The Challenges
With a fast growing population globally and an ever increasing demand for utilities, rigorous demands are imposed on existing infrastructure and new installations must also stand the test of time. Across the wide range of utilities including clean and dirty water, telecommunications, oil and gas, and energy generation of all types – fossil, nuclear, wind, hydro-power and energy from waste – assets require management through preventative maintenance to ensure services are maintained and future costs are controlled.
In the water industry alone, water and wastewater treatment plants and installations provide a severe environment for reinforced concrete and exposed steelwork. Structures are under constant threat from the very processes they are built to serve and are subjected to freeze/thaw cycling, abrasion and mechanical damage, as well as the specific problems of soft water attack in potable water processing and the aggressive influence of acidic gases and other chemicals found in raw sewage and industrial wastewater.
The Solution
The water-based, low hazard, low odour nature of our products makes them perfectly suited for use in the utilities sector, especially during maintenance work when facilities often remain in operation. Offering a host of environmental and sustainability benefits, many of our mortars, fairing coats, renders and cementitious coatings are approved under Regulation 31(4)(a) for use in contact with drinking water and are WRAS listed. Our cementitious coatings are designed to offer the ultimate waterproof protection and resist 10 bar water pressure to meet the demands of deep level construction. Designed for application in damp environments, their ultra-low VOC content also makes them ideal for use in confined spaces. Products in our range also provide excellent chemical resistance when applied to areas such as bunds or dirty water installations, and when used in new construction, specialist linings can be applied without waiting for a full cure of the substrate concrete. Our products extend the durability of structures, enabling the design life to be achieved – a critical factor in the utilities sector.
