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Chap-4 Damp Prevention

The document discusses various methods of damp proofing buildings. It identifies four main sources of moisture in buildings: precipitation, damp rising from the ground, and condensation. It then outlines five methods to prevent dampness: using a damp proof course like bitumen sheets; integral damp proofing by adding compounds to concrete; surface treatments like calcium soaps; cavity wall construction; and pressure grouting cracks. Preventing dampness is important as it can damage building materials and structures over time.

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43 views3 pages

Chap-4 Damp Prevention

The document discusses various methods of damp proofing buildings. It identifies four main sources of moisture in buildings: precipitation, damp rising from the ground, and condensation. It then outlines five methods to prevent dampness: using a damp proof course like bitumen sheets; integral damp proofing by adding compounds to concrete; surface treatments like calcium soaps; cavity wall construction; and pressure grouting cracks. Preventing dampness is important as it can damage building materials and structures over time.

Uploaded by

tekalign
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Arba Minch University Department of Civil Engineering

CHAPTER -4

DAMP PREVENTION
One of the basic requirements of a building is that it should remain dry or free from moisture
traveling through walls, roofs, or floors. Dampness is the presence of hygroscopic or
gravitational moisture. Dampness gives rise to unhygienic conditions apart from reduction in
structural components of the building. Every building should be damp proof.
The following are various causes of dampness.
1. Moisture rising up the walls from the ground
- Common in pervious soils
- due to ground water rise
2. Rain travel from wall tops
- when the wall tops are not properly protected
- leaking roofs permit water to enter.
3. Rain beating against external walls.
4. Condensation
5. Miscellaneous causes
- Poor drainage at the building site
- imperfect orientation
- imperfect roof slope
- Defective Construction

Building Construction Lecture Notes 1


Arba Minch University Department of Civil Engineering

Generally, moisture in buildings comes from three main sources:


1. Precipitation as rain
2. Damp rising from the ground through building materials by capillary attraction or as
vapour.
3. Condensation upon cold surfaces of humidity from the air.

Effects of Dampness:
- Give rise to breeding of mosquitoes
- Travel of moisture through walls and ceiling may cause unsightly patches.
- moisture traveling causes softening and crumbling of plaster
- floors get loosened, floor coverings damaged
- Timber fittings (doors, windows) get deteriorated because of warping, buckling, dry-
rotting.
- Electrical fittings get deteriorated.
- Promotes growth of termites

Building Construction Lecture Notes 2


Arba Minch University Department of Civil Engineering

Methods of Damp Proofing

1. Use of damp proofing Course (D.P.C) – membrane damp proofing


- This is provision of water repellent membrane or damp proof course (D.P.C) between the
source of dampness and the part of building adjacent to it.
- Damp proofing course may consist of flexible materials such as bitumen, mastic asphalt,
bituminous felts, polyethylene sheets, metal sheets, cement-concrete etc.
- D.P.C should cover full thickness of the wall and provided in continuous projections.
- The mortar bed supporting DPC should be leveled and even.

2. Integral damp proofing


- Consists of adding certain water proofing compounds of materials to the concrete mix, so
that it becomes impermeable. These water proofing compounds may be
- Compounds made from chalk, earth
- compounds like alkaline silicates, aluminum sulphate, calcium chlorides, etc which react
chemically with concrete to produce water proof concrete.
- compounds like soap, petroleum, oils, fatty acid compounds (streates of calcium, sodium,
ammonia when mixed with concrete, the concrete becomes water repellent.
- Other commercially available compounds like publo, silka, etc.

3. Surface treatment
- application of layers of water repellent substances or compounds on the surface through
which moisture enters.
eg. water repellent metallic soaps (calcium and aluminium oletes and streates are much
effective.
- pointing and plastering lan be done with water proofing agents like sodium or potassium
silicates aluminium or Zinc sulphates.
- It is effective when moisture is superficial, and is not under pressure.

4. Cavity wall construction


- The main wall of building is shielded by an outer skin wall, leaving a cavity
between the two.
5. Guniting: Depositing under pressure, an impervious layer of rich cement –mortar over the
exposed surface for water proofing over pipes etc, for resisting the water pressure.
6. Pressure Grouting
 forcing cement grout, under pressure in to cracks, voids, fissures etc present in the
structural component of building or in the ground.
 Structural components 8 foundations get consolidated and made water penetration-
resistant

Building Construction Lecture Notes 3

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