Waterproofing Tunnels and Arches (Refurbishment)
Old tunnels and arches can suffer from dampness and water ingress because of a failure of the original waterproofing system, or, in the case of the many Victorian railway arches found in the UK, because they were never designed to be occupied.
For practical reasons it is usually preferable to apply a new waterproofing system to the inside of the tunnel or arch. Even where it is technically possible to apply an externally applied waterproofing system, to do so would involve costly and disruptive excavation.
Safeguard offer a choice of two internally-applied waterproofing systems. Solutions are also available for the waterproofing of tunnels during construction.
Oldroyd Cavity Drainage Membranes
Oldroyd Xv Clear or Oldroyd Xp Plaster Membrane can be applied to the sides of the tunnel or arch using special sealed fixing plugs in much the same way as they are used to waterproof old basements. Both of these products work by redirecting the water ingress to a sump or suitable discharge point rather than physically holding it back. For this reason they are often used to waterproof Victorian tunnels and arches constructed from bricks which do not always have the strength to physically hold back water pressure.
Vandex Waterproofing Slurries
Vandex BB75 E can be used in conjunction with Vandex Plug and Vandex Unimortar 1 to waterproof tunnels in refurbishment projects, as shown in the diagram below. Because this system physically holds back water pressure it is essential to ensure that the substrate is strong enough to take the pressure. Correct surface preparation is essential to ensure a good bond between the Vandex waterproofing coat and the substrate.
Vandex products are particularly well-suited to sewer-rehabilitation. The Vandex Z range is specifically designed for use in the demanding environment found in sewers (low pH levels etc...)
The following case studies feature tunnel and arch refurbishment:
Visit our CAD Drawings page to download CAD details in AutoCad (DWG), TurboCAD (TCW) and Adobe Acrobat (PDF) formats.
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Waterproofing Arches 
