Xypex First to Achieve New EU Standard for Concrete Waterproofing Admixtures

Xypex Chemical Corporation has become the first company whose concrete waterproofing admixture is approved under a significant new European standard designed to withstand water penetration under pressure.

The European Organisation for Technical Assessment (EOTA) recently published the European Assessment Document (EAD) for "Waterproofing Admixture for Concrete" (EAD 260026-00-0301). This new standard establishes a clear distinction between basic water-resisting admixtures and true waterproofing admixtures capable of handling hydrostatic pressure.

Currently, Xypex offers the only products certified under this harmonized technical specification in the EU, allowing them to officially label their products as "waterproofing admixtures for concrete."

Dr. Patrick McGrath, P.Eng., Chief Technical Officer for Xypex, highlighted the importance of this new standard. He explained that it differentiates products merely affecting surface absorption from technologies like Xypex, which work internally. Xypex admixtures react within the concrete to form a crystalline structure that provides integral waterproofing, capable of resisting the intense hydrostatic pressure often found in underground structures.

“The real significance of the new EAD for Xypex is that now we have a proper standard to truly distinguish between products that only influence surface absorption and those, like Xypex, that can withstand high water pressure,” stated McGrath.

Xypex has worked since 2005 to develop the standard with Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (DIBt), the EU Technical Assessment Body (TAB), and BAWAX GmbH, the Xypex distributor in Germany. In May 2020, the Journal of the EOTA published the standard, which is listed as EAD 260026-00-0301.

Georg Schaefer, the CEO of BAWAX GmbH, mentioned that in addition to distribution, his company works to obtain technical approvals for Xypex. “We advise German customers on how Xypex can be used in accordance with rules applicable in Germany,” he said.

“The great advantage of the EAD is that Xypex Admix can now be further recognized throughout Europe in accordance with its actual function/mode of action as a waterproofing admixture,” Schaefer said.

“The new EAD standard helps Xypex differentiate our products in the EU marketplace because we can demonstrate our ability to meet the performance requirements demanded by our customers with recognized and independent testing,” McGrath said. “Once again, Xypex’s unique technology is proven to be the leader in the industry, being the first manufacturer that meets the new standard.” The previous EU standard EN 934-2 Table 9 was created for water resisting admixtures whereas the new standard has been created for waterproofing admixtures. The difference is that water resisting admixtures are tested for low pressure water absorption whereas waterproofing admixtures are tested to measure the penetration of water under high pressure through the concrete matrix.

Xypex has published a Technical Note to explain why EN 934-2 Table 9 is appropriate only for the water-resisting admixture category and why a new standard was needed. The Technical Note explains why absorption tests are not suitable for evaluating permeability reduction or for rating integral crystalline admixtures that require water to react, such as Xypex Admix products. It’s the difference between evaluating water absorption on the surface of concrete and water pressure applied to a concrete structure once it is buried underground. Stated simply, absorption tests do not accurately reflect the performance of concrete admixtures designed for resistance to hydrostatic pressure.

“An absorption test is similar to placing a water droplet on a Gore-Tex fabric. It beads up and makes a ball but does not go through,” McGrath said. “However, if you were to jump in a lake, quite likely the water would penetrate right through the fabric. The same applies to water repelling admixtures that simply bead the water on the surface. Once buried underground, where there is high groundwater pressure, they leak, unlike a true hydrostatic pressure-resisting admixture like Xypex.” While the standard applies to the European Union, it is likely to be cited throughout the construction industry when hydrostatic pressure-resisting concrete is required, such as in below grade foundations, tanks, cisterns, tunnels and many other structures critical to our daily life.

“The building and concrete construction community is relatively small,” McGrath said. “We often borrow standards from other regions. I would not be surprised to see the new EAD used in North America quite quickly, as there are no comparable standards in our Canadian CSA or in ASTM.”

The joint efforts of the research and development team from Xypex Chemical Corporation, the Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (DIBt) and BAWAX GmbH led to this alternate approach to comprehensively evaluate true hydrostatic pressure resisting concrete admixtures, resulting in the publication of the new EAD 260026-00-0301, “Waterproofing Admixture for Concrete.” When the EAD was published, Xypex completed all the necessary testing requirements. Xypex Admix C-1000 NF is now the first product to undergo the European Technical Assessment (ETA) for this new EAD. To learn more, read the Technical Note or contact your local Xypex representative to further learn about the future of high-performance waterproofing of concrete.