Structural waterproofing of Duisburg’s heart clinic

The renowned “Herzzentrum” heart clinics organisation is currently having a new building constructed in the city of Duisburg. Summer 2018 saw execution of the waterproofing work for the structure, approximately one year ahead of its planned opening date. For this, MC's thick bituminous coating Nafuflex Easy Tech 1 had to withstand the unusually high summer temperatures encountered during placement.
Affiliated to the hospital “Evangelisches Klinikum Niederrhein”, Duisburg’s “Herzzentrum” (heart clinic) is one of the five leading centres of its kind in Germany. After the old building on Gerrickstrasse in Duisburg’s Meiderich district was deemed no longer able to meet modern-day demands, the decision was taken to build a new centre elsewhere. Around 130 million euros was therefore invested in an extension of the hospital “Evangelisches Krankenhaus Duisburg-Nord” in the northern Duisburg district of Fahrn. Measures for waterproofing the newly constructed building were carried out in August 2018. Sealing against the penetration of soil moisture and non-pressing water in the building (water impact class W1-E) was performed in accordance with the currently valid German waterproofing standard DIN 18533 over an area of around 300 m².
Experienced team

The specialist company M + M Pistohl GbR from Senden near Münster was commissioned with the spray application work. The owners Manfred and Markus Pistohl decided to use MC products based on their many years of gratifying experience with such solutions. Sales representative Waldemar Werner and product manager Patrick Kohley provided the comprehensive support required to ensure maximum success through all phases of the project. And Markus Pistohl was delighted at the results of this collaboration: “With MC, you have everything you need. From the products themselves to the technical service the company provides.”

Systematic waterproofing

Nafuflex Easy Tech 1 is a polymer-modified thick bituminous coating (PMBC). The decision to use this was due in no small measure to the weather conditions prevailing in the area. With its consistency specifically optimised for spray application using airless technology, or peristaltic or screw pumps, this single-component barrier product remained easy to apply even at the sometimes extremely high temperatures of the unusually hot summer of this year. Optimised consumption also meant that the process was particularly economical.

However, it was the technical performance of the product that really impressed. As a highly flexible, crack-bridging polymer-modified bitumen, Nafuflex Easy Tech 1 can even seal protrusions, light shafts and interface connections quickly, easily and – above all – securely. The absence of solvent also ensures that its use is environmentally compatible. In addition, the flexible special sealing tapes Nafuflex DB 300 and MC-FastTape were applied to expansion and building movement joints as well as the corner fillets present. These tapes are fully compatible with polymer-modified thick bituminous coatings, ideally complementing the Nafuflex waterproofing system while also providing increased reliability.

Despite difficult conditions, the work in Duisburg was completed on time and with impressive results in every respect.