Certified waterproofing solution for onshore smolt fish farming tank

SalMar is one of the world’s largest producers of farmed salmon with activities along the coastline of Norway.. The building of a new onshore smolt nursery at Follafoss in central Norway started in 2017 including the replacement of the old facility in phase 2.

The new plant, constructed in phase 1, comprises 22 pools containing 12,500 m³ water to house the young salmon or smolts. An additional 18 pools were constructed in phase 2.

Hans Kristian Knobel, our Key Account Manager in Norway, got involved in the project as SalMar needed a waterproofing solution for the cast-in-situ concrete tanks. The waterproofing solution had to ensure continuous operation of the tanks without leakages and to provide a seamless and smooth surface inside the tank so that the fish would not injure themselves. And a vital requirement for SalMar was that the waterproofing membrane did not contaminate the water, risking the health of the fish.

Working closely with SalMar, in a process that included on-site testing and consulting, a solution that met all the necessary requirements was found. This is how the solution was applied to the inside of the water tanks:

• Sandblasting the reinforced concrete surfaces.
• Priming with MasterSeal 770, a product based on our Xolutec® technology.
• Waterproofing with MasterSeal M 689, a fast-applied sprayed polyurea membrane, without seams and certified for contact with drinking water.

Water is a major and valuable resource in the food & beverage industry

Large amounts of water are used in all types of industrial plants for processing, washing, diluting, cooling, or transporting goods. Although water used to be considered an unlimited and free resource, our perception of its value has changed; today, scarcity, drought and a greater social and environmental conscience mean that it must be more carefully used and managed.

But water is also an active agent in the corrosion and degradation of concrete and metals, by itself and as a carrier of other chemicals, such as acids, that make some industrial environments more aggressive.  For these reasons, it is extremely important for decision-makers in the food & beverage industry to select a waterproofing membrane that ensures both the protection of concrete structures and the preservation of water quality.

Learn more about our MasterSeal waterproofing membranes used in the food & beverage industry.