Frequently asked questions

Radcon penetrates as deeply as necessary to achieve subsurface insulation, a self-healing internal membrane in cement concrete.

Radcon® has been shown in practice to penetrate to a depth of 60mm in 140 year old soft sand/lime mortar, between sand bricks.

The result is that the plaster material is much more durable than the original product.

Tests on Radcon® show an average penetration of 14-17mm on road grade concrete up to 40mph (CSIRO). Furthermore, laboratory testing of the material supported by NATA shows an average penetration of 20mm on concrete for speeds up to 32mph (Warnok Hersey).

Provided it is cement concrete (prone to calcium leaching), we have scientifically documented evidence showing cracks up to 1.00 mm wide, due to soil settlement without water seeping from the underside of the slab (University of South Wales).

When ground subsidence occurred during rainy periods, Radcon® swelled in parallel with the expansion of cracks.

This is further in the earthquake areas of Taiwan, Saipan (Newcastle Australia).

The earthquakes displaced the Radcon® treated concrete structures, causing leaks through existing cracks. The rainwater itself allowed the repairs to take place within a few days, so no repairs were needed.

In essence, Radcon® remains reactive in the concrete, healing any further cracks or splits, provided that there is free calcium in the concrete and there are humid periods for swelling.

Radcon uses water to waterproof in the same way that Volclay (volcanic bentonite clay) works.

Only, instead of on the surface, Radcon® creates the same barrier within the first few millimeters of Radcon®-treated concrete.

As tests confirm penetration of waterproofing 14 to 17 mm into the concrete for speeds of up to 40 mph, the penetration of water or salt in the first 2-3 mm is not essential to the durability of the structure, because any rebar has a 20 mm layer of concrete above it.

Radcon uses water to waterproof in the same way that Volclay (volcanic bentonite clay) works.

Only, instead of on the surface, Radcon® creates the same barrier within the first few millimeters of Radcon®-treated concrete.

As tests confirm penetration of waterproofing 14 to 17 mm into the concrete for speeds of up to 40 mph, the penetration of water or salt in the first 2-3 mm is not essential to the durability of the structure, because any rebar has a 20 mm layer of concrete above it.

When applying Radcon®, capillary suction into dry concrete is required before watering.

Therefore, Radcon® cannot be applied to damp concrete, whether it is just damp or water is seeping through it. Crystal growth materials are better suited for such applications (e.g. Radmyx™)

Radcon® should not be used on concrete surfaces where the concrete structure and/or existing cracks are contaminated with water-repellent materials.

Obviously, if water cannot be absorbed, then neither can Radcon®, so its chemical reaction with the cement concrete is prevented.

Radcon® is generally suitable for all above ground surfaces, including applications in all water tanks.

When Radcon® becomes dry to the touch after application (2-6 hours after application), the first watering is most important to achieve its lasting activity.

The second and third pourings have the role of allowing sufficient expansion of the product within the concrete, to seal the concrete structure and existing cracks.

On cement blocks for speeds up to 5 mph that are exposed to the elements, one liter of Radcon® can only cover 1.5 m² of surface area. On concrete for speeds up to 50-60 mph, one liter of Radcon® can cover up to 8 m² of surface area (one liter covers an average of 4-6 m² of surface area).

When applying Radcon®, the product must be seen to flow across the surface to wet the concrete.

Simply applying it to the surface, without saturation, is considered ineffective.

After applying Radcon® to cement concrete, there will be no more structural leaks, the reinforcement will not rust, although there may be adverse effects on the underside that is not treated.

Surfaces treated with Radcon® will permanently eliminate concrete cracking, preventing freeze/thaw and de-icing salt damage.

Further testing shows that the area of impact has an increased hardness of 6 to 8 on the Mohs scale, where 8 is equivalent to granite.

Several such tests have been performed on Radcon®. Probably the most significant to date is the SINTEF Norway test which shows that Radcon® retains its waterproofing performance under a pressure of 400 m of water column.

The published result from SINTEF concerns a concrete cylinder that failed under the pressure of 400 m of water column.

Radcon® is one of the safest waterproofing technologies ever developed for the environment. This is why Radcon® is certified as acceptable for use in potable water tanks and has also been used in saltwater aquariums. Marine animals are among the most sensitive creatures in contact with toxic debris, that is, in case of access to any toxins in the materials.

Radcon® not only replaces all currently known high-quality membrane insulations, but is certainly becoming the world's best concrete protection technology. Conventional insulation agents, such as silanes, siloxanes, methyl methacrylates and even silicates, can only provide general protection of the concrete, without addressing the weakest point, i.e. existing cracks. Insulation agents are most often used as general protection against freeze/thaw damage, the penetration of airborne contaminants and, to some extent, the effects of de-icing salts. It is obvious that a double coating with a silane containing 100% solids is significantly more expensive at the same price than a single application of Radcon® for waterproofing that works throughout the life of the concrete.

Since Radcon® produces a calcium silicate hydrate gel, all concrete products will adhere to concrete treated with Radcon®. HOWEVER, since Radcon® is indefinitely water-activated, if you are using water-based acrylic membranes for construction details, those jobs must be completed prior to Radcon®.

For a number of years, we have actively followed the application of Radcon® on structurally unstable buildings, where we have established the existence of instability. These buildings are usually badly designed parking lots, where there is a load due to the movement of vehicles. For these applications, Radcon® is the primary concrete waterproofing material, where unstable cracks are addressed using displacement-accommodating elastomers, without leaking.

When applying Radcon® to concrete that has been watered and allowed to dry, the trained eye will notice a slight increase in gloss due to the excess surface silicates, in the long term, no visual changes will occur, including any form of discoloration.

We recommend pre-wetting the concrete 28 days before applying Radcon®. However, Radcon® can be applied within a few days of pouring the concrete.

If the period of several days is reduced to a few days, the contractor must be prepared for an inspection after 28 days, to ensure that no new larger cracks have formed, which could require the re-application of Radcon® in these places and further watering with water, to ensure 100 % waterproofing of the entire area.

In all cases, we give preference to water preparation procedures that guarantee that concrete will not be contaminated. If high-quality preparation agents are required, they will certainly need to be removed by water jetting or sandblasting due to the penetration of Radcon® during application.

Even in a half-empty container with the lid closed airtight, Radcon® can be stored indefinitely. It should always be stirred before use. Radcon® behaves similarly to paint and solids, especially heavy silicates, will settle out of solution, forming a solid deposit at the bottom of the drum. With proper mixing, these solids will be re-dispersed in the Radcon® solution.

It is clear that all materials designed to repel water from concrete also repel Radcon® and thus prevent its penetration and the achievement of the final waterproofing reaction.

You must ensure that previous defective materials are completely removed. If the cracks have been contaminated by previous materials, it may be necessary to sand with a narrow tool, apply Radcon® and install a non-settling plaster.

The high alkaline nature of cement concretes passivates steel and prevents rusting. Here again the high pH value of Radcon® acts in exactly the same protective way. Tests by the University of New South Wales indeed confirm that Radcon® can restore alkalinity to concrete that is poor in alkali.

No, Radcon® is a permeable system that allows moisture vapors to escape, while preventing the passage of water molecules and contaminants to the steel reinforcement.

The above materials cannot penetrate concrete treated with Radcon®. For example, grease will always leave a permanent stain on the treated concrete. Concrete treated with Radcon® cannot be permanently stained with grease, as the grease will be cleaned off since grease and the above products cannot penetrate the concrete and therefore cannot cause permanent discolouration of the affected areas. Furthermore, these materials cannot adversely affect the performance of Radcon® and its effect will be fully maintained.

Radmyx™ concrete admixture comes in the form of a „concentrate“ and as a product there is no shelf life limit. Radmyx™ coating is a mixture based on Radmyx™ concentrate mixed with lime, cement and quartz sand. As a product it has a shelf life of 12 months from the time of production.

The particles of Radmyx™ bond with the cement particles in the concrete and remain in a state of rest until they come into contact with water. When they come into contact with water (which can reach them through the concrete capillaries that form after the concrete dries or through a crack in the concrete), at that moment the process of forming fibrous crystals begins, which fill the capillaries and become impermeable to water.

Radmyx™ moves through concrete using osmotic pressure, meaning that particles always move from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

Regarding the concrete recipe, the amount of water can be reduced by 3-5 %, the aggregate granulation should range from 0-32 mm, and the water/cement factor (W/C) should range from 0.45 to a maximum of 0.50.

Radmyx™ admixture is resistant to both positive and negative water pressure because it is distributed throughout the mass of concrete.

Radmyx™ can be added either at the concrete plant or on site. It is recommended to add it to the concrete plant and mix it into the dry concrete mix before adding water. However, since in many cases it is difficult to meet the requirement that the concrete to which Radmyx™ has been added should be placed within 45 minutes (before the concrete starts to set), in many cases Radmyx™ is added on site directly to the concrete mixer. It is important that Radmyx™ is gently poured onto the concrete for 1-2 minutes (while the mixer is running). Never pour Radmyx™ all at once into one place, as this can cause „nesting“ and Radmyx™ cannot be mixed well into the concrete.

The concrete should be vibrated (shaken) well so that there are no empty voids in the concrete. After pouring, the concrete should be kept moist for the next 3-4 days (concrete curing).

After concreting, the concrete surface should be kept moist for at least 4 days. Likewise, after applying the coating to the wall, the surface should be lightly moistened 3-4 times a day with a spray bottle and this should be repeated for the next 3-4 days.

Radmyx™ does not solve construction joints. Therefore, whenever possible, we prefer to install CEMflex VB sheets, which are also based on crystallization, as well as Radmyx™ or Quellmax Plus swelling tape with a 72-hour swelling delay.

After concreting the foundation walls, CEMflex VB sheets or Quellmax Plus swelling tape are placed in the middle between the reinforcement. Before concreting the mezzanine slab, a stronger layer of Radmyx™ coating is applied to the walls on both sides of the sheet or tape. Once the coating has dried, concreting of the mezzanine slab can begin.

After the mezzanine slab is concreted along all edges (Radmyx™ dry mix is sprinkled in a width of approx. 50 cm), the vibrator will then gently shake the sprinkle. Thus, Radmyx™ applied to the wall surface from the bottom and to the edges of the mezzanine slab from the top will protect against any moisture penetration from the "front" of the mezzanine slab to the reinforcement and possibly through the slab.

Of course, either CEMflex VB sheet metal or Quellmax Plus tape is placed at the junction of the mezzanine slab and the next wall, and the process is repeated at all junctions between the mezzanine slab and the walls until it reaches ground level.

Radmyx™ coating must be applied to damp concrete, because if there is no moisture in the concrete, Radmyx™ cannot react or start to form „crystals.“ There must be water in the capillaries of the concrete with which Radmyx™ binds and forms fibrous crystals that are insoluble in water, i.e. waterproof.