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Profile
The Australian Institute of Waterproofing
COMMITTED TO RAISING WATERPROOFING STANDARDS AND TRAINING IN AUSTRALIA The Australian Institute of Waterproofing (AIW) represents the interests of the whole building industry in raising the standard of waterproofing in Australia by becoming the ‘central source’ of knowledge, augmented by members’ experience to mentor continuous change. THE IMPORTANCE OF WATERPROOFING Waterproofing may seem to represent only a small part of an overall project and any later water damage may be considered merely an aesthetically issue, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is for good reason that AIW stresses the importance of employing qualified waterproofing contractors who use the correct products for every project. If waterproofing is not completed properly it can become a major problem for construction companies, developers, owners and property managers. Water leaks cause structural damage which be a serious risk to human life, as evidence by such tragedies as balcony collapse in California in 2015 that killed six people and injured seven others. This devastating case highlighted the importance of waterproofing when the California State Licensing Board subsequently ruled that the collapse had been caused by shoddy material selection and poor waterproofing workmanship, which had enabled dry rot and decay to set in the timber joists.1 THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF BUILDING DEFECTS IN AUSTRALIA An often-quoted statistic in the waterproofing and insurance industry is: “Waterproofing is 1.8 per cent of construction cost but accounts for 83 per cent of building defect complaints.” Waterproofing defects and failures, including internal water damage and water entering from the outside of a building, are the number one cause of building defects facing Australia’s construction landscape today.
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Defects from ineffective waterproofing represent a huge cost to business. Construction businesses not only have to deal with the frustration of managing water leak issues long after construction is complete, but also losing significant percentage of their profit margins due to waterproofing rectification and remedial services.
Building damage caused by water leaks also impacts many property owners who are required to endure lengthy legal battles for rectification costs or outlay the expense themselves. COMMON CAUSES OF WATERPROOFING DEFECTS The causes of waterproofing damage and defects across building and construction sites are many and varied. Some of the more common causes are the following. Lack of contractor expertise When waterproofing services are overlooked in the planning phase of construction it is frequently due to a lack of contractor expertise. An inadequate knowledge of waterproofing issues can lead to inappropriate waterproofing membrane product selection, and/or incorrect installations that result in failure. A contractor without the right level of expertise can incorrectly diagnose the root cause of a waterproofing problem, which then results in the failure of expensive repairs to fix it. Cost cutting Cost cutting on waterproofing in the building process is, at best, very short sighted. Water leaks and the consequences of extensive damage may lead not only to extensive remediation works but also lengthy legal battles. Waterproofing contractors may attempt to cut costs by omitting recommended primers, or by selecting inferior, incorrect and inadequate waterproofing membrane products. Cost cutting can lead to contractors omitting application and preparation techniques that are critical to the long-term performance of a waterproofing system. The reality is that skimping on appropriate and correct waterproofing in the build phase will inevitably end up costing the builder more. Quick fixes add up over time and are more likely to be more expensive and create more stress than high quality waterproofing properly installed the first time.
Building movement Building settlement, building movement or an inadequate amount of expansion joints, or indeed the complete lack of them, can cause the waterproofing membrane to fail. This may be exacerbated by the selection of an inappropriate membrane, such as a system with inadequate elongation properties to cope with normal movement of a building envelope. Waterproofing membrane at the end of its effective service life Though product marketing may say otherwise, a waterproofing membrane unfortunately does not offer a permanent lifelong solution against water damage. Over time a membrane’s effectiveness will decrease, especially membranes exposed to the harsh rigours of the Australian climate. Knowing when to re-apply or install a completely new membrane is crucial to maintaining the longterm structural integrity of a building. ARE YOU SURE IT WON’T LEAK? A growing problem in Australia is that waterproofing standards and quality are falling as waterproofing shortcuts increase. Many decisions made on waterproofing are based purely on price, and this leads to using cheap labour and unlicensed trades using inferior products. As waterproofing is unlicensed and unregistered in some Australian states, many builders/developers make the fatal mistake of not hiring professional certified waterproofers and instead offering the task to a contractor, who claims to be a waterproofer, and the result is the project is not waterproofed to Australian standards. As far back as 2016, in Victoria’s daily newspaper The Age addressed this problem in, “Melbourne's high-rise nightmares taking a tall toll on residents and investors.”2 The article claims “Waterproofing (or the lack of it) is considered a leading and systemic problem for apartment buildings in Melbourne today, with many who manage the city's apartment towers saying, ‘if it has a balcony, it will leak’.” The issues described in this article are still happening today throughout Australia and New Zealand.
“Some apartments have become uninhabitable through water damage caused by poor construction methods, with water seeping through multiple levels where proper waterproof membranes have not been installed.”
This course is based upon a practical common-sense approach to utilise the Australian Standards at hand and apply the everyday practicable mentality to waterproofing.
The key points raised are: • Residential multi-story, multi-dwelling, apartment buildings are experiencing an alarming frequency of building defects, most commonly caused through waterproofing failure. • Developers were identified as partly responsible for the condition of the building, with a call to be financially responsible. • Balconies were identified as a major cause of waterproofing problems, with the assumption that “proper waterproofing membranes have not been installed,” combined with poor ceramic tiling installation. • Faulty windows and installation process cause considerable water leaks into walls and ceilings. Pressure issues identified as causes were nominated as a failure to pick up defects through the building surveyors inspection process, plus the cost pressures to use cheap (inferior) materials to save money. • The market has inconsistencies in insurance cover, both from building trade cover and the residential owners’ cover, resulting in the building owner having to self-fund the corrections to the building.
The MBAV course is intended to educate personnel involved in the planning or design stage of a project, assist in the selection of material and methods, and the various types of waterproofing used in construction.
AIW supports registering waterproofing trades The AIW supports registration of waterproofing trades to improve the standard of work. Currently in Victoria the full responsibility of waterproofing works is under the control of the Registered Builder, sub-contract trades like waterproofers are not independently liable. Waterproofers are not a category of tradesperson registered by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA). As such waterproofers in Victoria do not necessarily carry correct insurance policies. In New South Wales and Queensland, the State building authorities have registered waterproofers as a trade, and as such, they are subject to building liability with a requirement to meet Standards, ongoing training and compliance checks.
The MBA in other Australian states are in the process of looking at offering this course to their members. If you are in Victoria and wish to attend the “Waterproofing in Construction” short course, call the MBAV Training Department on: (03) 9411 4555 Certificate III in Construction Waterproofing AIW has collaborative relationships with Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) in different States of Australia. Industry Seminars Members of the AIW Committee are regular speakers at industry functions and associations covering waterproofing topics and answering questions, focusing on BCA and Australian Standards compliance. AIW has presented at numerous seminars on behalf of the Architects Designers Engineers Builders (ADEB) throughout Australian capital cities. AIW Committee members also present in-house waterproofing standards and information sessions for architects, builders, building surveyors, designers and developers on request. If your company is interested in booking an in-house training session on waterproofing, call AIW for further information on: 1300 249 466.
THE AIW CHARTER OF ACTIVITIES • To always represent the best interests of our members. • To promote relevant Australian Standards and inform members of significant changes. • To provide up-to-date ‘best practice’ waterproofing application assistance to members via electronic media. • To provide members with ‘continuous learning’ of construction and waterproofing via Stakeholder formal training, member sponsored short courses and downloadable modules. • Lobby governments and authorities to promote waterproofing industry changes, plus lift AIW industry profile awareness. • Hold activities and participate in stakeholder functions to promote membership. • Support the education of the construction industry with the goal of obtaining defect free waterproofing. AIW MEMBER BENEFITS The AIW welcomes all construction industry professionals: architects, builders, developers, building designers, surveyors, manufacturers, affiliated trades etc. Belonging to the AIW helps raise the standard of waterproofing in the industry and provides members with significant direct benefits: • Access to the latest technical information, including technical drawings. • Access to ‘formal course’ and ‘outline’ training via our network association with AMA and our own course material. • The rights to use the AIW logo in members’ communication to build brand credibility. • ‘Forum’ web connectivity with others in the industry to update information or find solutions. • Contractors ‘lead’ generation in the local area or field of expertise. • Greater connectivity to members’ websites • The opportunity to get a discounted business website designed. • Economical annual membership fees in every category.
THE AIW COMMITMENT AIW President, Paul Evans, firmly believes the construction industry deserves to have access to trained waterproofing experts with extensive knowledge. As the national waterproofing industry association, AIW is committed to supporting of all forms of training to all sectors of the building industry. Short Course Training Aside from formal qualifications, it is important to educate other stakeholders on regulatory requirements. AIW has currently developed several courses, focusing on Australian Standards Compliance, Inspections, Material Compatibility and Membrane Selection, and Best Practice Applications. Over the last year AIW, collaborated with the Master Builders Victoria (MBAV), to design and now have a scheduled short course: "Waterproofing in Construction."
Further information: Contact the Australian Institute of Waterproofing Address: 155 Barkly Ave Burnley Victoria 3121 Phone: 1300 249 466 Email: info@waterproof.org.au President: Paul Evans, Manager/Director Findlay-Evans Waterproofing Mob: 0418 312 646 Web: www.waterproofingfew.com.au
1. Wells, M (2017, June 5) “New documents reveal poor construction caused balcony collapse” The Daily Californian, Retrieved from: www.dailycal.org/2017/06/05/new-documents-reveal-poor-construction-caused-balcony-collapse 2. Dow, A. (2016 Sept 25) “Melbourne’s high-rise nightmares taking a tall toll on residents and investors” The Age, Retrieved from: www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbournes-highrise-nightmares-taking-a-tall-toll-on-residents-and-investors-20160916-gri6l4.html