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DubaiTerminal,DubaiAirportSixSidedSealingfromAquaMixPreserves

BeautyofStoneinDubai'sNewTerminal

DubaiInternationalAirportisoneoftheworld's

fastestgrowingairports,andisinthemidstofa

longtermplanforexpansion.Terminal3was

recentlycompletedafterthreeyearsof

construction,andfeatures3.8millionsquarefeetofaBrazilianstonecalledPanhaFragola

Corcovado,or"PF".PFpresentedaserious

sealingchallengebecausethestonecontains

solublepyrite(anironsulphide)whichcan

absorbwaterfromthemortarbedduringcuring

andcauseseverediscoloration.IKAN,Inc.alocal

distributorofAquaMixcareandmaintenance

products,recommendedasixsidedsealing

solutioninordertoprotectthestonefrom

moisturethroughoutthe28daycuringprocess.

ExtensivetestingwasconductedbyAquaMix

technicalexperts,withtwonewproductsthat

werenotevenonthemarketyet,UltraSolvand

EconoSeal.First,localmaterialswereusedin

ordertoduplicatetheinstallationconditions,

whileconfirmingwithcontrolgroupsthatthe

discolorationfromsolublepyritewouldinfact

occurwithoutpropersealing.Next,IKAN

preformedsubmersionandmortarbedtests

withPFstonesealedonallsixsideswith

EconoSealandUltraSov.Bothsealersperformed

impressively,keepingwateratbayforthe

required28daysandpreventingdiscoloration.

Finally,testsweredonetoprovethatneither

sealerwouldcompromiseshearbondstrength.

Aftersuccessfultesting,EconoSealwasselected

fortheinitialsixsidedsealing,withUltraSolv

specifiedforfinalsealingoftheinstalledsurface.

Stonewaslaidout,sealedonsixsideswith

Econoseal,andcuredfor24hourspriorto

installation.UltraSolvwasappliedtothefinished

surfacejustpriortocompletionoftheentire

terminal.DuringthisperiodbothUltraSolvand

EconoSealproductswerelaunchedforsale

internationally.

IKANassistedtheprimarystonecontractor,Al

Habtoor,throughoutthe2yearprocess,

providingonsitesupport,qualitycontroland

educationfortheeverchangingstaffofover400

tradesmenimportedfromothercountriesto

workontheproject.Theresultisastunning,

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pristineinstallationthathasnotraceofsoluble

pyriteoranyotherstaining.Infact,thesealing

projectwassosuccessfulthatAquaMixsealers,

fromCustomBuildingProducts,willbeusedon

thenextnewterminalatDubaiInternational

Airport,alreadyunderway.

AquaMixhasa25+yearhistoryofleadingthe

globalstoneandtileindustrywithinnovative

careandmaintenancesolutionsutilizingunique,waterbasedformulas.AspartofCustom

BuildingProducts,NorthAmericaslargest

provideroftileandstoneinstallationsystems,

AquaMixproductscontinuestoexpandintoa

worldwideofferingofatrusted,singlesource

supplierofover500productsfortileandstone

installationsystems.

CustomBuildingProductsoperates14North

Americandistributionsitesand30other

worldwide

locations

to

support

professional

productperformancealongwithunsurpassed

innovation,ahighlyeducatedandexperienced

technicalstaffandunparalleledcustomer

support.

Customisproudtobringtocustomersinnovative

solutionstoanytileorstoneinstallationproject,

includingproductsthatcontributeto"Leadership

inEnergyandEnvironmentalDesign"(LEED)

certification.Representativesareavailableto

planning,specificationwriting,product

application,testing,andinstallationinformation,

toensureeachprojectgoessmoothlywith

outstandingresults.