Specification
After a short refreshment break the second session looked at specification, and was chaired by Kevin Dodds of Delta Membranes. Like the morning session it comprised three speakers followed by a Q&A session.
Mick Smith, ICB (Waterproofing) Ltd gave a presentation on Podium Decks and buried roofs which follows the release of the PCA best practice guidance on podium decks and buried roofs document earlier this year.
The second speaker in this session was John Naylor, Technical Director at GGS Ltd. John’s presentation looked at understanding gas protection measure selection within Waterproofing Systems. This included a look at which gases are hazardous and their sources. The implications of what can happen when ground gases aren’t considered and how ground gas protection is approached.
Finally, focusing on a guidance document also released earlier in the year by the PCA, Richard Crossley, Technical Director at Newton Waterproofing, looked at the importance of continuity of waterproofing systems. Richard went on to ask if sufficient is being done to ensure that continuity is continued to above ground level to prevent defects above ground affecting the below ground structure.
Best Practice
After lunch, which gave attendees the opportunity to network with other industry experts, the final session looked at best practice. This session was chaired by Gordon Sprouse from Fosroc and followed a similar format to the morning sessions.
First speaker in the session was Alan Auld, founder and now Chief Consultant Engineer to the Alan Auld Group Ltd. Alan introduced artificial ground freezing as a means of preventing water ingress into excavations to allow buildings to be constructed. He looked at how this technique could be applied and showed some fascinating case studies of what could be achieved using this technique.
The middle spot in this session was taken by Dr Stephen Garvin from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) who 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.
The final speaker of the day was Cormac Rooney, Technical Director of MJ Rooney Construction Ltd. Cormac delivered an in depth and animated presentation on structural waterproofing as a construction speciality, highlighting the innovation and technology driven approach taken by his company which is celebrating it’s 30th year.
The day concluded with a panel debate which saw Dr John Grimes, Richard Crossley, Mick Smith, John Naylor, and Alan Auld answer a range of diverse and interesting questions from the floor.
It was very encouraging for the PCA to see the growth in interest and range of attendees from last years inaugural event. A big thank you goes to all those who attended what was a hugely successful event and we look forward to see you all again next year.
James Berry
James Berry
Technical Manager
Property Care Association
Tel: 0844 375 4301
e mail: [email protected]