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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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.