On 6th July 2017, two of our Surveyors attended the second PCA Structural Waterproofing Conference at The Slate, Warwick University, Coventry. The PCA (Property Care Association) is the trade body for the Structural Waterproofing sector.
The event was split into three sessions, design, specification and best practice, with over 120 delegates from the PCA and other areas of the industry attending.
Prior to the commencement of the conference, a number of trade stands were available in the venues networking areas.
The First session was about Design –
Adam Birkinshaw from Hanson, spoke about the wide range of documents that apply during waterproof design, including BS8102 and NHBC chapter 5.4. The Waterproof Concrete element was emphasized, and its benefits were highlighted.
Dr John Grimes then gave a presentation discussing Hydrology and ground conditions.
The final speaker in the first session was from Charles Goodchild from the Concrete Centre.
The second session covered Specification
First up was Mick Smith, who spoke about podium decks and buried roofs, highlighting the importance of using the correct materials for the job. This follows the PCA best practice guidance document, which was released earlier in the year.
John Naylor from GGS then gave a very interesting talk about gas membranes highlighting the potential crossover between Structural Waterproofing and preventing gases entering the property.
Richard Crossley, spoke about the importance of continuity of waterproofing systems, focussing on the junction between below and above ground.
Best Practice
After a lunch of networking with other contractors, suppliers and professionals, the conference resumed with Alan Auld providing information on artificial ground freezing as a means of preventing water ingress into excavations to allow buildings to be constructed.
Dr Stephen Garvin from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) gave an overview of flood resilience measures including those that can be observed at the flood resilient repair demonstration house at the BRE in Watford (which Preservation Treatments had visited earlier in the week)
The final speaker of the day was Cormac Rooney, Cormac provided information on structural waterproofing as a construction speciality.
Overall it was an entertaining day with a fantastic range of speakers.
