Waterproofing Tops Out Construction Concerns

After a tough couple of years for the residential construction sector, Covid-19 is presenting a whole new set of challenges for the property industry.

However, waterproofing is still one of the most serious pressures impacting high-rise domestic dwellings, pre-dating the pandemic and at-risk or non-compliant cladding.

Independent and government studies from around the world—including Canada and New Zealand—have documented that the scale of the problem can affect up to 30 per cent of any nation’s high-rise housing stock.

In Australia, failed waterproofing is the most common defect nationally and while the total cost of building defects is expected to top $6.2 billion in the last decade, weather and water damage issues accounted for $1.4 billion of that total—and it’s a bill largely picked up by residents and insurance companies.

Fairview technical manager Ashley How said insurance is the most significant lever affecting facade compliance, and it is imperative that all in the facade approval-chain understand the code and requirements.

“Many people think the waterproofing issue is satisfied by waving the mandated AS4284 waterproofing test report, however, this is not the case, ” How said.

“For a building’s facade to be compliant, it is critical to review the respective test reports and in the case of weatherproofing, make sure the detailing and pressures are relevant to each specific project you are undertaking. In other words, the AS4284 paperwork is not proof of compliance. ”

Under independent tests at a NATA-approved testing laboratory, three Fairview products—Stryüm, Vitracore G2 and Vitradual—all exceeded the minimum testing requirements as well as the best-attempt results attained by any of its key competitors’ products.

Highlights of shower and pressure tests conducted in the first quarter of 2020, in a specially built chamber with a one clad wall, delivered strong performance results.

A key measurement in the waterproofing testing was the air pressure which gauges the cladding system’s ability to prevent leakages under skyscraper-height wind conditions.

All of the independent system tests proved that the Fairview products performed well in excess of the NCC Verification Method, which nominates up to 2.5kPA, as a performance target.

These NATA-standard results accurately assess the “serviceability” attributes of the Fairview cladding products, showing superior performance to almost any other product on the market.

“In fact, during ultimate testing, Vitradual withstood the highest pressures the testing equipment could generate (4.5kPa)—so its real attributed pressures could actually have been higher,” How said.

“Remember, these simulation tests use sprinklers and air pressure to bombard the cladding systems to determine their resistance to moisture and water ingress.”

“And all three passed with flying colours, which is testament to the work done by Fairview’s innovations and solutions teams who specialise in designing products and systems that don’t just match code, but significantly exceed code requirements.

“So, building and facade cladding is all about compliance. And what too many industry professionals are overlooking, is that compliance is about much more than combustibility or flammability. ”

How said architects, builders, certifiers, developers and even facade manufacturers and suppliers mustn’t mistakenly think that compliance is found in a piece of AS4284 documentation.

“The existence of an AS4284 test report is, in all truth, insufficient for insurable compliance, ” How said.

“For while the products may have satisfied AS4284 to some level, they may not have achieved the required pressures and detailing for a project. ”

Every discrete project needs to have a “serviceable wind-load pressure” and an “ultimate wind-load pressure”, which must be known in order to ascertain whether a particular product can be used on a specific building.

The best choice is products that pass the NATA-certified standards, like Stryüm, Vitracore G2 and Vitradual, which have performed considerably better than most others.

“And remember, if your project or building insurance excludes non-compliant cladding and the cladding system leaks, insurance is not going to cover it. And it’s not going to cover you either, ” How said.

Click here for more information or to speak with the Fairview team.

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