Sea La Vie Hotel
This project is located in Ksamil, Saranda, and consists of the construction of a 4 story hotel building with 2 underground floors, with a basement area of 1200 m2. The location very close to the coastline brought special engineering challenges, due to the difficult terrain conditions and high groundwater levels.
Technical Challenges
During the excavation phase, as soon as a depth of only 1 meter was reached, salt water began to appear. The final depth of the foundation went up to 5.5 meters below sea level, significantly increasing the flow and hydrostatic pressure of salt water at the construction site.
Solution: Xypex Waterproofing System
Faced with these extreme conditions, the use of Xypex technology was decided upon, with the recommendation and supervision of engineer Albert Tatari, an expert in deep waterproofing. The Xypex system provides effective and long-term protection against water penetration through crystallization within the concrete mass.
Implementation Process
• Water decantation: Powerful pumps with a capacity of up to 650 liters/second were installed to enable the foundation to dry during the works.
• Concreting the structure: Concrete was poured with Xypex Admix C-1000 NF directly at the production point, for waterproofing the slab and perimeter walls.
• Closing critical points: Xypex Concentrate and Patch’n Plug were used to isolate spacers and treat microcracks.
• Joint isolation: Manorteq Waterbars were applied to horizontal and vertical joints to prevent penetrations at the points of connection of structural elements.
Results
After the works were completed, even though the -2 floor is located 5.5 meters below sea level, it is completely dry and without any signs of moisture. Even after the pumps were turned off, the building remained protected, proving the effectiveness of the Xypex system under extreme hydrostatic conditions.
