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Dam / canal / irrigation

Dams, barrages and canals mean large pours, constant water and wide joints. Watertight concrete, controlled setting and sealed joints come first; repair and protection follow over the years.

Concrete dam in section holding back a reservoir, the water-side face shown in orange, with a canal downstream

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Solutions in build order

What this project needs, step by step

Thick raft placed in layers by a pump hose, with a temperature sensor and a chart showing a lower, flatter heat curve Mass concrete & set retarding Thick rafts, dams, bridge piers and large foundations heat up as the cement hydrates and can crack, and big pours risk cold joints. A retarding superplasticiser or set retarder spreads the heat release and keeps each layer workable until the next one arrives. 6 steps Basement wall and base slab of waterproofed concrete holding back ground water, with a waterstop in the wall-slab joint Waterproof (watertight) concrete For basements, water tanks, pools and sewage works, make the concrete itself resist water with a low water–cement ratio, an integral waterproofing admixture and sealed construction joints. This is for new pours; it cannot fix a structure that already leaks. 7 steps Low-pressure sprayer coating a fresh concrete slab with curing compound while water evaporates from the uncoated part Concrete curing Curing keeps water in young concrete so it gains strength and does not crack or dust. In Pakistan's heat and dry wind it must start within minutes of finishing, by wet curing or a sprayed curing compound. 7 steps Two concrete slabs on columns with a gap between them sealed with orange sealant over a round foam rod Building expansion and movement joints The gaps between building blocks, slabs, walls and roofs that let the structure expand, shrink and settle. They need a sealant or tape matched to the movement, a correctly sized joint and a backer rod, or water gets in and edges break. 7 steps Cross-section of a lined canal with water, a waterproof coating on the concrete lining and sealed panel joints Canals, channels & open drains Irrigation canals, water channels, nullahs and storm drains lose water through cracked lining, open joints and eroded concrete. Repair the lining, waterproof it, and seal joints with sealants made for submerged use. 5 steps Wall section with water-bearing soil outside; angled drilled packers inject resin into the crack from the dry inside face. Leaking cracks & active water seepage Cracks and holes that let water through basement walls, tanks, roof slabs or retaining walls. First stop running water, then seal the crack with elastic injection, then waterproof the surface; rigid epoxy is not used while a crack is wet. 7 steps Concrete beam with a square cut-out repair: cleaned steel bars coated, and repair mortar being trowelled in flush. Spalling concrete (chhajja, balcony, beam, column) Concrete that cracks, bulges and falls away, usually with rusty steel behind it, on chhajjas, balcony slabs, beams, columns and tank slabs. This guide follows the EN 1504 sequence: remove, protect the steel, rebuild, seal and protect. 7 steps Concrete building facade half coated with a protective coating by a roller on a pole, with rain beading off. Protective coatings & water repellents for concrete Coatings and impregnations that keep water, chlorides and carbon dioxide out of concrete facades, bridges, car parks and repaired structures. Choose a clear impregnation, an anti-carbonation coating or a crack-bridging coating to suit the exposure. 8 steps Tunnel arch in rock partly lined with sprayed concrete, with a rig nozzle fed by an accelerator line spraying the rest Shotcrete, tunnels & slope stabilisation Sprayed concrete supports tunnel faces, galleries and cut slopes and lines channels and pools. The system is a pumpable base mix with a superplasticiser, an accelerator dosed at the nozzle, and often fibres. 7 steps