Company Announcement - A.b.e. Construction Chemicals is supplying its VIP Polyurea waterproofing system for an extremely unusual application on one of the main arterials in the heart of the Cape Town CBD. a.b.e. is part of the Chryso Southern Africa Group. Noel Abendroth, a.b.e. Polyurea Performance Coatings Division Manager, says VIP Polyurea Quick Spray  Eco, an economical, spray-applied flexible membrane, is being used to waterproof the surface of the road at the intersection of Adderley and Strand streets near the Cape Town Foreshore. "Around 8 000 square metres of the road surface is being sealed with VIP Polyurea to protect the pedestrianised St James Shopping Centre below street level which was experiencing leakage problems," Abendroth explained.

The main contractor for the six-month waterproofing contract started in April this year is Civils 2000. One lane is being waterproofed at a time to prevent traffic disruption in what is already one of South Africa's busiest CBDs. "The project calls for the removal of the streets' asphalt topping, repair of the concrete substrate, and then the spray-application of VIP Quick Spray Eco Polyurea," Abendroth, who has been on site in an advisory capacity, added. VIP Quick Spray Eco, an economical, hybrid version of VIP Polyurea Quick Spray, can be applied to concrete, metal, foam or other surfaces. Within seconds, the membrane builds a rubber-like elastic skin that will not only resist punctures but also has excellent resistance to heat distortion and sagging by maintaining its flexibility and shape. "It is also not affected by moisture and fluctuations of temperature and has high elongation and superior tensile strength. This means there is little or no downtime during repairs or while applying the coating – even outdoors under adverse weather conditions which Cape winters tend to produce. As the VIP Polyurea coatings contain no VOCs and are solvent-free, they are ideal for applications in an area where hundreds of people pass by daily on foot."

A.b.e. Construction Chemicals' dura.joint flexband high performance joint bandage system  is being used in 300mm width as joint sealer prior to the application of the VIP Polyurea Quick Spray Eco. "This system can also be applied to damp substrates," Abendroth stated.
a.b.e.'s VIP Polyurea Quick Spray Eco was recently also used for another waterproofing application in the Western Cape: the sealing of the Alexander Forbes Stellenbosch premises' parking deck. a.b.e.-approved applicators, Thermoseal, applied  the protective membrane over 1 300 square metres of the deck as part of the refurbishment of the insurance company's offices in a project which had inclement weather challenging a tight deadline.

“VIP Polyurea systems are generally designed to perform for around 25 years, depending on the nature of the project. This substantially cuts the costs of repairs and maintenance,” Abendroth said.

Some of the advantages of VIP Polyurea  systems include:
* Extremely fast reaction and curing times (5 to 90 seconds);
* Exceptional adhesion to correctly prepared substrates such as concrete, steel, aluminium, plastics, fibreglass, wood and foam;
* Seamless and jointless flexible coatings;
* Can transgress multiple substrates in one application;
* Can be applied to any thickness in a single application;
* Maintains flexibility and crack-bridging properties at temperatures of between minus 20 degrees Celsius to plus 120 degrees Celsius;
* Strong sound insulation;
* Resistance to ultra-violet radiation, saltwater, and aggressive atmospheric conditions; and
* Ability to cover large areas at a rapid rate.