On May 12, 2017, the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection adopted a comprehensive new regulation in the radiation protection law. These are first and foremost the protection against harmful radiation in medicine, the better prevention of emergencies, and the protection against radon in homes.
Radon is a natural radioactive noble gas that escapes from the ground and can accumulate in buildings. Inhaling radon is one of the biggest risks of lung cancer after smoking.
In Germany, there are areas that are exposed to different levels of radon. An overview map, for example from the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection, shows where increased radon concentrations in buildings can be expected. In these areas, special measures for radon-safe construction must be observed.
For the first time, clear measures to reduce radon are being introduced with the new Radiation Protection Act. Among other things, a reference value for assessing the radon concentration in lounges is established. This reference value should not be exceeded above and below the minimization principle of radiation protection, if possible. This reference value for apartments is 100 Becquerel per cubic meter of room air. If the values are above this limit, appropriate protective measures must be taken to prevent or at least mitigate the spread of radon indoors.
The new Radiation Protection Act will in future also cover protection against radon in workplaces. Previous protection regulations only applied to certain workplaces, such as mines or caves, but now all workplaces near the ground floor are also subject to the regulations on protection against radon at workplaces in areas with high radon concentrations.
Since the noble gas radon can enter the building in several ways, (ie via the wall-sole joint, cracks and gaps in the outer wall, openings below the terrain, over pump sumps and drainage, drainage pipes, ventilation systems, cable ducts, conduits etc.), the building must be radon-proofed by means of subsequent interior sealing or sealed from the outside during new construction.
KÖSTER BAUCHEMIE AG has been providing solutions for the protection against radon in buildings for years. Due to the new regulations of the Radiation Protection Act and the inclusion of a reference value for apartments, we have responded to the increased requirements and commissioned a new inspection of our KÖSTER KSK SY 15 self-adhesive rubber/bitumen waterproofing membrane.
The KÖSTER KSK SY 15 has again met the requirements for tightness against radon gases. In addition, we have been the first manufacturer to have a 10 cm seam overlap tested in addition to the membrane itself. This test was also completed positively. This test shows that not only the membrane alone but also overlaps provide lasting protection against the radioactive noble gas radon.
KÖSTER KSK SY 15 also has other advantages - it is cold-adhesive and can, therefore, be processed without the use of hot air or propane gas flames. Because of its great suppleness, it can easily be used for building waterproofing and against moisture and as protection against radon even on difficult details. KÖSTER KSK SY 15 is highly flexible, immediately waterproof, impact-proof, and crack-bridging.
Site Report:
Currently, about 16,000 m² of the “Neubau - Schulstandort Pieschen” property is being – sealed against radon by the Kalka Bautenschutz company from Großenhain on behalf of the ZÜBLIN AG using the waterproofing membrane KÖSTER KSK SY 15. This will give the building a safe and long-lasting protection not only against moisture but also against radon.
With the advent of new headlight systems such xenon, LED, or laser light technology a test guideline for headlamp inspection and parking spaces, “Guideline for the review of the adjustment of the headlamps of motor vehicles according to § 29 StVZO” (HU headlamp test guideline) was revised. This policy was released on February 20, 2014, and will enter into force on January 1, 2018.
The new test guideline stipulates that in addition to the footprint for the headlamp setting tester, the vehicle footprint must also comply with the new specifications. Before commissioning the adjustment areas, an authorized service provider (eg Dekra, TÜV, etc.) must, therefore, calibrate and approve this area. If this release is pending, garages lose their approval to carry out the main car inspection. The KÖSTER BAUCHEMIE AG has developed a new and easy-to-install system especially for these setting surfaces: the KÖSTER SEP system for concrete or for tiles.
The order of the KÖSTER SEP system offers the following advantages:
The KÖSTER SEP system is available to you and your customers for an area of 4 m² with the following components:
The first installation area for the headlamp setting tester has already been successfully coated with the KÖSTER SEP system.
At the end of September, the KÖSTER OS 8 Floor Coating was installed in the warehouse of Tires & Car service Hinrich Goes in Aurich, Germany. The shelves were not detached or dismounted; however, they were emptied of their contents.
OS 8 coating is a concrete protection system with an increased grip and chemical resistance for traffic areas, e.g. public parking facilities or industrial plants.
At KÖSTER, the system includes the Products KÖSTER CT 121, KÖSTER CT 221, KÖSTER Quartz sand. Since June 23rd, 2017, the system is provided with the full scope of the necessary test certificates.
Three days before the priming, the substrate preparation was carried out by shot-blasting the surface. Within three hours the post-treatment was performed as follows:
The three operations of the first day were performed simultaneously with two mixing stations. The material was distributed over the surface with a notched spreader (60 cm) and evenly broadcast with quartz sand, 0.4 / 0.8 mm.
The following day, the whole area was swept off and vacuumed. Subsequently, the KÖSTER team primed the surface with the low viscosity primer KÖSTER CT 121 filled with KÖSTER Quartz Sand MA 30. Eventually, the entire surface with quartz sand with grading curve of 0.4-0.8 mm was left to cure.
The next day, KÖSTER CT 221 was applied as the top seal with an excellent flow property (also applicable at low temperature).
The following day, the whole area was swept off and vacuumed. The edges and column bases were treated once more within two hours. Finally, the surface was thoroughly squeegied with a rubber lip and re-rolled at the intersections.
We would like to thank our KÖSTER-OS-8 team for the successful mission!
For further product information of the OS 8 coating, please click on the respective product: