Firm foundations
below the water table
How to produce a watertight enclosure that has integrity
BY PAUL BROER
CONSTRUCTION MARKET MANAGER
TREMCO MANUFACTURING COMPANY
D espite the fact that leaky foun-
dations do still plague archi-
tects, contractors and owners of
high-rise buildings, it’s possible to
keep below-grade structures free of
leaks in the presence of ground wa-
ter. If the intended structure is to
extend below the water table tradi-
tional dampproofing methods will
not be adequate. They are useful
only where minor subsoil damp-
ness is expected. This article deals
mainly with structures to be con-
structed below the water table and
includes major high-rise buildings
that divert large quantities of rain-
water into the surrounding soil and
saturate it during rainy periods.
Success requires taking account
of the behavior of ground water. The
highest ground water level is com-
monly called the water table. It
varies with the amount of precipita-
tion, the level of the nearest collec-
tion basin and rock formations or
building foundations in its path of
flow. The water table is normally
highest in the spring in areas that
have major thaws; it will be lowest in
the fall. This must be considered
when test borings are made.
The entry of water into a sub-
structure is a complex problem, dif-
ficult to locate and costly to repair.
Waterproofing the substructure
must be done properly the first
time.
To solve the leaky foundation
problem in advance requires atten-
tion to:
• site conditions
• proper specifications and details
• project scheduling
• choice of the correct waterproof-
ing material
• protecting the membrane
• quality of application of the prop-
er waterproofing material.
Site conditions
Waterproofing should be done
under dry conditions so that the
various materials used have the op-
portunity to bond properly and de-
velop their full potential. Too many
times contractors are asked to work
in moist conditions that completely
p re vent achievement of watertight-
ness below ground level.
Three of the many methods to
make excavations moisture-free are
described:
Dewatering systems. These meth-
ods use subsurface drains or well-
points to provide a means of pump-
ing or drawing water out of the
e xc a vation continually until the
foundation has been made water-
tight. The pumps can then be shut
off and the water let back into the
surroundings of the structure.
Freeze-wall design. This consists
of pumping a brine solution into the
earth at specified intervals to build a
strong ice wall. This wall surrounds
the excavation (or the section nec-
essary) and serves two purposes.
First, it stops water from entering
the excavation thus providing a rel-
atively dry work area. Second, it
eliminates the need for tie-back or
anchor systems to shore up the
earth and keep it from moving into
the excavation after the hole has
been dug.
Slurry-trench. This method, while
very expensive, fills a need in the in-
dustry where conditions call for it.
The method can be used when the
boundaries of a structure abut lakes
or rivers that make it impossible to
provide sufficient working space
outside the exterior wall of the ex-
cavation. The method has been de-
scribed in Concrete Co n s t ru c t i o n ,
March 1973, page 90.
Basically, a trench around the
planned excavation area is dug and
filled with a slurry of sodium ben-
tonite and water. A concrete wall is
then built by putting a steel rein-
forcing cage into the trench and
placing concrete with a tremie from
the bottom of the trench up. The
concrete displaces the slurry, which
is pumped to another trench.
Enough sodium bentonite is left in
the soil and on the exterior of the
walls to make them resistant to wa-
ter inflow. This method should not,
howe ve r, be expected to produce
100 percent watertightness.
Proper specifications
and details
Specifications and details for a
job below grade must indicate prop-
er method for building a watertight
envelope around foundation walls,
base slab, terminations and projec-
tions.
Many different construction tech-
niques are used to build a founda-
tion wall and key it into the base
slab or bottom of the building. Atyp-
ical method is shown in the dia-
gram, where the envelope consists
of a waterproofing system around
the entire building.
The foundation walls must be de-
signed to bear the weight of the
structure and resist the outer grade
p re s s u res and the anticipated hy-
drostatic pressures from the water
table.
A concrete base slab, or so-called
mud slab, is placed on the founda-
tion base over a polyethylene vapor
b a r ri e r. This mud slab must be de-
signed in combination with the base
floor slab to resist the hyd ra u l i c
p re s s u re expected. If calculated
properly it will resist uplift pressure
without objectionable deflection.
The mud slab for the United
States Fidelity and Guaranty Com-
pany building, a major structure in
Baltimore, was designed to be made
of reinforced structural lightweight
concrete six inches thick. The floor
slab over it was reinforced concrete
four feet th ick .
Concrete in the foundation walls
should be of minimum slump, but
care must be taken to avoid honey-
combing. This is particularly impor-
tant because honeycombs that are
concealed behind the surface may
be impossible to find and repair.
Concrete forms should be chosen
with the designated waterproofing
product in mind so that the finish of
the wall surface does not interfere
with the effectiveness of the water-
proofing treatment.
Project scheduling
Foundation waterproofing opera-
tions must be planned in terms of
the overall construction schedule.
For example, the base slab and
foundation walls should be allowed
to cure thoroughly and then dry for
a minimum of 28 days before the
waterproofing system is applied.
This period will avoid the problem
that arises when entrapped mois-
ture in the concrete blows the wa-
terproofing system off. This period
also permits shrinkage cracking to
d e ve l o p. Ideally, though often im-
practical, foundation waterproofing
below grade should be delayed un-
til the entire superstructure is built
so that most of the weight is already
on the foundation walls and all de-
flection and shrinkage cracking is
completed.
Protect the membrane
Once the waterproofing system
has been applied, it must be pro-
tected against two possible sources
of damage. One is damage from
work being done by various trades
working on the waterproofed base
slab and near the completed foun-
dation walls. The other is damage or
rupture of the membrane during
the backfilling operation. Any
breaches in the waterproofing will
be a problem once water reaches
them.
To nullify these potential trouble-
makers, a layer of protection board
should be placed over the applied
membrane. On the horizontal slab,
one-quarter-inch board wilt suffice.
On the foundation wall the board
should be at least one-half inch
thick. To eliminate any possibility of
equipment damage, foundation
wall backfilling should begin as
soon as the protection board is in
place.
The photo shows the foundation
of the United States Fidelity and
Guaranty Company building men-
tioned earlier. It extends 40 feet be-
low the water table and is surround-
ed by brackish water from
Chesapeake Bay but the structure
stands firmly on this site that was
once submerged.
Choose the right waterproofing
material
Many suitable materials and sys-
tems are available to build the wa-
terproofing envelope. They must
have the following characteristics:
• Permanent extensibility. The ma-
terial must bridge settlement and
shrinkage cracks that are bound
to occur.
• Total bond. The material must
achieve 100-percent adhesion to
the concrete substrate so that
even if a breach should occur wa-
ter cannot migrate between the
membrane and the concrete.
• Immersion durability. The mater-
ial must have a proven record of
continued impermeability under
moist conditions where immer-
sion is continuous.
• Chemical resistance. Ground salts
and other chemicals present
must not cause degradation.
Tar-modified, fluid-applied mem-
branes perform well with respect to
these four conditions. They attain a
1 00-percent bond and remain per-
manently elastic. The coal tar used
as the modifying agent resists
change in contact with water,
ground salt and chemicals.

Proper waterproofing
material application
Although the site conditions,
specifications and details, project
schedule and choice of waterproof-
ing system for any building may
have been properly accounted for,
the key to success in using any sys-
tem is in the quality of its applica-
tion. The contractor should be con-
scientious, financially stable,
bondable, and of sufficient stature
to back up his work should a prob-
lem develop.
The foundation wall N in fore-
ground is being enclose with a black
membrane and a layer of protection
i board laid over its lt exterior to pre-
vent i mechanical damage.

PUBLICATION #C730473
Copyright © 1973, The Aberdeen Group
All rights reserved