MEA Electricity Museum
This project involved the restoration and rehabilitation of an historic building (building 1 at MEA Wat Liab branch) constructed during the reign of King Rama VI, over 100 years ago. Built in 1916, the building originally served as the head office of Siam Electricity Co., Ltd., the first building of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) & the area behind the building was formerly home to the “Wat Liab Power Plant,” which was the first power plant in Thailand.
Due to its significant architectural and historical value, the building is being preserved with the intention of transforming it into the “MEA Electricity Museum” or “MEA Spark.”
Recommended by the designer, Xypex Thailand was engaged to provide a demonstration proving the efficiency of Xypex crystalline technology, on a concrete structure over 100 years old. Following the favourable results, Xypex products were specified for the treatment of the underground structures, after the building had been raised, in order to prevent flooding due to its site’s proximity to the Chao Phraya River.
The first stage involved repairing minor defects using Xypex Megamix II, Xypex Patch’n Plug and Xypex Concentrate. Following these repairs, Xypex Concentrate coating was applied to waterproof over 800 m2 of the underground concrete structures. The treated areas were then cured with Xypex Gamma Cure to ensure that the curing process was completed efficiently and in line with the project requirements.
In addition, more than 350 metres of underground concrete joints were waterproofed with Corkjoint Superswell 47B, coupled with Xypex Concentrate, as part of the remedition process to ensure the watertightness of the concrete structures.
Through the use of Xypex Solutions, the crystalline technology becomes an integral part of the concrete substrate, permanently protecting it against the marine-like conditions present in the subsoils. This helps prevent rebar corrosion within the structures and enhances the long-term durability of the historic museum, benefiting generations to come.