Waterproofing Orkney’s Air Traffic Control Tower, Scotland

Summary

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  The CDM installation also required some high quality detailing from Wise's specialist installers

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  With the CDM system in place and a new floor down, the basement has been transformed

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  The waterproofed basement is now completely dry and ready for use

Heavy rainfall on the Orkney Islands meant that the basement room of Kirkwall Air Traffic Control Tower suffered from frequent flooding, with water levels reaching 1.2m at their highest point. Newton Waterproofing and Specialist Contractor Wise Basement Systems were called in to remove the existing water and then waterproof the structure to protect it from future flooding, all in just one week.

The Project

Kirkwall airport is located on the main island of the Orkneys, 10-miles off the North coast of Scotland. The site posed logistical challenges and a tight one-week timescale. Newton quickly recommended Wise Basement Systems to Building Surveyor Pick Everard.

Wise joined the project at the very start. They designed, advised on, and installed a system to remove two inches of basement water.

The Solution

BS 8102:2009 defines cavity drain waterproofing as “Type C,” and it often provides the most effective way to achieve a completely dry Grade 3 environment in existing below-ground structures. It was therefore no surprise that Wise Basement Systems designed a Newton CDM System for this existing basement area.

First, Wise installed 120m2 of Newton 508 on the walls and 80m2 of the recycled Newton 520 eco to the floor, above the closed-cell Fibran XPS 500-C insulation. Moreover, the team supplemented the drainage membranes with a perimeter channel of Newton Basedrain and directed it to a Titan-Pro sump chamber containing two NP400 pumps to remove the water.

Wise installed a backup system to ensure operation in all eventualities. It uses dual Northstar batteries and a Victron Power Inverter.

The Result

The project lay 10 miles offshore with a one-week deadline and a 600mm access hatch. Lastly, Wise Basement Systems delivered a dry, BS 8102:2009–compliant space backed by their guarantee.