Learning lessons in waterproofing
As far as structural waterproofing goes there can be no doubt that the industry has developed and come a long way in recent years. Thankfully, we rarely hear about waterproofing failures and hopefully this is a testament to the skill and expertise of PCA members. However it would be naive to think that the world is perfect and not every job goes to plan.
It is very rare for us as a collective industry to receive feedback and that is why it is interesting to see the changes introduced by LABC Warranty in the update to their technical manual, released in the last few weeks. We consider LABC Warranty to be a close strategic partner and they have informed us that whilst some of the changes made are simply done so to reflect the amendments to BS8102, others are a result of an increase in claims. This can perhaps be used as an opportunity to see how we can look to push up the industry standards further still.
Designers must be engaged at the earliest stage
Probably the biggest change is that they have introduced a requirement for developers to 'provide the waterproofing design 8 weeks before the commencement of the basement'. They have informed us that too often the design is inappropriate for the risk, there had been no consideration for the site investigation, or a waterproofing design had been formally approved but this has not been determined until too late.
Of course this will not be new news to members. The requirement to get a designer engaged at the earliest stages has been in BS8102 since 2009. However it seems clear that this advice is still not being adhered to as often as it should. So perhaps this is a reminder to us all, to ensure we keep shouting this simple message to our clients. The sooner a waterproofing design specialist is engaged the greater the chance, from a waterproofing point of view, the project will run smoothly.
Additionally, there appears to be some acknowledgement that too few designs are making reference to site investigations. Understanding the site is hugely significant to the design philosophy as detailed in BS8102. You may not always have a site investigation but this should be acknowledged and influence your design accordingly.
The risk of failure has to be considered
There is also a new requirement that where a Grade 3 environment is required, combined protection must be provided (consisting of 2 systems recognised by BS8102). An accessibility and reparability option is essential and should form part of any structural waterproofing design. This amendment is probably more about protecting risk on their part, but equally, we could see this as an important reminder that when designing waterproofing (particularly Grade 3), we must ensure that the risk of failure is considered.
The revision also alludes to ensuring that Type A waterproofing systems should be applied in the appropriate conditions. Whilst we all understand the pressure to get projects completed in time, ultimately the risk doesn’t always warrant the reward.
Apprenticeships - a pathway for the future
Industry updates, technical document amendments, conferences and CPD events are a great way to ensure best practice is upheld and knowledge enhanced and up to date. But of course this isn’t the only time we learn in waterproofing and it would be remiss of me not to mention apprentices during National Apprenticeship Week. Much of the above is about getting the design right, design is important, in fact it’s vital to the success of any waterproofing project, but it must only be considered the first stage of the process. Of equal importance is making sure that there is a skilled workforce carrying out the installs - if they aren’t there to implement the design, then the system falls down.
We know that one of the biggest challenges members face is the recruitment of skilled staff and this is why we support apprenticeship schemes. We cannot wave a magic wand to address this growing skills gap, but we can protect the future of the industry and provide a pathway for learning, development and training...