Museum Construction Implements a Solution for Watertight Protection

PREPRUFE® and BITUTHENE® waterproofing utilized to protect 65€ million museum.

Project
Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (MuCEM)
Client
French Ministry of Culture
Architect
Rudy Ricciotti and Roland Carta
Contractor
Dumez Sud + Freyssinet Sud-Est (VINCI Construction France)
Structural Engineers
SICA and Lamoureux & Riciotti
GCP Solutions
PREPRUFE® pre-applied waterproofing, BITUTHENE® waterproofing

Project Profile

Designing a seaside museum

Built on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the new 65€ million Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (MuCEM) in Marseille was designed to deliver exceptional resistance to the challenging and aggressive coastal conditions.

Designed by architects Rudy Ricciotti and Roland Carta and built by Dumez Sud + Freyssinet Sud-Est (VINCI Construction France), MuCEM sits on reclaimed land at the entrance to Marseille’s historic harbor—between a 17th century fort and former cruise terminal. A spectacular 15,000 m2 cube covered with a latticework reinforced UHPC concrete shell, it is the first national museum exclusively located outside the French capital and marks the year of Marseille as the European Capital of Culture.

 

"The new 65€ million Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (MuCEM) in Marseille was designed to deliver exceptional resistance to the challenging and aggressive coastal conditions."

Protecting against the ravages of the sea

Due to the museum’s coastal proximity, museum construction structural engineers, SICA, and Lamoureux & Riciotti, required a comprehensive waterproofing system that would protect the slab from water ingress, provide protection from salt and sulfates in the ground, and preserve the lifespan of the structure.

Faced with salt water exposure, high water tables, and fluctuating temperatures, over 5,000 m2 of PREPRUFE® waterproofing membrane proved to be the ideal solution to provide watertight protection from below the ground up.

"Faced with salt water exposure, high water tables, and fluctuating temperatures, over 5,000 m2 of PREPRUFE® waterproofing membrane proved to be the ideal solution."

Providing long-term waterproofing

PREPRUFE® is an advanced membrane system offering the safest and most reliable waterproofing option. Designed with synthetic adhesive layers, the patented Advanced Bond Technology™ enables concrete to aggressively adhere to PREPRUFE®, forming a unique intimate seal which prevents any water migration between the waterproofing and the structure, substantially reducing the risk of leaks.

PREPRUFE® protects a substructure from the harmful effects of water, vapor, and gas better than the competition. It can also be applied on wet concrete and is immediately trafficable after installation, which makes for fast and easy installation.

The GCP BITUTHENE® LM asphalt-modified liquid membrane provides a continuous waterproofing barrier system between the concrete slab and diaphragm walls – meeting the museum construction project’s comprehensive waterproofing needs.

Preserving and protecting cultural buildings was essential for future generations, which was why the successful application of PREPRUFE® at MuCEM perfectly demonstrated the importance of specifying a geomembrane to fit the challenge. PREPRUFE® not only fit for purpose, it was also economically and environmentally sustainable, and delivered waterproofing performance like no other system on the market.

Preventing water penetration and migration around the foundations, the application of PREPRUFE® will protect the museum design and its collections and expositions for many years to come.

Blue360sm Product Performance Advantage.
Because every project, large or small, deserves the best level of protection.

"PREPRUFE® not only fit for purpose, it was also economically and environmentally sustainable, and delivered waterproofing performance like no other system on the market."

gcpat.com | North America Customer Service: +1 (877) 423 6491


GCP Applied Technologies Inc., 2325 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 400, Alpharetta, GA 30009, USA
GCP Canada, Inc., 294 Clements Road, West, Ajax, Ontario, Canada L1S 3C6
This document is only current as of the last updated date stated below and is valid only for use in the United States. It is important that you always refer to the currently available information at the URL below to provide the most current product information at the time of use. Additional literature such as Contractor Manuals, Technical Bulletins, Detail Drawings and detailing recommendations and other relevant documents are also available on www.gcpat.com. Information found on other websites must not be relied upon, as they may not be up-to-date or applicable to the conditions in your location and we do not accept any responsibility for their content. If there are any conflicts or if you need more information, please contact GCP Customer Service.

Last Updated: 2023-04-25

https://gcpat.com/en/about/project-profiles/museum-construction-implements-a-solution-watertight-protection