New test equipment for testing the watertightness of facade structures in-situ

Abstract

With the current trend of construction of high-rise buildings in urban agglomerations, ensuring watertightness of their facade structures exposed to the effects of high-intensity wind-driven rain is coming to the fore. Laboratory experimental testing of water impermeability of elements of building envelope structures and their joints is performed in the process of preparation of the facade implementation in accordance with STN EN 1027: 2002 in rain chamber equipment. Due to the fact that the quality and functional properties of the finished facade are significantly influenced by the assembly technology and work discipline in its implementation, successful testing of the facade and its components in the rain chamber may not guarantee the watertightness of the finished facade. For this reason, the investor has the opportunity to check the finished facade in terms of its hydrodynamic safety and reliability by a functional test of its watertightness according to the standard regulation STN EN 13051 Curtain walling - Watertightness - Site test. The article describes in detail the new technological device for the implementation of the in-situ watertightness test of the facade, the measurement methodology, including its functional verification on the facade of the high-rise administrative building Nivy Tower in Bratislava.