wicking
In my work as a construction-defect expert witness, I see a certain problem in the design and construction of spillways all too frequently: When the system is initiated, the flow of water down the face of the dam wall will behave more or less as desired, holding to a narrow path into the pool or trough that awaits it. After a time, however, that water will begin to migrate, spreading out farther and farther beyond the desired pathway until the material - usually some sort of
I’ve come to the world of watershaping from a different perspective. Back in the 1960s, I worked for a company that built poured-in-place concrete homes in Florida. Right from the beginning, I couldn’t help noticing the importance of waterproofing in the performance of these structures – or the consequences of not taking the potential for water intrusion seriously. My interest in this subject took on new significance in 1989, when I formed a Florida firm that conducted forensic analyses in all manner of structural failures as a service to
Water and cement-based materials interact in so many ways and on so many levels that it's tough to sort everything out. From initial issues of hydration and curing to a range of longer-term, maintenance-related concerns, says chemistry expert Jeff Freeman, cementitious products in submerged environments react so distinctly to water's presence that it is indeed essential for watershapers to consider what's up when putting them together.
