Emülzer's Signature in Green Roof Insulation

# Emülzer's Signature in Green Roof Waterproofing Rising land prices and advancing construction technology have prompted people to want more nature's indispensable greenery in their living spaces. They wish to escape the stressful urban environment and bring freshness to their lives. Landscape design in newly constructed buildings is being planned accordingly. In response to end-user demand, contractor firms are placing greater emphasis on green infrastructure areas in residential projects. There is growing demand to develop unused terraces, flat roofs, protruding areas created by architectural design, or spaces above underground parking lots not merely as empty space but as usable green areas. Landscape planning and implementation have become a serious sector. Landscape architecture brings together concrete and greenery. The application details are lengthy, but the results are extremely successful undertakings. Increased implementation of such projects will bring certain advantages to human health and our world. - Green areas lost during construction will be recovered, - Since rainwater will be collected and returned to the ecosystem from these areas, the amount of water to be drained will decrease, helping to reduce the burden on city sewage systems, - Noise, dust and smoke levels will decrease, - The waterproofing applied will provide longer-lasting insulation because it will be protected from ultraviolet rays, - Oxygen will be released into the environment, reducing environmental pollution, - Sociological and psychological benefits will be achieved, - The value of the building will increase. For garden roof waterproofing, the final stage should be decided from the beginning. The intended purpose of the space to be used should be determined in advance. An appropriate system should be developed accordingly. Planning and design are free, but implementation is paid. The following questions should be answered beforehand. • Will there be tree planting? • Will it be left as grass? • Will there be sports or other activities on the grass? • What types of plants will be used for greening? • How will tree and plant maintenance be carried out? • What type of soil will be used, what will be the thickness of soil to be laid? Also, will fertilizer etc. be applied? • Is it determined whether plant watering will be done daily, every other day, or by drip irrigation, serpentine or other methods? • What is the flow rate of irrigation water? Every detail during terrace garden implementation should be carefully executed, and no stage should be skipped. Unfortunately, waterproofing—which may seem simple—is at the top of skipped details. If waterproofing is not applied with the correct product, correct detail, and correct workmanship, it will shorten the building's lifespan. In reinforced concrete structures, corrosion does not only occur at the foundation; it can begin anywhere concrete contacts water. Garden terrace waterproofing, in summary, ends with surface cleaning, preparation, priming, application of root-resistant product, waterproofing protection, drainage, soil laying, and planting. When plant roots develop and grow, if the applied waterproofing is not resistant to plant roots, no matter how well you have protected your substrate against water, the waterproofing layers exposed to the penetrating effect of roots will be damaged. Root exudates consist of organic compounds with large and small molecules secreted by roots. Large molecular organic compounds are formed by mucilages and ectoenzymes, while small molecular organic compounds are formed by sugars, organic acids, phenolic compounds, and amino acids including phytosiderophores. For example, concrete flower pots and planters show damage to concrete. Completing the application without prioritizing waterproofing with the reasoning "soil holds water anyway, waterproofing is unnecessary" means accepting that within a short time water will begin to leak from the ceiling if it's a roof, or from the parking structure ceiling if it's an underground garage. End-user complaints and the start of legal proceedings would compound the problem. What was built is torn down, and waterproofing that was not done or not given sufficient attention at the outset is redone. Temporary solutions using inappropriate materials because initial costs would be higher yield the same result, and in this case the cost becomes even greater than planned. Therefore, a decision should be made at the outset regarding what application and arrangement will be done, and planning should be conducted. Materials to be used should be selected accordingly. An English proverb states "I am not rich enough to buy cheap." Indeed, sometimes the costs we incur by avoiding initial expenses become much more expensive for us later. The suffering, difficulty, and stress that follow compound this. The practical realization of solutions achieved by architects and engineers in the design is necessary. Emülzer has developed Plus Anti-Root, a single-component, root-impermeable, modified bitumen and solvent-based waterproofing product for green roofs. Not every bitumen or bitumen-cement-based product provides resistance to plant roots. Special chemical additives such as biocides used in waterproofing materials must be incorporated during production. These chemicals prevent and stop the advancement of plant root tips. The chemical additives used not only do not harm plants but also prevent roots from advancing. The system to be applied in waterproofing such areas is briefly as follows: Surface cleaning and preparation is carried out on the concrete. After opening cracks found in breaks and depressions in the concrete, they are filled with non-shrinking repair mortars or epoxy-based anchor repair mortar. Emilkote, an anionic bitumen emulsion material primer, is applied to the surface at a rate of 0.400 kg/m². All horizontal and vertical corner transitions are turned and straightened with elastic Emülzer Bituminous Edge Tape. After the primer coat dries, Emülzer Plus Anti-Root—a single-component, cold-applied, modified bitumen-based, super-elastic and elastomeric liquid membrane that is root-impermeable—should be applied. It should be applied in at least three coats at a rate of 3.00 kg/m² with a bitumen brush or airless pump, with one day between coats. While the first coat is still fresh, 50-80 gr/m² geotextile felt is laid over it. The felt, which acts as a carrier between waterproofing layers, will prevent cracks that may form in the substrate from passing into the waterproofing layer. After the waterproofing layers are completed and before soil backfill, a drainage board with 110 gr/m² geotextile felt is laid with bubbles and felt facing upward. The waterproofing layer and drainage board are turned up along the parapet edges to the top elevation of the green area and secured to the parapet with pressure profiles. This prevents overflow water from entering beneath the waterproofing from the edges.

Cem Ercan Civil Engineer Project and Technical Sales Manager Emülzer Asfaltevi Tecrit Maddeleri San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti.