Behavior of Waterproofing Systems Exposed to Environmental Agents

Abstract

The service life of buildings can be associated with the durability of enveloping the elements, e.g., the flat roofs that are constantly exposed to environmental agents. Waterproof membranes, produced with bituminous or polymeric materials, usually protect these elements. This paper presents an experimental study of waterproofing systems subjected to environmental agents of degradation. Four types of membranes were tested: bituminous, polyurethane, acrylic and acrylic with polyester mesh. All membranes were applied to concrete substrates and exposed to cycles of 48 hours in 70°C oven and 24 hours in immersion vats with 23°C water. The specimens were subjected to 0, 4, or 8 cycles and submitted to pull-off tests. The results demonstrated that the waterproof system behavior change when subjected to cycles of the temperature gradient. The tests show that the different thermal deformation between the membranes and the concrete substrate results in loss of adhesion.

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