MISSION 1.

2 WATERSTOP WELDING

ENGINEER´S REQUERIMENTS REVIEW

Ref: FS044 17-09-2019

 INDEX
X
0.  INTTRODUCTIO
ON ..................................................................................................................................2 
1.  ANA
ALYSIS CO
ONCERNING
G THE DOC
CUMENTAT
TION REVIE
EWED ..................................................3 

1.1.  REVIEW OF G/002148........................................................................................................................ 3 

F LETTER AG

1.2.  WATERSTO RANCE ................................................................................................... 3 

OP WELD QUALITY ASSUR

JANNAH DAM
M. WATERSTO
OP WELDING.
0. INTTRODUCTIION

The aim oof this report is to review thhe content of letter AG/0022148 in what regards
r to thee recommendeed actions for the
welding oof a PVC waterstop to be plaaced in a consstruction joint in the G5 porttal.
In addition, recommenddations are prresented for w
what concerns to the watersttop weld qualiity assurance.
This repoort corresponds to EBML´s Work
W Order 20056.

JANNAH DAM
M. WATERSTO
OP WELDING. 2
1. AN
NALYSIS CONCERNI
C NG THE D
DOCUMENT
TATION RE
EVIEWED

1.1. REVIEW OF
F LETTER AG
G/002148
After the review accom
mplished, the foollowing comm
ments can be made:
 TThe Engineer´s requerimennts are consideered appropriaate. They are based on genneral practice.
 AAn explanatioon of the site joointing instrucctions can be found
f in the supplier´s (Fossroc) cataloguues. They readd as
ffollows: “jointiing of supercaast waterstopss is carried ouut using Fosrooc Heat Weldin ing Equipmentt. The ends too be
jjoined are cutt square and heldh in alignm ment in a special jig. The ennds are then ppressed eitherr side of a speecial
hheated blade, until an eveen, molten beead of PVC appears arouund the sectioon. The heateed blade is then t
rremoved and the molten ennds pressed fuully together. The T PVC coolss to form a strrong fusion weelded joint”.
 AApart from this general proccedure, it is addvisable that the
t following recommendati ons are kept in i mind:
o Adjoining ends of intersecting w waterstop seggments shouldd be cut extreemely straight. If the watersstop
endss are not cut straight, unevven melting iss experienced at the end oof the abuttingg PVC watersstop
segmments, which could
c lead to wwaterstop chaarring or no melt
m at all Propper cutting is typically
t achieeved
with a miter saw or a manual hand saw and miter box to ensure a h igh-quality, sqquare cut. In this
sensse, it is highly suggested
s thaat a waterstop welding tablee is constructeed to ensure high-quality weelds.
o When cutting PVC C waterstop too the requiredd length, it should be notedd that the wellding process will
decreease the length of the PVC C waterstop byy approximateely 1/8-inch too 1/4-inch due to melting of the
mateerial. Thereforee, it is necess ary to cut the required lengtth of waterstoop slightly longger than requirred.
o For PVC waterstoops, the weldding iron shall be heated to t a temperaature of 380°F F. Melting of the
wateerstops ends may take seeveral minutees with a thicker waterstoop profile. Melting should be
contiinued until at least 1/8-inch of melted PVC C appears on both pieces oof waterstop being welded.
o At thhat time, inmediatly place thhe two meltedd ends togetheer, being careeful to keep the two watersttops
preprly aligned after joining. Speeed is importaant, as melted waterstops eends should bee placed togetther
in feww seconds.
o Immeediately after the two waterrstop ends aree butted togetther, the melteed material shhould be presssed
againnst the watersstop to improvee the welded connection.
c
o Extreeme caution should be usedd when moving a welded waaterstop conn ection when the material is still
hot, as the weld iss still very weaak at this timee. The watersttop should bee allowed to coool for at leastt 10
minuutes before handling it.

1.2. W
WATERSTO
OP WELD QU
UALITY ASS
SURANCE
As requessted, recommendations aree presented foor the verification of the quallity of the weldding:
In first insstance, after allowed
a to cool, a visual insppection shall be
b made on eaach waterstopp weld to observe the followiing:
 TThe waterstopp weld shall noot display signnificant discolooration or pin-hholes that pennetrate through the waterstoop.
 YYou should bee able to bendd and pull on tthe waterstop without separrating the weldd (allow the weld w to compleetely
ccool before dooing this).
 Misalignment of centerbulb greater than 1/16 inch.
 Misalignment that reduces waterstop
w cro ss-section areea more than 15%.
 Bond failure at
a joint, deeperr than 1/16 incch or 15% of material
m thicknness.

JANNAH DAM
M. WATERSTO
OP WELDING. 3
  C
Combination misalignment and bond faailure with nett reduction of waterstop crross-section area
a greater than
t
15%.
It is also possible to teest a waterstopp weld using a Spark Testeer. This is a sm
mall tool that ddetects pin-hooles between two
materials joined by heaat/fusion weldding. When plaacing a steel plate behind thet waterstop weld and slidding the tip of the
spark tesster along the length of the weld, a sparkk will jump froom the tip of thhe tester to thhe metal platee if there is a pin-
hole in thhe weld. This spark indicattes an impropper weld. How wever, the spark test shouuld never be used u as the only
o
method foor determiningg the quality off a weld. It muust be used in conjunction with
w a thoroughh visual inspeection.
It is also highly suggessted to perform
m destructive ttesting on onee or more welded waterstopp segments att the beginning of
each day that waterstoop welding is performed.
p To do this, makee a standard buttb weld with ttwo short lenggths of waterstop,
roughly 12 inches in leength. After the weld has beeen allowed too fully cool, ussing a sharp kknife, cut the welded
w watersstop
segment along its entirre length (paraallel to the watterstop ribs) inn 3 or 4 locatioons, including one cut downn the length off the
centerbulb. This will exxpose the inside of the wateerstop at the weldw at these multiple locattions where thhe waterstop was w
cut. Therre should nott be significant voids or ppinholes wherre the two waaterstop lengtths were joinned or significcant
discolorattion of the waaterstop material. The weldded portion off the waterstoop cross-sectioon should essentially look the
same as the parent maaterial.

JANNAH DAM
M. WATERSTO
OP WELDING. 4