to cross- arguments concerning guilty parties with a probable outcome of everyone loosing out to some degree.
d)Major Savings on Construction and Engineering – For example car park Radcon applications go straight onto the structural slab. Alleviating the need for a structural topping slab, saves time, money and Engineering requirements.
The same is true for rail bridges where topping slabs over the waterproofing are not required as ballast stones can be placed straight over the Radcon treatment of the structural slab.

8.

Radcon uses water to waterproof in the same way Volclay (volcanic bentonite clay) reacts.
Only instead of being on the surface Radcon is creating the same barrier within the first few millimeters of Radcon penetrated concrete.
Given that tests confirm 14mm to 17 mm product penetration in 40 m.p.a. concrete, any water or salts penetrating the first 2-3 mm is of no concern to the structures lifetime durability given any reinforcement maintains 20mm + concrete top cover.

 

9.

It is the highly alkali nature of cementitious concretes which delivers passivity to the steel preventing rust. Again the high pH of Radcon acts in exactly the same protective way.
In fact “University of New South Wales tests” confirm Radcon in itself can reinstate alkalinity into Alkali depleted concretes.

10.

Obviously by now you will probably have established that Radcon #7® is a product with living characteristics and is a water activated material.

 All water based paints and water based acrylic membranes should “NOT” be placed directly over Radcon #7® treated concrete.

 If you are using a water based acrylic membranes for detailing penetrations, strip seals etc, then complete this work first on your concrete structure, allow to cure in full, then proceed with Radcon #7® waterproofing.

 The only other warning on coatings is “AVOID” alkyd line-marking paints.  These paints are designed to sit on the surface of concrete with minimal absorbency into concrete. As Radcon #7® has reduced absorption substantially, line- marking paint will tend to sit on the surface and delaminate.

 Your options such as strip seals, is to do your line marking prior to Radcon #7® application or “ideally” apply Radcon #7® to the entire area, then use a turpentine or spirit based yellow paint for line-marking. 

 As absorption is substantially reduced these approaches will produce similar results as if a line-marking paint had actually been applied.

 Other coatings, either cementitious or spirit based, turpentine based paints will suffer no loss of adhesion.

11.

As Radcon like concrete itself has a high pH (11.7) Radcon contact with Aluminium, glass, glass glazed tiles should be avoided.
Be sure overspray does not make contact with such materials this of course also includes car paintwork.

12.

Providing the concrete is cementitious in nature (calcium leaching prone) we have University documented evidence showing one off settlement cracks up to 1.00mm occurring without actual water egress from the underside of the slab (University of New South Wales)
As this one off settlement took place, during rain periods Radcon was growing as the crack itself grew.
This is further evidenced in Earthquake zones of Taiwan, Saipan, (Newcastle Australia).
Earthquakes dislodged Radcon sealed concrete sites allowing some leakage through already present cracks.
Rainwater itself allowed repair to take place within a couple of days, so no remedial repairs were required.
In essence Radcon remains re-active in concrete repairing any future cracks or tears providing the concrete has free calcium and wetting periods for re-growth.

 

13.

After Radcon becomes touch dry the first watering is absolutely critical.
If the product is not watered within a few hours after becoming touch dry the system is lost and the Radcon material is no more useful than a silicate floor hardener.
The day 2 and 3 waterings can be conducted at any time in reality. The fact is it will usually take about 3 waterings over 3 days to achieve sufficient Radcon growth in cracks to achieve a 100% watertight result.
Once Radcon is touch dry you cannot water it too much.
In fact you could dam the area and allow the cracks to leak water until they totally seal 2-3 days hence.

14.

Radcon will produce lifetime waterproofing on all cementitious concrete mix designs.
Suitable concretes include OPC, PPC Ash free blends, Type C ash blends and  slag blends. Concrete mix designs containing silica fume should be limited to 8% cement replacement.         

AVOID pozzolanic concrete mixes. These concretes contain either Type F ash addition or Volcanic ash, leading to matrix lock up of free calcium in concrete thus impeding Radcon from sealing any new cracks which may occur in the future. Radcon cannot compete for free calcium if it simply doesn’t exist!

In Europe, Type W fly ash is rich in calcium (and therefore suitable for Radcon) whilst Type V fly ash is strong pozzolanic and should be avoided. Details of this are available in the European Norms which deal with cement and are covered in EN-197.

15.

In all instances we prefer water curing practices which guarantees no form of concrete contamination.
If high quality curing agents are specified then obviously they will require water blast or grit blast removal for Radcon penetration during application to occur.

16.

Crystal growths offer sulphate resistance as the active ingredients utilise dissolvable calcium to form dentridic crystals making the concrete more stable to attack but not totally resistant over the long term.
Radcon also offers greater sulphate protection by utilising free calcium to form its glass hard gel.
As neither crystal growths nor Radcon can offer total long term protection in these applications Radcon has not been tested to show its level of improved performance.

17.

As Radcon produces Calcium silicate hydrate gel all concrete products will adhere to Radcon treated concrete.
HOWEVER as Radcon is activated by water indefinitely if you are utilising water based acrylic membranes for detailing work, then this detailing should be completed prior to Radcon application.

18.

Radcon as a silicate material, creates no electrostatic attraction for airborne pollutants.The opposite can apply to sealer materials in particular siliconate based materials.

19.

Let us dwell on certified materials. A product which prevents both water and salt ingress into the concrete matrix and cracks present thus meeting Clause 4.3.1© of AS3600Code with regard to chloride and water permeability.
On this basis Radcon represents the lowest cost concrete waterproofing approach available in the global marketplace.
Certainly one could find similar sounding silicate materials at lower costs, however the specifier would be recommending a sealer material to do a waterproofing job. Such materials are not supplied as certified waterproofing technologies, as they do not meet AS3600 requirements.

20.

It is critical that Radcon has absorbed into the concrete through capillary action usually indicated by becoming touch dry before watering.
Should rain fall on wet Radcon it must be assumed that re-treatment will be required once the concrete has become dry once again.

21.

Yes, quite often crystal admixtures which have been inappropriately applied above grade continue to form cracks which do not re-seal and continue to leak.

Radcon Formula # 7® can permanently repair such failed sites providing we are working with cementitious concrete mixes.

22.

Radcon when applied requires capillary suction into dry concrete prior to the application watering procedure.
Therefore Radcon cannot be applied to wet concrete be it simply damp or have water permeating through. Crystal growth materials are better suited to these applications (Radmyx).
Radcon should not be applied on any concrete surfaces where the general matrix and/or cracks present have been contaminated with water repellent materials.
Obviously if water cannot absorb in then neither can Radcon so its chemical reaction with cementitious concretes is impeded.
Radcon is generally suited to all “ABOVE GRADE” applications including all water holding vessel applications.

 

23.

Let us define a Radcon system approach to total waterproofing.
This will include Radcon treatment to the concrete material.
Penetrations and construction joints can be addressed using materials such as RX Waterstop from American Colloid company Chicago.
Utilising such bentonite clay materials is complimentary to Radcon in achieving lifetime waterproofing results overall.
Should expansion joints be required these may require 20 year maintenance periods.
However, whenever upturns at expansion joints can be achieved with a physical barrier over the top such as a metal sheet, then again this design approach can form part of an overall lifetime maintenance free system.
Radcon product lifetime performance is confirmed by the Australian Government testing authority CSIRO. This report can be found in our password protected segment titled “The Virtuous Cycle of Radcon”.

24.

When Radcon has been applied to concrete, watered and allowed to dry, a trained eye will notice a slight increase in sheen given off by excess surface silicates.
Over the long term there will be no visual changes what so ever including any form of discolouration.

25.

The listed materials are unable to penetrate into Radcon Formula # 7® treated concrete.

For example, grease will always leave a permanent stain on untreated concrete. Radcon treated concrete cannot be permanently stained with grease, the concrete will clean up as the grease and other materials listed will lack penetration which would create permanent discolouration to the effected areas.

Furthermore these materials cannot adversely effect the Radcon product performance. Therefore Radcon product performance will be fully maintained.

26.

Be 100% sure that any repair mortars “do not” contain waterproofing admixtures such as polymers.

Radcon should absorb into the entire job including the patching material. This cannot occur if manufacturers are supplying mortars with their own water repelling materials contained therein.

Crystal growth mortars such as our Radmyx material are acceptable as they are compatible with Radcon and allow for necessary penetration after curing. This cannot occur where mortars with waterproofing additives exist in such products.

27.

Radcon not only replaces all currently known above grade membrane applications but of course by default becomes world best concrete protection technology.
Generic sealers such as silanes, siloxanes, methylmythacrylates and even silcates can only deliver general concrete protection without again addressing the weakest point, the cracks present.
Sealers are most often used as a general preventative for freeze/thaw damage, ingress of airborne pollutants and some protection from de-icing salts.
One will find that a 2 coat specified, 100% solids content silane will be substantially more expensive at an applied price than a single Radcon lifetime waterproofing application.

28.

Obviously Radcon waterproofs all cementitious concretes including reinforced topping slabs.
Whilst Radcon will waterproof the actual topping, all too often water paths can remain under the topping transmitted by failed penetration detailing, wind driven rain external to the building, electrical conduits, parapet wall deck interfaces from the outer edge etc. etc.
Only treat topping slabs at your own risk, fully understanding the intrinsic problems which may be encountered post Radcon application due to other unknown problems existing under the topping.

29.

When Radcon is applied and becomes touch dry (2-6 hours) a first watering is absolutely critical for Radcon to become lifetime active.
The second and thirds specified waterings are to allow sufficient product expansion inside the concrete to seal both the matrix and cracks present.

30.

Providing the surface is visually dry, ie no visual damp spots, Radcon may be applied. If Radcon is applied to wet concrete or concrete with damp spots, then Radcon will not be absorbed in through capillary action.

This means that any damp spots treated with Radcon would simply see the product "not absorb" and wash away during the first watering procedure.

31.

Radcon is often compared to crystal growth materials however, they are totally different technologies.
Crystal growths produce rigid dentritic crystals to block water molecules.
By comparison Radcon forms an amorphous gel inside the concrete and cracks present.
The gel can be cyclically opened and closed in watertight cracks up to 1.3 mm in width, tolerating a 0.4mm opening and closing cycle without leakage through the slab. (University of Bologna test rig).
 

32.

Radcon has undergone several such tests. Probably the SINTEF Norway test showing Radcon maintaining a watertight seal under a 400 metre pressure head would be the most significant to date.
In fact it was the actual failure of the cracked Radcon treated concrete cylinder under a 400 metre pressure head which concluded the SINTEF published result.

33.

Radcon will improve the general durability of concrete substantially reducing acid and alkali absorption into concrete.
This will substantially reduce the attack of strong acids and alkalis but Radcon is not the 100% solution.
In reality it is only inert epoxy coatings and resistant liner materials which can produce 100% long term protection whilst ever such materials contain no damage leading to perforations.
Radcon is not highly recommended to prevent high acid, high alkali attack.

34.

Over the years we have actively pursued Radcon treatments to structurally volatile sites having established up front that volatility was present.
These sites are usually under engineered car parks where vehicular loading is creating movement.
For these applications Radcon is the primary concrete waterproofing material and volatile cracks are addressed utilising an elastomeric in the cracks to accommodate movement without failure.

35.

Obviously any material designed to repel water off concrete will also repel Radcon preventing penetration and ultimate waterproofing reaction from taking place.
Ensure all previous failed materials are completely removed. If cracks have been contaminated by previous materials they may require an arrow head grind, Radcon application and non-shrink grout emplacement.

36.

There are only three known reasons why this could occur.
i)The concrete mix design contained Type F fly ash or volcanic ash causing matrix lock up of calcium by the Pozzolanic reaction. The wrong concrete mix was utilised.
ii)Large cracks were present and the applicator did not tape the underside of cracks during application to ensure product flooding occured inside these cracks. A superficial seal was achieved and such cracks would require underside taping and re-treatment with Radcon.
iii) The most common crack leaking occurence would be on trafficable areas where maximum loading is causing structural failure due to working cracks breaking open. In this instance rainwater will reactivate and re-seal these cracks proving product efficacy.
With this said the Radcon system will break again and these working cracks will require routing out and an elastomeric material emplaced to accomodate movement and achieve an overall watertight result.

37.

Yes, but we never recommend relying on Radcon alone as these areas are prone to honeycombing. We may simply have voids, which are too great for Radcon alone to completely fill such areas on every occasion.

38.

One of great features of Radcon is that if a leak is present at the practical end of an application the matter can be easily addressed.
Unlike a membrane application where water can be tracking underneath, with a Radcon application one can go straight to the offending crack for remedial treatment.
In some instances just more water creating more Radcon growth will alleviate the situation.
Alternatively a problem may require a silicone bead seal underneath so Radcon can be flooded into such a crack then further watered to achieve a 100% watertight result.

39.

Yes! But quite often the "form release agents" used by the pre-cast manufacturers may be of a wax or oil base. Before treating pre-cast elements with Radcon waterproofing one must ensure no residual form release agent is present as this would repel Radcon penetration. Furthermore any residual release agent may cause "white stains" in patchy areas. If in doubt a trial application prior to a fully committed application may be an appropriate first step.

40.

On weathered 5 m.p.a. cementitious blockwork the Radcon application rate has been as low as 1.5 sq mtrs per litre of product.
On 50 – 60 m.p.a. concrete Radcon can cover up to 8 sq mtrs per litre.
(4 to 6 sq mtrs per litre average application).
Visually any Radcon application should see product flowing on the surface to wet the concrete.
Simply misting the surface without saturation is deemed ineffective.

41.

Radcon will waterproof all cementitious concretes for the life of the structure.

Premature Radcon failures will occur if Radcon waterproofing is applied to pozzolanic concrete mix designs.

42.

Even with half empty containers providing the lid is secure from air intrusion Radcon maintains unlimited shelf life.
Product should always be mixed prior to application.
Similar in fashion to a paint, the solids in Radcon particularly the heavy silicates settling out of solution will see solids settle in the base of the drums.
Proper mixing will see these solids re-dispersed through the Radcon solution.

43.

Yes, but only providing the area to be treated is totally dry upon application to allow capillary absorption and then necessary waterings to take place on the negative side prior to water moving back from the positive side. This is generally why crystal growth are preferred negative pressure side applications, as crystals will migrate against the positive side water pressure.

44.

Getting Radcon touch dry prior to the first watering may require air blower units to speed the process.
Also be aware whilst Radcon is non-toxic any overspray in the atmosphere will deplete breathing air, therefore breathing apparatus will be essential in some enclosed applications.

45.

We suggest a 28 day primary hydration of concrete prior to Radcon Application.
However Radcon can applied within a few days after concrete pour.
If the 28 day period is reduced to a few days the applicator must be prepared to re-visit after 28 days plus to ensure no new major cracks have formed which may require re-application of Radcon to such cracks and further waterings to ensure a 100% watertight seal has been achieved to the entire area.

46.

he Radcon bond wrench test shows a 27% plus bond increase between cementitious materials. (Columbia University – Tensile strength test)

47.

Radcon has always remained a privately held technology during its 27 year history.
If one studies the company takeovers within the waterproofing industry over the past decade it has been almost exclusively large companies taking over large companies.
This practice has been driven by the need to achieve economies of scale i.e. buying market share, closing factories, reducing staff numbers and deleting brand name product lines.
In a construction industry where innovations such as Radcon should be embraced, in fact the opposite is true.
Membrane companies look forward to their retrofit business, asphalt suppliers see their product scraped off bridge decks for membrane replacement.
Reinforcing suppliers are happy to see steel rust and concrete suppliers are happy to see 100 year design life criterias reduce substantially into our 21st century.

48.

As Radcon is a high pH product (11.7) Radcon will prevent or deter fungal growth occurrence.
In damp shaded areas where fungus will eventually grow on Radcon treated concrete removal is extremely easy given the spores are unable to enter the concrete matrix.

49.

Should Radcon product be frozen it is essential that Radcon is "slowly" warmed to around 5-6 degrees centigrade.
The product should then be stirred thoroughly, and may be applied.
Additionally it should be noted that the warmer the temperature the faster Radcon will react with free calcium in the concrete as water is applied to facilitate the Radcon glass hard amorphous gel reaction.

50.

Unfortunately when builders construct structurally volatile sites and they begin to leak it is the waterproofing supplier first in the firing line.
There are some very simple observations and trials which can be helpful before the University experts with their potentiometres are brought in.
For example either side of a working crack usually causes a fretting at the edges where small chips of concrete crack away.
If in doubt a simple test is to epoxy some glass microscope slides either side of the crack and monitor.
For example a car park when driven over may crack the slide demonstrating volatility.
Furthermore a building roof may be volatile moving between wet and dry weather periods.
Again this sort of activity should crack the glass indicating structural volatility.

51.

All silicate materials will reduce radiation permeation through concrete.
Field testing has demonstrated the Radcon products ability to substantially reduce Radon transmission. However due to the health concerns surrounding Radon emissions Radcrete do not release test results on this application nor do we recommend Radcon for such applications.

52.

No, Radcon is a breathing system which allows for moisture vapour outgassing whilst preventing both the ingress of water molecules and pollutants from reaching any steel reinforcement.

53.

Radcon is unique in the world of waterproofing and has remained as such for its 27 year + history to date.
There are many similar sounding silicate based materials in the market-place however, none are certified to meet membrane specification with regard to preventing totally water ingress and salt ingress reaching any top line reinforcements in particular where leaking cracks are present.
Most reputable suppliers are very honest in promoting the limitations of their sealer products in general. However there are also a handful of operators globally who claim to have products that perform the same as Radcon.
Concerning these pirate companies you may find our Radcon site references, our own proprietary test results and direct copyright plagiarism within their product brochures.
“Buyer Beware” as these silicate materials can create an initial seal even with leaking cracks present.
However as the silicates dehydrate crystals will form thus transmitting water during rain periods.
By comparison Radcon will maintain its elastic, amorphous gel within the concretes matrix and cracks, preventing water, airborne pollutants and salts penetrating.

54.

One can re-instate this lost calcium by dissolving “fresh” builders lime in water and applying to cracks prior to Radcon application. The lime must be sourced fresh as oxidised lime “will not” actively dissolve. Handling lime can be quite dangerous, as hot aggressive and alkali corrosive action will take place. ALTERNATIVELY – One may source calcium acetate as the food or trigger for Radcon to replace the lost lime in concrete. Calcium acetate is”food quality” acetate used in baking processes and can usually be sourced from a wholesaler of raw materials to the food industry.

55.

It is a commonly held belief that Silicate sealers being highly alkali in nature increase the speed of AAR / ASR concrete deterioration and rightly so.

By comparison Radcon waterproofing stops AAR / ASR concrete expansion totally by stopping water entry critical to this ongoing reaction.

Furthermore long term testing was conducted using Radcon as an admixture by Queensland Department of Main Roads, Australia with reactive aggregates present.

The testing proved conclusively that the presence of reactive aggregates with Radcon dispersed in the mix reduced the AAR / ASR reaction in both ash free concretes and blended concretes.

56.

Small applications can be undertaken using a Solo backpack spray “ a weed sprayer” delivering 160 sq mtrs of application per hour.
For larger jobs an impeller driven on demand pump hooked up to a Honda motor will deliver 800 sq mtrs per hour per unit.

Radmyx

1.

Radmyx waterproofing capability will last for the life of the structure.  Radmyx concentrate consists entirely of active ingredients which continuously reactivate, meaning they will continue to work for the life of the structure.  

2.

Yes, Radmyx will resist both positive and negative hydrostatic pressure.   It has been tested to 5 bar of hydrostatic pressure according to European standards and meets EN 12390/8.  

3.

Yes.  Because Radmyx prevents the ingress of water it protects the concrete against the effects of freeze and thaw. 

4.

Radmyx protects concrete from damage caused by most chemicals.  As a general guide chemicals that are In a PH range of about 2.0 to about 12.0 are unlikely to affect Radmyx treated concrete.  However, for details regarding specific chemicals please contact your local distributor. 

5.

Radmyx protects concrete from damage caused by most chemicals.  As a general guide chemicals that are In a PH range of about 2.0 to about 12.0 are unlikely to affect Radmyx treated concrete.  However, for details regarding specific chemicals please contact your local distributor. 

6.

Yes, absolutely. Unlike membranes which deteriorate and create enormous amounts of landfill, Radmyx remains part of the concrete forever.  Radmyx contains no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) and is completely non-hazardous. 

7.

Yes.   Radmyx has been tested and approved for use with potable water. 

8.

Yes, Radmyx is compatible with most admixtures.  However, like all crystalline products, Radmyx Concentrate can have a plasticising effect and may cause an extension of set times. The amount of extended set will be affected by mix design, climatic conditions etc. 

Whilst Radmyx Concentrate can be used in conjunction with most admixtures, consideration should be given to the reduction or removal of admixtures that retard such as plasticisers, water reducing admixtures etc.

Whilst generally there is no adverse effect on Radmyx from common admixtures used in concrete, as there are thousands of such products around the world, a trial mix is recommended when using Radmyx Concentrate in addition to other admixtures.  

9.

Ideally Radmyx should be added at the batch plant however it can be added directly into the concrete truck.   If added to the concrete truck after the addition of water, ensure that the mix is turned for a minimum of ten minutes prior to the addition of water. 

10.

Firstly mix Radmyx concentrate with sand, cement and lime according to the datasheet   (ADD LINK) before applying it as a slurry to a concrete surface. 

11.

Yes.  Moisture is required for the growth of crystals so it is essential to dampen the concrete surface before the application of Radmyx slurry.

12.

Yes.  Radmyx is an excellent remedial waterproofing agent.  Radmyx’s crystalline growth will operate as a specific repair system to stop the ingress of water through most cracks and other defects to ensure a complete waterproof seal.  However, Radmyx is not suitable for waterproofing dynamic cracks or movement joints. An elastomeric joint sealant will need to be used for these conditions.  

13.

Radmyx is suitable for all types of concrete surfaces including poured in place, pre-cast, or block concrete. It is not suitable for non-concrete building materials.

14.

Radmyx is traditionally used on below grade structures such as basements as well as reservoirs, tunnels, foundations, underground vaults, water tanks, sewage and water treatment tanks, car parks, swimming pools and foundations.  It is also suitable for use on pre-stressed decks. 

15.

The environmentally sustainable crystal growth technology of Radmyx brings significant efficiencies and differences to the capability of concrete waterproofing.  This technology ensures Radmyx has greater capability than traditional membranes and cementitious coatings.

  • Radmyx crystalline structure integrates with the entire concrete matrix to ensure water penetration and chemical ingress is stopped. 
  • Radmyx reacts with the hydration products of cement to form crystals within the cracks, pores, and capillaries of concrete structures, effectively blocking the passage of water, to provide a 100% watertight seal for the structure. 
  • After the crystalline process has successfully waterproofed the structure the active chemicals in Radmyx remain dormant in the concrete.  Subsequent contact with water will reactivate the regenerative crystal growth technology. 
  • Radmyx is completely resistant to hydrostatic pressure as it has no dependency on surface adhesion for its complete waterproofing capability.
  • Radmyx is not subject to any form of deterioration.  Radmyx is integrated into the very structure of the concrete.  It is a permanent component which continuously reacts in the presence of water, thereby, providing lifetime protection to any concrete structure.  
16.

Radmyx, through its unique crystalline growth technology, can be used as an admixture (added at the time of concrete batching), as a coating (for new or existing structures), or as a dry shake mixture (for fresh horizontal surfaces).  

17.

The crystalline growth technology of Radmyx provides many advantages over traditional membranes:

  • Radmyx does not need a dry surface; in fact, a wet surface is a requirement.
  • Radmyx can be applied in wet weather.
  • Radmyx does not require costly surface preparation
  • Radmyx does not deteriorate, puncture, tear, or come apart at the seams.
  • Radmyx does not need any protection during back filling, or during placement or steel, wire mesh, and other materials.
  • Radmyx can be applied on both the positive and negative side of a structure.
  • Radmyx does not need any form of sealing, overlapping and finishing of seams at corners or edges.
  • Radmyx does not need reapplication, nor future maintenance, as it remains active for the life of the structure.
  • Radmyx does not emit VOC’s.
  • Radmyx is less costly and more environmentally friendly as it never needs replacing!
18.

The general dosage as an admixture is 0.78kg per cubic metre of concrete.   Under special circumstances it may be necessary to vary this amount according to site conditions or design mix requirements. 

19.

Radmyx is best added to the dry mix at the time of batching, however, it can be added to the mixer on site.  When added directly to the concrete truck it is essential to rotate the mix for ten minutes prior to pouring.

20.

Radmyx causes an increase in compressive strength of the concrete.  CSIRO testing in Australia showed that Radmyx caused an increase in compressive strength of between 15% and 20%.   The temperature of the concrete is not affected.

21.

Generally all crystalline products, including Radmyx, cause some retardation of the set. For this reason we recommend that consideration be given to the use of an accelerator when using Radmyx.  Radmyx used with an accelerator complies with AS 1478.