Elevating the operator over the waterproofing generally necessitates a penetration to provide power. Do not pass the wiring directly through the waterproofing; the small diameters and highly flexible wires will lead to failures. Flexible conduit, whether plastic or metal, carries the risk of stretching and rupturing membranes even with slight movement. A rigid conduit penetration, with sufficient clear height for a waterproofing termination, is the only reliable waterproofing practice.
An alternative approach to securing the door operator, while simultaneously making a compatible seal at waterproofing penetrations in-place, is to elevate the door operator above the waterproofing with steel stanchions or posts that can be wrapped with a conventional membrane seal at the plane of the plaza waterproofing. Waterproofing membrane manufacturers typically require this exposed vertical boot seal to be 152 to 203 mm (6 to 8 in.) tall. Unfortunately, the height of the waterproofing seal required here is often more difficult to achieve at the compact, low threshold entrances than when the reinforced concrete retainer curb is used.
The reinforced concrete retainer curb options and the generally less compact steel stanchion option require more vertical clearance that can, at least, locally require dropping the top of the structural slab.
Drainage requirements
It is also important to consider the drainage requirements of in-floor door operators. Similar to the issue of securing the door operator, drainage requirements are also project-specific and often explicitly delegated by the manufacturer to the installer.
Some designs include a four-sided depression for the operator, anchorage, and electrical penetrations. The depression cannot drain water out of the building. Therefore, the water is trapped in the depression, and the depression requires a drain (Figure 2A). Depressions without a provision to drain could result in a partially submerged door operator.
A submerged door operator typically violates the door operator manufacturer warranty, not to mention the waterproofing manufacturer’s requirements. While it is the responsibility of a project’s plumbing engineer to coordinate internal drains, door operator drainage may vary from conventional drains reliably sealed to the plaza waterproofing with clamping rings to drainage using plastic hose tubing routed to drain water away from the operator base. Plastic hoses penetrating the waterproofing system may not be a reliable watertight penetration and require specialized detailing. Concerns with flexible conduit penetrations are the same as those with flexible tubing penetrations.
Thanks for the well written and helpful article Dan and Matt
This article on waterproofing in-floor door operators is a must read for anyone involved in construction and waterproofing. The detailed steps and considerations it outlines ensure both the functionality and longevity of door operators in wet environments. It’s a valuable resource for professionals aiming to achieve robust waterproofing solutions.