Vancouver, B.C. – An innovative new shoring wall design is creating a lot of buzz within the construction industry. Pioneered by Atlanta’s ABE Enterprises, the “ABE wall” is built from the top down, and generates significant savings in time and construction costs. To provide long-lasting, worry-free waterproofing protection for their unique design, ABE chose Kryton International’s Krystol concrete waterproofing system.
“Normally,” says ABE President, Rick Anderson, “when you build a shoring wall, you work your way down to the desired depth, removing the dirt as you go. You then work your way back up, building the shoring wall.” ABE’s shoring wall design combines these steps, he says, building a shoring wall from the top down.
According to Paul Mandall, President of Middle Georgia Concrete Construction, the ABE wall offers many advantages. “It costs a lot less than other shoring walls,” he says, “and it expedites the construction process. It’s also safer for workers.” Because it doesn’t leave room outside the wall for installing conventional waterproofing membranes, however, the ABE wall requires an advanced and innovative waterproofing solution.
Based on Kryton’s proprietary crystalline technology, the Krystol system transforms porous concrete into a permanent, waterproof barrier, eliminating the need for external membrane systems. When added to concrete, Krystol causes millions of tiny crystals to grow, filling the spaces between concrete particles and permanently blocking the movement of water and waterborne contaminants. If cracks form in concrete, Krystol reacts with incoming water to grow additional crystals, self-sealing the cracks and eliminating the need for costly repairs.
Used successfully worldwide for more than 30 years, the Krystol system is the world’s only complete crystalline concrete waterproofing system. It includes:
When an ABE shoring wall was recently built as part of a new below-grade parkade at Atlanta’s Egleston Children’s Hospital, 39,500 pounds (17,917.2 kg) of KIM and 3,500 cubic yards (2,676 m3) of KIM-treated concrete were used to waterproof the wall, one of the area’s largest shoring wall projects. The Krystol Waterstop System was used to waterproof the joints between the ABE wall’s concrete tiles.
“The Krystol system worked great in the Egleston project,” says ABE’s Anderson. “It saved $30-$40 per square foot for the owners, shortened the construction time line and resulted in stronger, better concrete.” And when a few minor cracks appeared in the finished concrete, he says, “they self-sealed exactly as promised.”
“We’ve now used the Krystol system in three ABE walls,” says Paul Mandall from Middle Georgia Concrete Construction, ABE’s subcontractor on the Egleston project. “In every case, the products performed just as Kryton said they would, and the company stood behind them one hundred percent.”
For more information about Kryton or the Krystol concrete waterproofing system, visit www.kryton.com or call (800) 267-8280. For more information about the ABE wall, visit www.abeenterprises.com or call (770) 425-5646.
About Kryton International:
Kryton International Inc. develops, manufactures and distributes specialty products for waterproofing, repairing and protecting new and existing concrete structures. The company’s products have been used in construction projects worldwide including parking structures, foundations and basements, water/wastewater treatment facilities, swimming pools and aquatic centres, subways and pipelines, bridges and dams. Founded in 1973, Kryton distributes in 40 countries with offices and manufacturing facilities around the world.
For more information:
Leo Connell
Marketing Director
Kryton Group of Companies
Tel: (604) 324-8280 or (800) 267-8280
Email: leo@kryton.com
Visit Kryton International at Booth N241 at the World of Concrete, January 17-20, 2006, at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas, NV.
