Ready-Mixed Concrete and Waterproofing Products Are Semi-Finished Goods

They become finished products once properly applied

Some terms are translated from English into Turkish. However, the translation has not found exact Turkish equivalents. For example, Ready Mixed Concrete has been translated from English into Turkish as Hazır Beton. Yet ready concrete is not ready. (Source: Prof. Dr. M. Ali Taşdemir) Concrete is a mixture prepared at the ready-mix plant by determining air conditions, water, aggregate, cement, chemical and mineral additives and even casting method. Additionally, on-site placement and provision of necessary curing conditions are the responsibility of the consumer. Building chemicals also create similarities through on-site mixing, curing according to air conditions, workmanship and other factors. You can change a building's doors, windows, faucets, roof. If you do not like the color of a parquet, you can remove it and install a different-colored parquet in its place and use it. However, you cannot change the constructive structure, the skeleton that keeps the building standing. In a reinforced concrete structure, you cannot restore the concrete to its original state, cannot remove the reinforcement and substitute other reinforcement in its place. We can compare this to osteoporosis, a bone-loss disease found in humans. Once the disease has started, you cannot restore human bone to its original condition. The corrosion of steel reinforcement that occurs in reinforced concrete structures can be compared to human bone disease. It is possible to stop begun corrosion and slow its effects. However, we cannot restore corroded, rusted, cross-section-reduced steel reinforcement to its original state. In developed countries, waterproofing is performed to protect concrete from water, whereas in our country, waterproofing is applied to prevent water from entering the structure. With the advancement of technology, the variety of waterproofing materials has also increased. Depending on needs and demands, many building chemicals are produced such as those resistant to ultraviolet light, resistant to plant roots, suitable for drinking water tanks (requiring no tile finish), etc. However, drainage must be made during construction, slope concrete must be cast, and all measures must be taken to protect the waterproofing. The product must be given time to cure during application. Without cleaning the surface to be applied, without placing water drains, without creating the necessary slope and drainage in the concrete, simply applying 2-3 mm thick waterproofing material to the structure and saying we have done waterproofing does not suffice. Casting concrete (rough concrete or concrete with number 2 reduction) instead of weak screed is always healthier. Waterproofing should be applied over solid concrete. In buildings, we divide insulation into 4 classes: water, heat, sound and fire. The requirement for thermal insulation is implemented in old and new structures through published TS 825 and the applied BEP TR. Based on the building type and construction materials used, a "Thermal Insulation Project" is produced and applied through Municipalities under the control of Building Inspection firms. If a building does not have a "Thermal Insulation Project," no permit is issued. The sanctions applied by the state for thermal insulation, through environmental, health and economic returns, have made thermal insulation indisputably accepted. When people have thermal insulation done in their residences, they can immediately evaluate the economic benefits from the bills they pay at month-end and from living comfort and feel positive effects. Additionally, with thermal insulation, old structures gain architectural aesthetics, and the monetary value of the building also increases. The "Waterproofing Regulation" prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization was published in the Official Gazette on 27 October 2017. The Waterproofing Regulation in Buildings will come into force as of 1 June 2018. It will contribute positively to the market. Although waterproofing is accepted by everyone, if "Waterproofing Requirement" is not formally written in technical specifications or in tenders for state projects, implementation in the field seems unlikely. As known, Turkey's transition to ready mixed concrete was achieved by making it mandatory in regulations and technical specifications. The regulation will positively increase business for waterproofing manufacturers, applicators, and dealers selling the product. It was news the sector had been awaiting for a long time. It has become an extremely important decision that will raise construction quality. In implementation, much work will fall to the Ministry, Architectural Offices, Engineering Firms, Consulting Firms, Municipalities, Building Inspection Bodies, Contractors, and Universities. In the next stage, "Waterproofing Projects" should be requested from architectural offices. Application on site must be performed and monitored. Otherwise, municipalities should not issue building permits. In developed countries, when an architectural office designs 8-10 projects per year, it conveys that the year has been very intensely worked through. In some architectural project firms in our country, the number of projects is expressed in three-digit numbers. In developed countries and abroad, the number of sheets according to the drawn project can be 10 times more than in our country. As details are examined, the number of sheets increases. The fee received should also be satisfactory for the work performed. It would be beneficial for the state to complete studies concerning the "waterproofing requirement." Because if not required by the state, waterproofing can be disregarded as having no binding force. A national "waterproofing regulation" must be issued. According to building type and the building's functions, a "Waterproofing Project" should be required by municipalities. If the project does not exist or is unsuitable, building permits should not be issued, as is also the case with thermal insulation. Before and after the project is implemented, training and seminars should be conducted to ensure that the correct product is applied in the correct place by the correct personnel. The state's determined attitude and enforcement regarding waterproofing implementation is quite important. To give an example, "Milk, yogurt, cream, oil and cheese producers could once leave their waste untreated in nature." Due to the acids contained, this was damaging to the environment. The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock has imposed a mandatory treatment requirement. Through this notification, enforcement is applied by provincial directorates. Milk and cheese producer companies were forced to build treatment facilities. Lactic acid in milk damages concrete. For this reason, the producer turned to the ready-mix concrete company it would use during construction and changed the cement type. In concrete production, sulfate-resistant cement SDÇ, CEM V—that is, cement with tri-calcium aluminate (C3A) content below 5% in the cement compound—was used. After rough construction was completed, in the reinforced concrete tanks of the treatment facility, by applying plaster, tile-ceramic and joint filler; building chemicals that are resistant to chemicals, more economical, faster, and also perform a waterproofing function were used. Thus, the treatment facility was brought to the required standards. There is a frequently used saying among construction workers: "The best engineer is water." Complete and thorough waterproofing in a building is one of the indicators of good building comfort appearance. However, problems resulting from lack of waterproofing directly affect whether we can exist in life. Following the 1999 and 2001 Marmara Earthquakes, much greater care is being taken and waterproofing is being done compared to the past. However, corrosion in old buildings continues to increase in severity. An unprotected, corroded structure loses 66% of its current strength within 10 years. Soil and concrete must be analyzed very well. Necessary measures must be taken. Soil—the type of soil on which the structure will be built is the most important criterion determining foundation waterproofing. Groundwater height is a factor in evaluating the waterproofing product to be selected. If the soil structure requires pile-driving, waterproofing details to be applied at pile-driving heads must be solved. If there are excessive organic matter and harmful chemicals in the soil, concrete casting should be designed using sulfate-resistant cement (Type V cement). The waterproofing product to be used should also be required to be resistant to these chemicals. Concrete—according to TS 13515 regarding the use of TS EN 206 Ready Mixed Concrete Standard, every foundation concrete exceeding 90 cm in height should be "designed as mass concrete." If so, during very hot summer months, concrete must be protected and made impermeable. According to TS 500, 0.2 mm cracks are permitted in reinforced concrete structures. The waterproofing product to be used should be examined for crack-bridging properties and the ability to tolerate this crack. According to Soil Environmental Impact Class, minimum cement and minimum concrete quality characteristics are specified. You cannot use a waterproofing product that you will use in the foundation in a wet volume or water tank. Suitable waterproofing product should be chosen based on building type, size and functions. You cannot escape construction technique by applying 2-3 mm thick spreading or brushing-type waterproofing product. For example, in a terrace waterproofing, if there is no slope concrete and continuous water pooling occurs, such problems should be eliminated before waterproofing work. Again, in water tank waterproofing, if the reinforced concrete surface is poor, if segregation has occurred in the concrete, if tie-rod holes have not been filled, if chamfers have not been made, you cannot expect much benefit from the waterproofing product you will apply. In both spreading and brushing-type products, a significant part of waterproofing success is infrastructure and surface preparation. The brand recognition and quality of manufacturer firms is certainly very important. However, whether domestic or foreign origin, if it is a product you have not experienced before, preliminary testing must be conducted. Turkey has a very wide waterproofing market. Unfortunately, waterproofing is still being done using plaster, screed, and to a large extent tile. This practice also varies regionally; in some regions, screed is viewed as waterproofing material and waterproofing is achieved by applying screed over screed. In some regions, floor and wall tile materials are widely used to solve waterproofing and tile is applied over tile. However, ceramic and tile are floor covering materials. Even if joints are sealed, tile, ceramic, granite, marble, etc. crack internally. For this reason, waterproofing must be applied beneath floor covering materials. Consumers can choose the type of insulation they want from foundation to roof. Communication tools and widespread internet use are certainly very beneficial; manufacturers' websites contain products and lists of dealer or applicator sellers. Waterproofing applications can be divided into two. a) You can apply some products yourself (Do it yourself) such as polyurethane mastic, brushing single-component products, etc. Before selecting and using these products, the product technical data sheet and safety data sheet declared by the manufacturer must be read. Each manufacturer may have different chemical formulations doing the same job. b) Application of some waterproofing products requires professionals. Because a system detail requiring both water and thermal insulation may be requested. In such situations, end consumers should contact manufacturers and request applicators. Because these waterproofing dealer personnel have received "Waterproofing Training" from manufacturers and have used the products for years. Additionally, commercially, applicator dealers have certain responsibilities to manufacturers such as bank guarantees, mortgages, direct borrowing systems (DBS). Manufacturers also have responsibilities such as delivering the product on time and in the same quality. However, "Mr. X tradesman" reachable only through a cell phone can say "I give at least 10 years warranty," but most of these jobs, thought to be cheaper, end in disappointment. Larger amounts are paid, and the lost time and reputation add to the matter. Finally; building chemicals and waterproofing products are semi-finished goods. They become finished products once applied by professional applicators. Once application is completed with all components, the product's performance over time should be observed. In this respect, there is an application similarity between building chemicals and ready mixed concrete.   Cem Ercan Civil Engineer Project and Technical Sales Manager Emülzer Asfaltevi Tecrit Maddeleri San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti.