Watertightness
Navigation
- Introduction
- Causes of Defects
- Good Practices
- Standards
- Maintenance and Diagnostics
- Remedial
- Similar Cases
- References
Cause of Defects
Concrete being porous absorbs water easily and by capillary action water moves into the pores of concrete. Micro pores are caused during the migration of excess water during the hydration process. As these excess water dries off, they form channels or capillary pores. When subjected to water pressure, the pores allow the passage of water resulting in seepage.
Water may also penetrate through joints as shown in the figures below. The figure on the left shows the various mechanisms of which rainwater may penetrate through joints. The figure on the right shows the “WRONG” and “RIGHT” joint configurations according to the respective mechanism of water penetration.
