Page 500 - Construction Waterproofing Handbook

13.16 CHAPTER THIRTEEN
steps to prevent the same situation from occurring at other similar areas of the envelope, an
investigation and final determination of leakage and envelope breaches should be compiled.
For example, a precast facade might be first thought to be leaking only through failed
sealant joints, but under investigation procedures it might be determined that a secondary
seal or backup joint should prevent infiltration at these areas. The resulting investigation
might lead to the conclusion that crackage in the precast substrate is permitting water infil-
tration that bypasses the joints into the structure. The investigation would then produce a
remedial action plan that includes not only resealing the primary joint seals, but also the
repair of precast cracking and application of a clear repellant to the entire precast facade.
In another situation, the transition detailing might be found insufficient in certain envelope
areas, and recommendations made to repair or replace all similar detailing throughout the
envelope for long term life-cycle maintenance. This total plan, based on a thorough post-
testing investigation, would not only resolve the current problems but also prevent the
occurrence of similar leakage in other envelope elevations.
The personnel conducting the inspections and testing might not be comfortable in con-
ducting the investigation alone. In this case the complete package of documentation can be
provided to consultants, waterproofing manufacturers, product distributors, or engineers,
to study and to provide their recommendations and outline of remedial actions.
It would be advisable to have the documentation reviewed by several different sources
and review each of their recommendations. Manufacturers reviewing the situation might
look for answers that involve selling their product; this might an acceptable solution, but
it would be best to have a confirmed second opinion before expending money to implement
the repair procedures.
The investigation can be useful to determine several alternative repair methods, including
temporary fixes and long-term repairs and associated maintenance to improve the life cycle
of the entire envelope. The building owner can then make appropriate management decisions
on the actions that best fit their immediate and long-term requirements.
The investigation can also be used to determine if the problem has occurred in the past
or is likely to repeat itself in other areas. Whatever the results, the complete reports created
during the investigation should be carefully documented for future reference if necessary.
The documentation collected should be reviewed in conjunction with Chap. 10, which
reviews terminations and transitions, the likely cause of the majority of leakage problems
in structures of all types.

REMEDIAL ACTION PLAN

From the investigation, a remedial action plan should be outlined. While in many cases
only the current leakage problem is addressed, it is recommended that the entire envelope
be reviewed to prevent similar problems from occurring elsewhere in the future. Certainly
it is less costly to take a proactive remedial action approach than to have to continually
spend the money necessary to correct not only the leakage but the resulting damage to
building components and interior contents. The remedial plan should also address any rou-
tine maintenance steps that should be taken to extend the life of all existing as well as new
envelope components.