Colombia Dam Waterproofed with Xypex Crystalline Technology

 

The Porce 3 Dam near Medellin, Colombia is classified as a concrete-face, rock-fill type embankment dam. As such, a concrete footing (plinth) is required and constructed around the upstream edge, serving to connect the dam with the valley walls and floors.

Its role is also to prevent water leakage around the edges of the dam. Xypex Concentrate was selected to ensure the proper waterproofing of the plinth as well as 8,000 m2 of dam slabs.

What is Xypex Crystalline Technology?

Basic to the development of Xypex Crystalline Technology was a thorough understanding of concrete's chemical and physical makeup. Concrete is porous. Its tunnel-like capillaries are a natural part of its mass, and permit the passage of water and other liquids. Researchers at Xypex recognized the opportunity for a chemical treatment that would fill these capillaries to prevent the penetration of water and other liquids from any direction. By means of diffusion, the reactive chemicals in Xypex products use water as a migrating medium to enter and travel down the capillaries of the concrete. This process precipitates a chemical reaction between Xypex, moisture and the by-products of cement hydration, forming a new non-soluble crystalline structure. This integral structure fills the capillary tracts rendering the concrete waterproof.

The fact that Xypex Crystalline Technology is now specified and used on thousands of diverse waterproofing projects around the globe is a testament to the original concept. Crystalline waterproofing technology was an idea that grew because Xypex chemists questioned what concrete was all about and found a way to make it better. Today, we continue the tradition.