Case Study: Stade de Suisse

On 3 August 2001, the old fabric of the legendary Wankdorf stadium, the home of Swiss football team Young Boys Bern, was pulled down in preparation for the construction of a new stadium. The original stadium had been built in 1925, and as well as serving as a club stadium, it hosted several important matches including the 1954 FIFA World Cup final, the 1961 European Cup final, and the 1989 Cup Winners' Cup final.

The Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf, has been built in its place and this venue will host three games during the initial rounds of the Euro 2008, which takes place in Switzerland and Austria this summer.

Selection of the most effective system:
During the construction of the new stadium the selection of the best waterproofing system was an extensive process which involved specialised engineers who, during planning paid considerable attention to the various sealing technologies available. After intensive analysis, it was decided that the CEMproof sealing system would be used.

What is the CEMproof sealing system?
The CEMproof sealing system is a modified waterproofing system, i.e. structural waterproofing by the use of bentonite liners (CEMtobent) to improve the watertightness of concrete structures. In this form of construction, the waterproofing layer is applied on the positive water side of the concrete structure. The CEMproof sealing system features the CEMtobent CombiSeal liner.

Who or what is CEMproof?
CEMproof AG, part of the BPA family, is a company founded in the Swiss canton of Thurgau in 1998 with the objective of developing waterproofing systems, used across the world for sealing both small and large projects. The demands placed on the CEMproof sealing system in the construction of the Stade de Suisse Stadium can be summarised as follows:

- High level of water impermeability (usable spaces in areas under pressure from water)
- High level of safety

- Low maintenance costs
- High level of economic efficiency
- Impermeability of the building guaranteed for a 10 year period
- On-time construction could be guaranteed and weather conditions would not delay the project.

Stade de Suisse

About this project

Total project budget: approx 350m Swiss francs, of which sealing makes up approx. 2.1m Swiss francs. The base slab is divided into eight building areas, each of which contains nine to 12 stages; each stage is approximately 700 m2 and per stage, there are between 12 & 25 bore piles and three or four dewatering units.

Total area to be sealed: Approx. 62,000 m2, including 300m of expansion joints and 6,000m construction joints
Total bore piles: approx 1,200
Groundwater level: on average c. 2.5-3.5m over the top edge of the base slab
Total number of covered seats: 40,000
Shopping centre in basement: 29,800 m2
Training and office space: 15 000 m2
Offices and restaurants: 11 500 m2
Underground garage spaces: 700
Excavation: 415 000 m3
Building volume: 830 000 m3
Total building time: Four years, commenced 2001
General contractor: Marazzi Generalunternehmung AG
Waterproofing: CEMproof system sealing
Sealing contractor: Sealing partners of CEMproof AG

The sealing system CEMtobent lining system was chosen for the Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf, Stadium because:
- It copes with imperfections and fissures in the concrete
- Joints and penetrations are double-secured by the system
- Assists concrete fissures in healing themselves. With the CEMproof sealing system, the concrete is a load-bearing element but does not also have the task of sealing the building.

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