Project: Deep Recovery Research & Development Centre Deep Recovery Research & Development Centre Sellafield Location: Sellafield, England Project completed: 2012 Client: Forth Engineering Contractor: Chambers & Harrison Concrete Producer: D A Harrison Market sector: Nuclear Products used & amounts: BASF Watertight System: MasterLife WP 799, MasterSeal 910 Sales contact: Paul Gasson [email protected] Contact: BASF plc, Construction Chemicals, Earl Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 6QG, United Kingdom T: 0044 161 485 6222 F: 0044 161 488 5220 Deep Recovery Research & Development Centre - Open-air nuclear fuel storage pond The background This £3 million research and development facility was built at Risehow, where client Forth Engineering is developing robotic technology to be used in nuclear decommissioning at Sellafield. The research centre provides Forth Engineering, local engineering companies and Sellafield LTD with the ability to carry out trials for underwater recovery/retrieval operations for redundant equipment. The challenge The facility was designed to include a pond where methods likely to be suitable for reallife situations at Sellafield LTD could be tested, including possible scenarios involved in decommissioning the world’s largest openair nuclear fuel storage pond (NFSP). The pond, which was to hold 6.5 million litres of water, needed to be fully watertight to prevent leaks. Deep Recovery Research & Development Centre Sellafield Our solution The BASF Watertight System offered an alternative to membranes and built-up treatments: a quicker, more costeffective and more reliable solution than traditional construction methods. It combines a reactive hydrophobic pore-blocking liquid for wet or dry-cast concrete and high-range waterreducing/superplasticizing admixtures. The result is inherently water repellent, non-absorptive concrete with a reduced water/cement ratio, which is also protected against soluble salts. Additional options included air-entraining admixtures, which can be used to limit the effect of the freeze–thaw cycle, helping to prevent spalling and improving structural resistance to weathering. MasterLife WP 799, BASF’s all-in-one hydrophilic pore blocker with superplastizing admixtures for concrete, was used in the pond at the Deep Recovery Research & Development Centre. Following the concrete’s correct placing, compaction and curing, this single-bag system provides a waterproof structure with minimum effect on the original appearance and texture. BASF’s MasterSeal 910 hydrophilic waterstop, an expanding strip for construction joints, offered a high-performance alternative to waterbars. The benefit to the customer The system eliminated the need for waterbars, which are not only expensive to install but can be displaced or damaged during the concreting operation. Concrete is unable to adhere to plastic waterbars, so a failure rate of 15-20 % can be expected and, as there is no maintenance opportunity, the potentially significant subsequent cost of repairing leaks is a further drawback. The BASF Watertight System avoided all of these potential pitfalls. Project facts at a glance  Fully watertight solution.  Single-bag system.  Minimum effect on structure’s original appearance Master Builders Solutions from BASF The Master Builders Solutions brand brings all of BASF’s expertise together to create chemical solutions for new construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of structures. Master Builders Solutions is built on the experience gained from more than a century in the construction industry. The know-how and experience of a global community of BASF construction experts form the core of Master Builders Solutions. We combine the right elements from our portfolio to solve your specific construction challenges. We collaborate across areas of expertise and regions and draw on the experience gained from countless construction projects worldwide. We leverage global BASF technologies, as well as our in-depth knowledge of local building needs, to develop innovations that help make you more successful and drive sustainable construction. The comprehensive portfolio under the Master Builders Solutions brand encompasses concrete admixtures, cement additives, chemical solutions for underground construction, waterproofing solutions, sealants, concrete repair & protection solutions, performance grouts, performance flooring solutions. Further information is available at www.master-builders-solutions.basf.co.uk