Sanitary chamber in Toronto counts on Denso for renewed protection

Denso played a role in reviving this sanitary chamber.

Denso North America supplies world-class protective solutions for pipeline builders, infrastructure workers, and other customers in industries across Canada. From mastics and primers to petrolatum-tape systems, these myriad products keep proving themselves to be capable of taking on the most important and demanding projects. Four years ago, for example, Denso played a vital role in reviving an aging sanitary chamber, located in an environmentally sensitive area of the Don Valley Park in Toronto, just behind the Ontario Science Centre.

Permanent, flexible, and watertight seal

The chamber was originally installed in the 1960s, and it was badly in need of new corrosion and sealing protection when City of Toronto maintenance personnel uncovered it in 2017. More than 50 years of water, ice damage, and foliage growth had led to severe erosion and corrosion. Maintenance was urgent, since there was a danger of a heavy steel frame falling onto a sanitary pipe.

Workers removed earth and failed concrete down to more structurally sound concrete. Then they used a special mortar to create a flat surface and procure a replacement box chamber to sit on the top. Water filtration and destruction from the freeze thaw cycle were still potential risks to the sanitary chamber. The City turned to Denso for the best solution.

The crew decided to use Denso Petrolatum Tape, mastic, and primer in a joint-sealing system with decades of proven success. First, the workers lay Densyl Mastic on a prepared mortar surface before setting the box chamber on top; then they applied Hi-Tack Primer in a thin uniform coating on the exterior and let it sit for a few minutes, until the thinning agent evaporated. Next, they wrapped 12-inch Hi-Tack Tape around the joint, starting 15 centimetres below and wrapping upwards with a 50 per cent overlap. They pressed the tape down firmly to ensure intimate contact and adhesion to the surface, before back-filling the area.

As the tape, mastic, and primer provide a permanent, flexible, and watertight seal, the City of Toronto knows this sanitary chamber will stay structurally secure and sealed for many years.

To learn more, contact Denso.

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