Study on a solution to water leakage from micro cracks on concrete walls

Part 1: Effect of water-repellent materials coated on the room-side surface due to capillary pressure

Abstract

Prevention of water leakage through microcracks on concrete outer walls is of great importance since the cracks may reduce the water tightness. This technique is especially required for architecture concrete walls on ground, on which the application of waterproof materials is not available considering the aesthetic perspective. In this study, a microcrack model is built up using overlapped transparent acrylic boxes with water repellent areas; blowing and water sprinkling are conducted to investigate the performance against water leakage due to capillary pressure. Moreover, a concrete model is constructed to simulate a concrete outer wall with water-repellent materials coated on the room-side surface, and the water tightness is evaluated after cracking.