Snowy Mountains Authority

Client: Snowy Hydro Limited

Location: Near Khancoban in the Snowy Mountains

Task: To waterproof Murray Power Stations 1 and 2. Since the equipment within the buildings is sensitive electrical switchgear, it was imperative that the building be waterproof.

Andersal Project Manager- Henk van den Heuvel

Special Challenge: The earth deck roofs on both power stations had been leaking for some time as the bituminous compounds used in their construction were not able to withstand the extremes of temperature and building movement. Structural engineers, wrote a specification that stated “the new membrane shall be capable of withstanding the environmental conditions found in the Snowy Mountains”. Many membranes cannot achieve this. The power station roofs consisted of concrete slabs with earth switches and surge diverters sitting on low plinths.

Solution: A solution with a track record of success in extreme conditions in Australia and overseas was selected.

A key aspect was the requirement for a flexible solution with elongation properties consisted with the weather conditions (summer heat and winter cold) combined with engineered detailing and a recognised reliability on government projects.

Additional works included the replacement of 2,000 metres of joint sealant and a large quantity of concrete repairs. Sika® materials were chosen for these applications.

The installation was carried out by Andersal, experienced Sika and Wolfin applicators