When selecting a concrete waterproofing admixture, it’s easy to focus on one question: Will it keep water out?
Today’s project teams, however, are being asked to consider much more than waterproofing alone. Safety, environmental performance, logistics, constructability and whole-of-life value are all becoming important parts of the decision-making process.
As specifications evolve, so too does the range of technologies available to concrete producers, contractors and asset owners. Traditional crystalline admixtures have been widely used for many years. But have you tried water-based hydrogel admixtures?
While both are intended to improve the long-term durability of concrete, their characteristics during handling, batching, and placement differ significantly.
Why the Difference Matters
Many waterproofing admixtures available today are based on crystalline technology.
One of the challenges often associated with crystalline admixtures is that they consume water during their reaction. This can influence workability, shorten placement windows and create additional challenges when placing complex elements or heavily reinforced concrete.
Water-based hydrogel admixtures take a different approach.
Using colloidal silica technology, they react within the concrete to promote the formation of additional calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), the material responsible for much of concrete’s strength and durability. Rather than competing for available water, the process supports hydration while helping to refine porosity within the concrete matrix.
For project teams, the distinction is important because the benefits extend beyond waterproofing alone.
Safer for People on Site
Health and safety expectations continue to increase across the construction sector.
The characteristics of the admixture itself are therefore becoming an increasingly important consideration during product selection.
Water-based hydrogel admixtures offer several practical advantages. They are liquid products, typically nil-VOC, low-odour, and free from crystalline components. This can simplify handling during transport, storage and dosing at the batching plant.
For batching operators and site teams, this can mean:
- No dust generation during dosing
- No strong fumes or odours
- Simplified handling procedures
- Easy integration into existing batching operations
When workforce safety, environmental compliance and community expectations all matter, these considerations can help reduce project risk.
- RELATED TOPIC: We. Don’t. Do. Crystalline.
Easier to Transport, Store and Dose
Procurement teams know that product performance is only one part of the equation.
The practical realities of transport, storage, and dosing can directly impact project efficiency and cost.
Because hydrogel admixtures are supplied in liquid form, they can typically be incorporated directly with the batch water and dosed through existing metered systems.
This approach can provide several operational advantages:
- Straightforward dosing and dosage control
- Reduced handling requirements
- Smaller storage footprint
- Compatibility with automated batching systems
- Simplified logistics across multiple projects
These benefits become particularly valuable on major infrastructure projects, remote construction sites and high-volume concrete operations.
Where MARKHAM’s Approach Fits
These are the reasons MARKHAM has chosen to develop its waterproofing and durability admixture range around water-based hydrogel technology rather than crystalline chemistry.
Products such as AQURON 300, CONQOR B50 and CONQOR B52 utilise colloidal silica hydrogel technology to improve durability, support workability and provide permanent protection from within the concrete matrix.
A Better Environmental Profile
Industry NoteThe Australian waterproofing admixture market has seen significant change in recent years. If you’re reviewing an existing specification or looking for an alternative waterproofing admixture, you’ll find it worthwhile to compare water-based hydrogel technologies alongside more traditional crystalline approaches. MARKHAM – 30 Years Strong. |
Sustainability is now part of many procurement decisions.
Clients and infrastructure owners increasingly look beyond initial construction costs and consider environmental impacts across the entire life of an asset.
MARKHAM hydrogel admixtures support these objectives through:
- Water-based formulations
- Nil VOC content
- Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) available for selected products
- Long-term durability improvements
- Reduced the need for future repair and replacement works
Key products CONQOR B50, CONQOR B25, and AQURON 300 carry Environmental Product Declarations.
By extending service life and reducing deterioration, durable concrete can help minimise the environmental burden associated with repair, demolition and replacement activities.
In the case of CONQOR B50, the product also incorporates sustainably sourced materials derived from geothermal energy by-products in New Zealand.
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Long-Term Value for Asset Owners
The real test of any admixture begins after construction is complete.
Asset owners want concrete structures that remain durable, require less maintenance and continue to perform as intended for decades.
MARKHAM hydrogel admixtures are designed to improve curing quality, reduce shrinkage risk and provide permanent protection from within the concrete matrix.
Testing has demonstrated significant reductions in chloride diffusion and water permeability, helping protect structures from moisture ingress and reinforcement corrosion.
Because the protection is integrated into the concrete itself, the benefits remain in place throughout the life of the structure rather than relying on future reapplication.
A Smarter Procurement Choice
Waterproofing performance remains important. But modern projects increasingly evaluate products on much more than waterproofing alone.
Safety, environmental impact, ease of transport, storage requirements, batching efficiency, workability and long-term durability all influence project outcomes.
MARKHAM’s water-based hydrogel admixtures have been developed to address these considerations together, helping deliver value to contractors, concrete producers, engineers and asset owners alike.
For procurement teams comparing waterproofing technologies, the question is no longer simply, “Which product keeps water out?”
A better question may be:
Which solution provides the best combination of safety, sustainability, constructability, logistics and long-term durability?
Increasingly, the answer is water-based hydrogel admixture technology.
Resonates? Get in touch.
Related topic: working with low-carbon concrete, and challenged by differences in performance? Spare a little time on our on-demand webinar, “Optimising for SCMs“.
