Pre-applied bonded waterproofing membranes: A review of the history and state-of-the-art in Europe and North America

ABS T R A C T Since the end of the 20th century, below-grade concrete structures can be waterproofed with sheet mem-branes in a pre-application process. The waterproofing membranes are installed before concrete place-ment, e.g., directly on a soil retention system and interact with the subsequently poured fresh concrete, thus forming an adhesive and waterproof bond. The market for this construction method is cur-rently growing, which is why characteristics, mechanisms, and international regulations in place are reviewed. Moreover, the history of pre-applied bonded membranes is presented, based on a product and patent research. Also, recently conducted investigations and an outlook on further research needs is given. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).