An established green technology to waterproof, protect and repair concrete structures for a wide variety of new and existing applications – Xypex Chemical Corporation’s proprietary Concrete Waterproofing by Crystallization – has reached a significant milestone: its 40th year of use in thousands of construction projects around the world.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - An established green technology to waterproof, protect and repair concrete structures for a wide variety of new and existing applications – Xypex Chemical Corporation’s proprietary Concrete Waterproofing by Crystallization – has reached a significant milestone: its 40th year of use in thousands of construction projects around the world.

Four decades is a period traditionally cited in the construction industry as the “proof” of a sophisticated technology’s effectiveness. The Xypex Crystalline Technology is judged to be one of the most effective, efficient and economical solutions to protect concrete from water ingress. Xypex has been observing the technology’s 40th anniversary in stages, reflecting the fact that, since 1970, the technology has been has been successfully specified in more than 70 countries. Xypex Waterproofing by Crystallization uses 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 crystalline waterproofing 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.

Because concrete is permeable to liquids and gases, porous conditions can create multiple problems within a building or other structure due to moisture penetration. The infiltrating water, and harmful chemicals dissolved within, also 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. Within a few weeks of crystal growth, liquids can no longer pass through and the transmission of gases is significantly restricted.

The effect is permanent. In fact, the technology will even self-seal new micro-cracks if and when they occur years after the original application, a fact referenced in a November 2010 report (ACI 212.3R-10) by the American Concrete Institute.

The ACI report also notes “the crystalline deposits develop throughout the depth of the concrete and become a permanent part of the concrete mass (and) resist water penetration against hydrostatic pressure.”

The Xypex crystalline technology delivers an integral waterproofing system without the exposure disadvantages (from tearing or detachment) presented by external barrier/membrane solutions. It also is generally less costly and more convenient than external barrier approaches.

Crystalline Waterproofing protects the environment from contamination caused by wastewater leakage and makes the construction process greener by eliminating the need for membranes manufactured with plastics, asphalt, polymer resins, solvents, aromatics and other materials with high energy manufacturing costs.

The Xypex Crystalline Waterproofing Technology is non-toxic, contains no VOC's (volatile organic compounds), and is NSF-61 approved for potable water by NSF International, a widely-accepted, independent source of public health and safety standards around the world. For more information, visit www.xypex.com.