Xypex® Concrete Waterproofing Admixture used for “The Shard,” Tallest Building in Europe

PRLog (Press Release) - Jul. 10, 2012 - Contact: Dan Tambellini, LarsonO’Brien Marketing Group
Phone: 412.831.1959 x118 E-mail: dan@larsonobrien.com    

Contact: Les Faure, XYPEX Chemical Corporation
Phone: 604.273.5265 E-mail: les@xypex.com

PHOTOS: http://www.lopressroom.com/xypex/the-shard
 
VANCOUVER, BC… Xypex® Concrete Waterproofing through Crystallization™ was used in the construction of the new 95-story building gracing the skyline of London, England: The Shard, named by its creator for its resemblance to a giant pyramid-shaped shard of glass rising 1,016 feet (310 meters) in the air.

The Shard, designed by Renzo Piano, replaced Southwark Towers next to London Bridge station.  As of now, it is the tallest building in the European Union, and boasts 1.2-million sq ft of mixed-use floor space.

Xypex C-1000 admixture was used to waterproof capping beams and other elements of the building.

The Shard is a mix of office, retail, and luxury hotel and apartment space.  A gallery at the top open to the public offers 360° views extending as far as 60 miles on clear days.

When the British government gave its blessing for the project, the Office of Deputy Prime Minister called the tower an example of  “exceptional design” and “the highest architectural quality.”

Xypex Chemical Corporation’s proprietary Concrete Waterproofing by Crystallization™ is an established technology to waterproof, protect and repair concrete structures for a wide variety of new and existing applications.

The technology–successfully used in projects around the world for more than 40 years–exploits concrete’s inherent water permeability to deliver crystalline chemicals that plug the material’s pores and bridge micro-cracks that occur as the concrete dries and shrinks. The chemistry can be easily introduced into new concrete as an admixture, a dry-shake product, or a surface-applied coating. For existing (i.e., cured) concrete, surface-applied coatings are used.

Any infiltrating water, and harmful chemicals dissolved within, can compromise the concrete. The Xypex Crystalline technology uses water in the capillary tracts as a diffusing medium to carry waterproofing chemicals into the concrete. The chemicals migrate through the waterways of the saturated pore network, where they react and grow non-soluble, needle-like crystals that plug the pores.

Crystallization becomes an integral, permanent part of the concrete matrix. The technology will even self-seal new micro-cracks if and when they occur years after the original application. The treated concrete withstands high hydrostatic pressure from both the positive and negative side.
               
Xypex Chemical Corporation (www.Xypex.com) is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of products to waterproof, protect and repair concrete structures, a proven solution for both new and existing applications. Since 1970, the Xypex family of diverse products has evolved around the proprietary, groundbreaking Xypex Concrete Waterproofing by Crystallization technology, which set a new international standard of excellence and brought effective, efficient and economical concrete waterproofing to thousands of projects around the globe. Applications include Building Design and Construction; Water & Wastewater Treatment; Water Holding; Below Grade Structures; Tunnels; Bridges; Marine Structures; Dams, and more. Headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Xypex sustains a distribution and service network in more than 70 countries.