The FAIR Accelerator is one of the world’s largest and most complex scientific construction projects with more than 3,000 scientists from 50 countries that will work here. Its centrepiece is a 1.1-kilometer-long ring accelerator where beams of electrically charged particles will travel round in a loop at almost 300,000 kilometers per second.
RUNNING RINGS AROUND HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
By making the particles collide with fixed targets, the researchers will be able to briefly produce the extreme conditions that otherwise occur only at the core of planets and stars. The resulting breakthroughs could have multiple applications, from protective clothing for astronauts to nuclear fusion technology, and from the detection of new viruses to cancer therapies that use heavy ions to target tumours.
Driving profitable growth and creating sustainable shareholder value
A MONUMENTAL COLLABORATION
The facility’s home is a 15-hectare site at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung and Sika is among 9 group of companies working in partnership to complete the work. This scientific institute is already world-renowned for its discoveries, which include six new elements.
Here, builders have created a circular underground tunnel to house the new ring accelerator, labyrinthine complex of experiment stations, supply tunnels, and other high-tech buildings.
2 million
cubic meters of earth excavated - enough to make way for 5,000 family homes
250,000
square meters of Sika waterproofing solutions
85,000
square meters of Sika flooring system
SHEER MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION
1.1-kilometer circumference of superconducting ring accelerator
Challenge
1Depth of up to 24 meters, extreme high water and soil pressure.
2High-value underground structure and equipment must be protected from water ingress. Ions of all the natural elements could be accelerated at close to the speed of light. Magnets that keep the ions in their paths are superconducting and cooled to −269 °C by means of liquid helium.
Sika Flooring Solutions
Extremely high requirements for water vapor diffusion capacity in the system structure of floors and walls due to the massive components, in particular the 2.4-meter-thick floor slab.
Innovative Sika floor coating system prevents osmotic blistering on damp substrates and offers excellent adhesion to concrete substrates. It is characterized by a particularly high resistance to numerous types of attack.
Sika’s various combinable coating systems were used in conjunction with the epoxy resin-modified self-leveling mortar to meet special requirements like decontamination.
Sika Waterproofing Solutions
Combination of three Sika solutions in one fully bonded membrane system with high impermeability, crack-bridging ability and protection against lateral water migration, withstanding high water pressure.
SikaProof® A pre-installed fully bonded membrane system. The multi-layer structure consists of a highly flexible sealing membrane and a composite layer on the concrete side, creating a permanent, flat bond with the hardening fresh concrete, effectively preventing water ingress in the event of accidental damage.
All types of joints and cracks are sealed with Sikadur-Combiflex®. It allows for three-dimensional joint movement while ensuring a watertight seal. It can be used before and after concreting under the floor slab, on the wall, or in the ceiling area. This makes the sealing system one of the most flexible available.
SikaProof® P-12 post-applied waterproofing system. This consists of a highly flexible sealing membrane, which is coated with an adhesive and sealant. The membrane is bonded to the existing concrete structure over the entire surface. It is applied cold and is self-adhesive, so it does not require heat or an open flame.
WATERPROOFING CHALLENGES
Waterproofing was a particular concern for the accelerator tunnel, due to the massive thickness of the concrete walls and base slab. At 24 meters below the surface, the structure had to withstand enormous groundwater pressure.
3
CHF billion overall investments
150,000
square meter site
2.4 – 3.5
meter-thick ground slab
THE EXPERTS CHOOSE SIKA
Inside the accelerator, the floors and walls were coated with special protective layers that stick firmly to the concrete and stay smooth as they dry. These measures created a strong, flexible, and long-lasting barrier to protect the accelerator from moisture and damage.
“We showed that all our products could safely withstand the radiation conditions for a minimum 50 years while providing excellent waterproofing protection. Everything from our waterproofing membranes down to the smallest strip of joint sealing tape and dab of adhesive passed the intensive analysis,”
Marco Bloch
Product Engineer for Building and Basement Waterproofing at Sika Germany
WATERPROOFING KNOW-HOW
Although a particle accelerator for researching the universe was new territory for Sika, Bloch believes that it was their advice and practical support at all phases of the project that made Sika stands out, sharing their know-how and solutions with all teams involved. Even though Sika’s contribution will be as invisible as the atoms being researched, their materials will be part of the facility’s success.
Driving profitable growth and creating sustainable shareholder value
