Discover the challenges of making construction sustainable and how waterproofing solutions like Elephant Shield Liquid Rubber are transforming structures, reducing CO2 emissions, and enabling green building designs.
May 21, 2024
Is Growing Infrastructure, ultimately growing civilization a threat to sustainability?
There is a tug-of-war going on between sustainability and civilization. The construction sector alone accounts for 37% of the carbon footprint. With every new building, house, structure being created, the CO2 emission is skyrocketing further and further. Since stopping building and construction is not plausible, we can save the existing structures from water damage—the biggest reason for decay in buildings. Due to the unavailability of strong and suitable adhesives, water easily penetrates the structures, causing all sorts of problems like dampness, seepage, corrosion, etc.
This is obviously a bummer, but here goes—a “new dream house” likely emits 15 to 100 tons of CO2, depending on the size obviously. On an average, a building that lasts for about 25 to 50 years, which through infiltration of water via seals & cracks will deteriorate much sooner. A few reality checks—A whopping 30% of all building materials end up as waste. Construction is responsible for half of all non-renewable resources we consume. There’s a silver lining: sustainable buildings can potentially reduce energy consumption by 50%. The goal here is to not complain about inevitable consequences and costs of building a home, but to fulfil the sustainable development goals in the construction segment. In other words, To ensure sustainable structures remain sustainable.
One Thing Is Certain, It’s Doable; But Easier Said Than Done.
Construction agencies are having a hard time installing multiple materials like composite panels, concrete, bricks and blocks, stone, steel, wood, polycarbonate sheets, ACP sheets, etc., for aesthetics and to accommodate green building solutions like solar heaters, solar power systems on rooftops, multiple ducts for natural air circulation, vents for natural lighting, etc.
It Damages More Than Just The Structure. It Damages Your Reputation.
If you are into construction business, you must know the end users directly link these issues with poor workmanship or assume that compromised materials are being used without knowing the actual reason for water infiltration, i.e., the unavailability of a proper solution and the poor adhesion of existing available chemicals to the variety of materials required to install as proposed in the design. Worry not, the solution with a verified testimonial is provided below.
Recently Copeman Specialty LLP shared their experience transforming HUL’s existing industrial structure green. Being on a mission to transform existing structures, they installed a 1MW Solar Power System on the site’s 122000 sq ft. PEB & RCC Rooftop. Since it was located in the heart of the industrial sector with salty and acidic fumes around, lots of issues like water leakage and corrosion were expected. Upon foreseeing the said problems, they tried the waterproofing solution - Elephant Shield Liquid Rubber. “Just a brief review to anyone who might be facing a similar issue, the product is versatile and sticks very well to almost every surface. After application, our team never once faced water leakage issues, four monsoons have already passed and Elephant Shield Waterproofing remains intact. It certainly acts as a benchmark for traditional solutions that cannot even withstand one full monsoon. If you have monetary concerns, it is worth noting that waterproofing the entire structure costs below 5% of the total project costs and the long standing benefits are almost too good to be true.
With the biggest concern out of the equation, Copeman Specialty and similar firms get the flexibility to freely deploy best-suited materials as recommended by designers—with a reliable seal against water ingress inside the building and living area.
Furthermore, this enables companies to implement contemporary green building designs with foolproof and long-lasting durability. Furthermore, You can apply any water-based colours on top of Elephant Shield Liquid Rubber to match the design aesthetics. A test run seems 100% plausible before making a decision to apply products in existing sustainable structures or new ones. Made with Canadian Technology, Elephant Shield Liquid Rubber is available in many quantities—1 Litre, 5 Litre, 10 Litre, and ranging up to 1000 Litre containers as per the magnitude of work.
Bottom line is…, it is a difficult endeavour to make the most unsustainable industry in the world turn green. But it is a necessary change that we must adapt by using the right resources, materials, chemicals and anything that makes a difference.
Waterproofing Specialist