MiraPLY™ Received Early Thumbs Up on High-Profile Nvidia Project

When Nvidia announced the construction of its new headquarters in Silicon Valley several years ago, the tech giant’s architectural goals were straightforward. The triangular building – which mimics the fundamental building block of computer graphics – was designed to be efficient and “thoughtful in its use of space, energy, and environment, and of course, cost,” according to a Nvidia press release.

Quality, efficiency, and cost were top of mind when Steve McCullers, President of Aqua Proof, Inc., chose to use MiraPLY with SeamLOCK^™ Technology for waterproofing 300,000 square feet of below-grade slab. The product was applied successfully over lime-treated soil, lagging, and concrete.

MiraPLY is a 70-mil-thick, self-adhering blindside waterproofing system designed for waterproofing under-slab applications. This pliable reinforced system was introduced primarily as an alternative to more rigid HDPE membranes.

MiraPLY is made by fusing a tough, durable, 45-mil-thick reinforced TPO backing to a 25-mil-thick butyl alloy adhesive coating. It integrates the two time-tested waterproofing technologies and forms a dual-laminate membrane that securely adheres to substrates without requiring soil compression. SeamLOCK Technology uses auto adhesion, a chemical process that fuses molecules between the dual membranes, resulting in a strong, durable seam.

Aqua Proof, Inc., a 30-year-old company serving the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and Central Valley of California, had been installing MiraPLY products for more than five years. When the reinforced product was announced, McCullers was ready to try it on one of his largest high-profile projects. The Nvidia headquarters sat on 36 acres and was the size of three football fields.

Marty Hanson, Aqua Proof foreman, said the lightweight, kick-out rolls provided time and labor savings, reducing overall costs within the project’s aggressive timeframe.

“This was a much faster installation than before,” said Hanson. “We were able to kick one roll out, kick the next one out beside it, and pull the seam tape. As fast as we could roll it out, we could seam it together. The seams were much easier to work with. They were already factory-covered with release tape. With this new product, we didn’t have to fold the lap over, prime the face, and let it dry. We just pulled the seam tape, rolled a 70-pound roller over it, and moved on to the next roll.”