TEGOSIVIN and SITREN for external and internal building protection

The construction of Antoni Gaudi's masterpiece started in 1882 and even today Barcelona´s (Spain) most famous landmark remains unfinished. In order to present itself to the 2 million visitors each year at its best, a continuous maintenance is required. For this reason the climber applies a masonry water repellent specifically optimized for this façade substance by the business unit Consumer Specialities of Evonik Industries. The TEGOSIVIN® product range is designed to provide a long term protection against moisture and environmental impacts for buildings like this UNESCO world cultural heritage as well as for private homes.

Moisture in facades, masonry, bridges, and other architecture has always been considered as one of the most important factors contributing to building damage, amounting many billion € every year. Virtually no material is immune to the destructive power of moisture penetration. Whether mortars, concrete, bricks or natural stone, water destroys the inner cohesion of the material.

The effects of water in the material vary. Moisture settles into the pores, freezes in the colder months, and blows open micro cracks in the stone. Water promotes the growth of certain fungi, micro-organisms, lichen and mosses that cover facades and attack the stability of the building structures with their mycelia and adhesion organs. Water also carries contaminants such as sulphur dioxide and nitric oxide (SO2 and NOX) from the outside air into the masonry and promotes the formation of corrosive acids. Furthermore, it reduces the insulating effect of walls, thereby increasing the energy consumption of the building.

For many years water repellent agents are the appropriate matter of choice. According to the experts of the business unit Consumer Specialties they function like an "invisible umbrella"; disguised, but highly effective they prevent moisture from penetrating into the building structure. The TEGOSIVIN® product range includes masonry water repellents which are based on organomodified siloxane (OMS) chemistry. They can be easily applied by flooding, brushing or rolling even in extreme situations – the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is just one outstanding example.

"The construction industry is asked to come up with innovative solutions", says Dirk Steinbeck, Global Marketing Manager for the construction additive business of Consumer Specialties, "to cope with the requirements driven by megatrends such as durability and efficient use of resources". The primary driving force is to improve the economics through faster completion and improved durability of finished structures all along the entire value chain of the construction industry. Damage prevention is the most efficient measure with increasing importance especially in private public partnerships.

Therefore over the past ten years, preventive measures against moisture have gained importance in modern concrete, mortar and render systems. The advantages are evident: Homogeneously distributed water-repellents lead to an integral mass hydrophobisation that ensures sustainable protection. TEGOSIVIN® offers further advantages such as reduction of salt-blooming, no adhesion issues with coatings like paints, primers or epoxies, plus excellent beading and stain reduction.

Apart from liquid products that are added to concrete or mortar-based systems, the so called drymix technology is gaining significant importance with regard to speed of application and sustaining repeatable, high levels of quality. SITREN® is the brand for water-repellents, foam control- and shrinkage reducing agents which simplify workability, improve mechanical strength and shorten the job- and drying time. This complete set of drymix specialty chemicals is unique in the market and allows strong growth rates, particularly in Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America.

Although integral protective "umbrellas" are state of the art technology for new constructions, of course the demand for topical protections applied to existing structures remains high. For historic buildings a post treatment of the façade remains the only choice to prevent it from further decay. Fortunately, our climber can rely on genuine specialties, tailor-made to maintain the beauty and the aesthetics of the Sagrada Familia.