WEBAC Products help to repair flood damage

The flooding in the south and east of Germany has caused severe damage to the structure of countless buildings. So far, the damage has only been provisionally repaired. It will need a methodical, professional restoration to ensure longterm safety - preferably with WEBAC Products which have proven successful in practice. Accompany us on a brief journey through time to the flood disasters of the two last decades ...

Flooding on the river Oder in 1997

Extensive flooding on the river Oder caused severe damage to buildings. In addition, the slowly decreasing ground water level affected the buildings due to pressing water. Here, curtain injections with WEBAC_® 240 were employed as "first aiders", proved very successful and could, for instance, help to make basements usable again very quickly. A post-construction surface sealing of damaged building elements with ground contact can in this case only be obtained by injections into the ground, i.e. without (!) prior excavation measures.

Of course, the injection gel WEBAC_® 240 has a National Technical Approval as regards its effects on the soil and the ground water and is therefore safe to use for curtain injections. However, the most convincing argument in the end is: up to now, the buildings along the river Oder repaired with WEBAC Products have been permanently dry.

Flooding on the river Elbe in 2002

The flooding on the river Elbe in August 2002 even surpassed the "flood of the century" in 1954, until then the most severe flooding of the 20th century. Besides water damage, fuel oil leaking from unsecured heating systems resulted in massive damage. In order to repair such contaminated building parts, consistent odor sealing measures are indispensable: for instance with the help of special epoxy primer WEBAC_® 4270T. In a first step, it is applied to the substrate as a film-forming sealing coat. In a second step, another film coat is applied and overcoated wet-in-wet with a rough cast finish. And also the long-term effect of this WEBAC Product is convincing. Even after over 10 years no harmful emissions occur, which has been proven by follow-up examinations.

Flood situation 2013

Once the flooding had receded and the ground water level had declined, basements and first floors of buildings, especially in historical town centers, had to be quickly restored and made usable again. Despite the short-term drying out of the buildings and the subsequent natural drying of the brickwork, high indoor air humidity nevertheless developed in some cases, resulting in extremely unfavorable indoor climatic conditions (formation of condensation water and mould growth). WEBAC's Product Range also offers a solution to this problem: the moisture-vapor permeable surface sealing measures and for minimizing high moisture emissions. It is applied directly to the inside of wet/damp walls. True, the reduced moisture release slows down the drying process of the brickwork, but it improves the indoor climate to such an extent that healthy and safe living is possible again in the buildings.

Another pressing problem was the continous damage to existing damp proof courses in the brickwork. Even in the case of very high degrees of moisture penetration a post-construction damp proof course with the PU injection resin WEBAC_® 1401 (WTA approval) or WEBAC_® 1403 (tests by the Dahlberg Institute) makes sense. These resins have capillary obstructing effect and thus permanently prevent all further penetration of water into the brickwork.

After flood disasters, quick, targeted help is first required in order to save lives and assets. As far as the restoration of damaged structures is concerned, the focus lies above all on pracitcal considerations. Thanks to their professional quality, easy handling and proven long-term effect, a large number of WEBAC Products have established themselves as reliable "flood agents" in the past.