BUILD Q4 issue

34 Build Q4 2018 roperty developers are increasingly choosing to use alterna- tive materials to create better buildings. Specially designed polymeric materials have stronger properties than their tra- ditional counterparts and by implementing these, buildings’ lifespans are increased, and maintenance costs decreased. Future-Proofing Three Futuristic Facilities ‘Repair, Protect, Improve’ is the Belzona motto, encompassing the way Belzona systems are successfully used on thousands of applications around the world. On occasion though, an application calls to be neither ‘repaired’ or ‘improved’ but rather ‘protected’ preventatively. These applications are on new-build structures which use Belzona materials to provide a stronger foundation and a better damage defence from the get-go. P Three New-Builds in Need of Future Waterproofing One example of this is three state-of-the-art council buildings in Paris which required a system to fully water and weatherproof them. This project began in 2017, when Alliatech, the Belzona Distributor for the north of France, received an enquiry for a roof sealing system from Léon Grosse – one of France’s leading Civil Engineering and Construction firms. The three buildings had a surface area of 2700m2 (29,000ft2) which would need to be coated, but Léon Grosse had certain require- ments before a material could be specified. To begin with, they stated that it must be able to take any shape, such as curves and vertical walls, due to the complexity of the new buildings’ designs. However, this is where other manufacturers were unable to deliver. Due to the intricate designs and the requirements needing to be met, Alliat- ech were amongst the few able to suggest solutions which could fulfil the specifications. Belzona’s polymeric membranes would offer long-term protection as well as meet practical and aesthetic needs. It was also necessary that the system could bond firmly to concrete and be able to welcome and support tiles, even vertically. This in particular Artist’s impression of the finished facilities