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📝Innovative Technologies and Legal Regulation: Steps Toward the Protection of Buildings and Fortifications

As part of the professional forum MODERN SYSTEMS OF PROTECTION FOR BUILDING STRUCTURES, a discussion panel was held, dedicated to modern technologies and materials for the repair and reconstruction of concrete and reinforced concrete structures, as well as solutions for sealing and waterproofing underground facilities.  

☑️ The discussion was moderated by Taras Lylyk, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine. He emphasized that the forum's topic is very important not only for the construction industry but also for Ukraine's economy as a whole.  

💬“The topic is extremely relevant. Over the past few years, it has unfortunately faced entirely new challenges that require solutions, including in the field of legal regulation,” noted Mr. Lylyk.  

👤Serhii Horodetskyi, Chief Specialist of the Department of Technical Regulation in Construction at the The Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, spoke about construction norms and rules in the field of building structure protection.  

He noted that the design and construction of structures are regulated by normative documents, particularly construction norms, while all matters related to construction materials and technologies are aligned with Ukrainian State Standards and other state standards.  

📃 One significant achievement in the field of legal regulation in Ukraine, mentioned by Mr. Horodetskyi, is the adoption of the State construction standards B.2.2-5:2023 "Protective Civil Defense Structures", which addresses waterproofing for underground facilities.  

👤Gennadiy Farenyuk, Director of the State Enterprise "State Research Institute of Building Constructions”, provided an overview of legislative documents and construction norms and standards in ensuring the reliability and structural safety of buildings and civil structures.  

He emphasized that buildings and structures must protect lives under conditions of military aggression. While all necessary laws have been adopted at the legislative level in Ukraine, the normative framework does not adequately assess the suitability of buildings and structures for military impacts.  

Currently, fortifications in Ukraine rely on soil or sand to dissipate blast waves. Mr.Farenyuk presented innovative structural methods for fortification protection of buildings and structures, including:  

💠 Multi-layered constructions using the sacrificial layer method;  

💠 Protective structures utilizing high-damping supports and dampers to dissipate the energy of air blast waves;  

💠 Protective structures with pre-stressed walls featuring internal devices in the walls and external dampers to dissipate the energy of air blast waves.  

☝️Gennadiy Farenyuk emphasized the need to develop new State Construction Standards that will define what fortification is and specify the levels of fortification required for facilities of various purposes. This involves creating a series of standards to determine structural solutions capable of meeting operational suitability criteria.  

🗨️“We should not be concerned about whether the concrete structures survived the explosion. What matters is whether the people we are protecting with these structures survived,” added Mr. Hennadii.  

👤Olena Bondar, Doctor of Economics, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Professor, and Advisor to the Director on International Affairs of the State Enterprise “National Institute for Development Infrastructure”, spoke about the role, mission, and main activities of the Institute.  

The mission of the SE “National Institute for Development Infrastructure”is innovation for infrastructure development:  

🔸 Development of new construction norms and standards, as well as adaptation of EU standards and norms;  

🔸 Scientific and technical support for infrastructure facility construction;  

🔸 Inspection of specialized facilities (bridges, roads, fortifications, etc.);  

🔸 Professional development and human capital growth in the infrastructure sector;  

🔸 Digitalization for infrastructure development.  

Ms. Bondar provided a detailed outline of the Institute's actions necessary for implementing innovations.  

🔹Active communication.

The Portal and Innovation Platform serves as a communication hub for business dialogue and information exchange between innovation providers and interested stakeholders.  

🔹Normative regulation.

Establishing an adequate regulatory framework for innovation implementation (construction norms, EN harmonization, etc.) and improving the construction cost estimation system.  

🔹Scientific and technical support.

Scientific and technical support of construction projects, ensuring the implementation of innovations during the design and construction phases.  

👤Adrian Pflieger, Director of BPA, Germany, introduced company’s activities to the forum participants. BPA has been operating for over 26 years, specializing in structural waterproofing and developing innovations to protect underground structures from groundwater penetration.

He outlined the European standards BPA adheres to and presented a new waterproofing technology: CEMflex.

✔️CEMflex is a steel plate waterstop coated with a patented active material that reacts with water during concrete pouring, creating a watertight construction joint.

The steel plate acts as a physical barrier, while the active CEMflex coating interacts with the alkaline environment of water in the concrete, forming calcium hydroxide. This facilitates the natural self-healing process of concrete, providing an effective waterproof seal.

Unlike traditional crystallization-based waterproofing, the active CEMflex technology avoids the formation of aggressive salts that could negatively affect the reinforcement within the concrete structure.

🌊 Independent studies confirm that the CEMflex waterproof seal can withstand water pressure of up to 8 bar (80 m). Its unique design has earned CEMflex recognition as the safest, most cost-effective, and reliable waterproofing solution on the global market.

✔️ Adrian Pflieger also highlighted the QUELLMAX PLUS tape, used for sealing joints with crystallization additives. It functions as a waterproofing solution for concrete construction joints and is tested to resist water pressure of up to 7 bar.

The swelling bentonite waterproofing tape is composed of bentonite embedded in a high-molecular polyisobutylene rubber matrix with special filters and crystalline additives. Rainwater does not activate the product. However, when QUELLMAX PLUS is covered by concrete, the alkaline environment erodes its coating, activating the tape under exposure to flowing water.

👤Ziaur Rehman, a structural specialist at A-Insinöörit, Finland, also participated in the forum and shared insights on modern Finnish standards and approaches to designing buildings and structures for civil protection.

He highlighted the main regulations and recommendations used in Finland, including the Finnish National Building Code, the primary document defining requirements for the strength and stability of structures, as well as Eurocodes (e.g., SFS-EN 1991-1-7 "General Actions").

Ziaur Rehman  presented several methods to enhance structural resilience against damage: the tying method, the alternative load path method, the key element method, and the segmentation method. The choice of method depends on the building type and its consequence class.

👥 At the end of the discussion, forum participants had the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers and engage in discussions on pressing topics.

Organizers: Confederation of Builders of Ukraine, Center for Waterproofing and Roofing

Strategic Partner: Penetron

Official Partners: Aquaizol, Group of companies MINOVA, BPA GmbH, Scientific and Production Association "Building Structure Protection Systems" LLC (ТОВ “НВО СЗБК”)

Information partners: All-Ukrainian NGO Living Planet, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Property Times, Build Portal, ProfBuild, Address Group, Ukrayinsky pohlyad, Vidbudova. Zaporizhzhia, Ohorona Praci, Marketer, Budynok, UAWEB, BIZRELIZ, Economist, Aspekty budivnytstva (Aspects of Construction Media)

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