Footing/Wall Joint Sealer

[BadgerPE]

Hey all,

I am designing a small WWTP flow monitoring building. The floor of the flume is about 6' below the water table. I am looking for advice on what type of proprietary joint sealer to use between the footings and walls. What I have been looking at is a 6" PVC Dumbell water stop. This seems to be an appropriate method to use for preventing groundwater from penetrating the building. Just for information purposes, the portion of the building which is below the water table is only 11'-4" x 5'-8" in plan. Thanks all in advance and have a good weekend!

 

[DST148]

We typically specify bentonite / rubber-based waterstops at the footing /wall joints. Volclay Waterstop - Rx is one such product. It comes in various shapes and sizes. You may google for more info on rubber-based waterstops.
As an aside - We recently had a similar situation: A cellar floor about five feet below water table. We have proposed waterproofing under the cellar slab and on the cellar walls in addition to the waterstops at the wall / footing joint. Also the cellar slab was designed as a structural slab anchored to the exterior and interior footings with reinforcing both on the top and the bottom.

 

[JedClampett]

For a wall/slab construction joint, flat ribbed waterstop is preferred. Dumbell waterstop is a little out of style. It should work, but the waterstop manufacturers' push the ribbed, because they say the ribs provide a better water barrier and the ribbed style is a little cheaper.
Use a 3/8 inch thick PVC waterstop, without tapering, like Greenstreak #679. Note that there a lot of details involved with waterstops, including starter walls, tieing the waterstop to the reinforcing, etc. that are vital to provide a tight joint. you might want to research some previous designs for these details.

 

[cvg]

you can find some details and guidelines here

http://140.194.76.129/publications/eng-manuals/em1110-2-2502/c-7.pdf

 

[hokie66]

I prefer a waterstop on the face where the water is coming from. That way, you can nail it to the form to keep it in place and stop the water before it enters the wall.