Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas is located in San Diego County. The non-profit hospital is in the midst of a 10-year renovation and rebuilding plan, and EPRO are involved with the first construction phase of a new three-story, 224,000 square foot Acute Care Building.
A strong waterproofing system one story below grade was required, and 32,750 SF of EPRO’s E.Protect+ was specified and subsequently installed.
“This is a good site to have this kind of a hydrostatic system – and this became clear with the amount of rainwater we experienced during construction,” explains Trevor Caudill, Seaside Waterproofing, the EPRO applicator. “Being a hospital, this was also a very sensitive work environment inside the build and so it was a good decision to have this kind of a robust system. “
E.Protect+ combines three effective waterproofing systems into one to create the highest level of redundant below-grade building protection on the market. The seamless system installs quickly over large areas, saving time and money for building owners. E.Protect+ provides a continuous active waterproofing protection thanks to the bentonite layer creating a uniform, self-sealing membrane.
“This is one of the more time-consuming systems to install, in our experience, but it’s understandable and expected because this is a multi-layered system – and we have installed E.Protect+ before,” says Caudill. “It’s also one of the better waterproofing systems that we install. Here, at this site, these layers provide more assurance that it won’t leak.”
It was essential that there was full confidence in the specified waterproofing system because the site experiences a significant amount of rainfall. The heavy rains, in fact, damaged the system, but the team worked together to repair the issues quickly and easily. There were some complicated details at this site, yet the system was still straightforward to install, as Caudill explains.
“The challenging part for us on this site was detailing the number of penetrations that were required. For example, some were required for rebar bracing, and we had to detail each one of the rebar anchor bolts. That being said, the system went on pretty clean, not really any situations where we had to go back and tighten things up.”
The entire Scripps project will be complete in 2030.