Disclaimer: This was not a MARKHAM project!
In fact, it was carried out immediately before MARKHAM began working with hydrogel treatments for
concrete. Information on the project and an independent assessment of the results were provided to MARKHAM as part of our own enquiries on the effectiveness of hydrogels, and it remains a remarkable example of the practical effectiveness of these treatments.
In their current form, the Ruskin Dam and powerhouse, in British Columbia, Canada, were originally constructed in 1929. More information on the history can be found at the British Columbia Hydro website.
The area in question was the interior of the electrical house, below the dam’s water level, where pressure seepage, or ‘hydrostatic weeping’, was increasingly occurring. The expression ‘serious water leakage’ was used by the examining consultant. This was, of course, a significant concern as regards the long-term stability of the structure, and the objective was to arrest the ingress of that water.
Download this free case study summary for more details on the solution and results of this challenge.
Photograph courtesy BC Hydro