Waterproof membranes expand to serve range of geomembrane applications

The role of waterproof membranes has expanded from the traditional roof applications for dwellings and buildings to also serving a wide range of geomembrane applications in water containment, land reclamation, building and infrastructure protection. The developing world, and its increasing population, is driving up demand for waterproofing across all sectors. It is also challenging the waterproof membranes industry to contribute to the environmental consequences of global development. The industry is responding by adding or improving membrane functionality to improve durability, energy and water preservation, performance in broader climatic conditions and innovations in building design. Applied Market Information's The Waterproof Membranes 2015 conference incorporates the diversity of the applications for membranes used in the waterproofing industry. In single ply roofing the conference includes presentations from: Sika Services, which will discuss 50 years of innovation; Carlisle Construction Materials and GAF, which will each look at different aspects of the North American roofing market, and Duraproof Technologies, which will present a prestigious EPDM case study. In bituminous roofing, Derbigum will focus on developments to integrate photovoltaic cells into the membrane. In the geotechnical sector the conference includes presentations on polymeric membranes from Agru Kunststofftechnik and G Quadrat, which will both introduce developments resulting in new product applications, and Terageos which will focus on geomembrane protection. Liquid membranes are also gaining market penetration: the conference includes papers by one of the market leaders, Sika Services, which will outline a prominent case study, and the new company Velosit, which will present on the area of polyurea coatings. Green roofing opportunities continue to develop as architects and consumers recognise the benefits of using roofs for gardens and communal activity. This presents ongoing challenges to the waterproofing membrane industry. A presentation by the Fraunhofer-Institute for Building Physics will compare moisture behaviour for wooden green roofs and Tectogreen will present on new barriers for use in bitumen membranes for root and rhizome penetration protection. The expansion of waterproof membrane applications has principally arisen through the continuous development of materials and construction of both bituminous and polymeric membranes. The conference includes presentations relating to material developments from across the supply chain including ExxonMobil Chemical Company, relating to TPO polymer enhancements, Nynas, relating to naphthenic oils for use in bitumen membranes, and reinforcement producers Milliken Europe and Chomarat which will explore the role of the reinforcement in tear resistance and new reinforcement innovations respectively. Measuring the expected and actual performance of membranes is crucial to driving further development. For performance prediction a presentation by Eukem will look at advanced technology for accelerated weathering testing whilst a presentation by the Slovak University of Technology will assess installed performance issues relating to bitumen membranes. The conference also includes a presentation by AMI Consulting which will outline the developments in the market for waterproof membranes. Waterproof Membranes 2015 will be held at Bonn, Germany.