Retaining walls: applications in residential, commercial and infrastructural contexts
Supporting walls or retaining walls are vertical structures intended to support and retain accumulations of natural or artificial materials and ensure their stability.
In the part in contact with the ground, the supporting structures are naturally covered with a waterproofing membrane, which must be protected from damage during construction operations and during subsequent settlement of the ground. The mechanical protection of the waterproofing is provided by TeMa Building Solutions T-Kone studded membranes, which also act as damp proofing, slowing down the absorption of moisture.
Moreover, when placed with the studs facing inwards, these membranes create a micro-ventilation space that is beneficial in keeping the structure dry.
In some cases, a rainwater collection system is planned around the perimeter of the building. It is necessary to use drainage geocomposites bonded with a geotextile such as T-Mix Drain, which conveys water to the drainage system envisaged in the project.
Supporting walls are used in a wide variety of areas in the building industry, from residential to infrastructural and commercial contexts.
Let’s take a look at the application in specific fields.
Residential context
It is essential to protect the underground rooms of homes, whether they are used as garages, cellars or basement rooms, in order to prevent the moisture seepage, which would damage the structure and make the indoor environment unhealthy.
TeMa Building Solutions products meet this need and are efficient in this respect.
Commercial context
TeMa Building Solutions products are also ideal for heavy loads such as underground car parks or warehouses in commercial buildings.
In such environments, TMD, the studded membrane bonded with LDPE backing foil for the mechanical protection of waterproofing membranes and the T-Mix Draindrainage geocomposite for the drainage function can also be used. In addition, the T-Comp fibreglass mat performs the subdivision function.
Infrastructures
In major infrastructural works, membranes and geocomposites must be able to withstand and resist heavy loads from the ground and hydrostatic thrust. The effectiveness of TeMa Building products is also proven for this type of construction work.
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- Published in BUILDING, Drainage geocomposites, Foundation and underground structures - Damp proofing systems, news, Retaining walls elements
The importance of studded membranes
Research conducted in the building market has found that most construction disputes are due to damage caused by water and damp seeping into retaining structures.
Protecting foundations
In order to avoid inconveniences of this magnitude that are discovered in the course of time, designers and installers undertake to protect foundations. TeMa has therefore developed products and systems that protect waterproofing during backfilling operations, thus guaranteeing the stability of intervention work over time. For practical purposes, we propose two types of fairly common intervention works in civil engineering by showing you how two of our studded membranes work.
Retaining walls
Retaining walls are intervention works that have the main purpose of retaining slopes or soil embankments during works such as the construction of roads below ground level. Various types of wall can be built: in masonry or reinforced concrete, or using precast concrete elements.
Whichever solution is used, you always need to consider and comply with specific hydrogeological features: TeMa laboratories offer a range of membranes that meet such requirements, whereas technicians and installers can assist in choosing the best solution to use.
Mechanical protection of waterproofing
For the mechanical protection of waterproofing you can choose T-Kone, which also performs a damp-proofing and drainage function. Damp proofing creates a physical barrier between the structure and damp soil and avoids any possible damage to the waterproofing membrane, both during onsite operations and soil settlement.
The T-Kone family is part of a range of bare HDPE studded membranes (such as T-Kone S). Alternatively, these membranes can be bonded with a geotextile such as T-Kone G Drain or with a geotextile and a damp-proofing element such as T-Kone G Drain Plus.
Diaphragms and berlin walls
Suppose we need to work in an urban context doing underground intervention work. First of all, we must guarantee the stability of the structures surrounding the area to be excavated.
Diaphragms and berlin walls are used in situations where it is impossible to create excavation walls with an appropriate slope to prevent landslides or structural subsidence. In the form of steel/ reinforced concrete piles or walls, they are driven deep into the ground and coupled with TeMa membranes, which provide damp-proofing, mechanical protection or drainage functions.
Damp-proofing, mechanical protection or drainage functions
For this purpose, products such as Q-Drain can be used, which have a polypropylene monofilament drainage core bonded with one or two non-woven geotextiles, also made of polypropylene. These filter water and adapt to the conformation of the ground, thus guaranteeing stability.
These are just some of the membranes we are able to supply. Find out which one is best for you and assess the best solution with our team of experts. TeMa will assist you throughout each phase of the design process.
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- Published in BUILDING, Foundation and underground structures - Damp proofing systems, Foundation and underground structures - Drainage systems, Foundation and underground structures - Systems for mechanical protection, Foundation and underground structures - Systems for Waterproofing, Retaining walls, Retaining walls elements, Studded membranes and accessories
