Earth Shield® PVC Waterstop Achieves NSF 61 Certification

Certification to NSF/ANSI 61 demonstrates compliance with nationally-recognized 
health effects standard for all drinking water treatment chemicals.

J P Specialties, Inc. has earned certification to NSF/ANSI 61, the American National Standard for Drinking Water Treatment Components – Health Effects for its Earth Shield® PVC Waterstop from global public health organization NSF International. 

Government agencies around the world utilize NSF International standards to verify the safety and performance of water treatment chemicals, pipes, and plumbing components and to ensure these products do not leach harmful levels of contaminants into drinking water. 

To earn NSF/ANSI 61 certification, J P Specialties’ Earth Shield® PVC Waterstop was subject to rigorous testing and evaluation to verify the product met requirements for use in drinking water. NSF International also audited J P Specialties’ manufacturing facility to verify compliance with the standard requirements.

About NSF International: NSF International is a global independent organization that writes standards and protocols, and tests and certifies products for the food, water, and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality, and Indoor Environment.

Free DeWalt® Drill Driver With Qualifying Earth Shield® Retrofit Waterstop Orders

DeWalt DCF885C2 Drill Driver

The DEWALT® DCF885C2 20 V MAX lithium-ion 1/4-in impact driver kit is compact and lightweight for fitting in tight spaces and increasing productivity. Belt hook allows the user to be mobile.

• DCF885C2 kit includes one 1/4-in impact driver, two 1.5 Ah 20-volt MAX Li-ion battery packs, one DCB107 fast charger, and belt hook
• High-performance motor delivers 0-3,200 BPM
• Variable-speed trigger (0-2,800 RPM) provides control, and the impact mechanism produces 1,400-in-lbs max torque
• 1-handed, 1/4-in hex accepts 1-in bits
• Two 20-volt lithium-ion batteries with 1.5-Ah and 30-min charge
• Lightweight 2.8-lb design reduces user fatigue
• 3 LED lights provide visibility without shadows
• Made in USA with global materials
• Convenient belt hook keeps the tool close at hand

Beginning now through while supplies last, every Earth Shield® Retrofit Waterstop order $5000 or greater will receive a free DeWalt® DCF885C2 Drill Driver. Contact your Earth Shield® sales representative for more information.

PVC Caps for Metal Keyway

PVC158 installed on metal keyway.

If you use metal keyway in your project, you probably need our JPS PVC Caps. All of our PVC caps are manufactured with a specially formulated, UV stabilized flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The caps are grey, blending perfectly with the cast concrete.

I am proud to announce that J P Specialties, Inc. now manufactures PVC waterstop. Earth Shield® Polyvinyl Chloride Waterstop (PVC) is the perfect solution for most water and wastewater applications. Earth Shield® PVC Waterstop is manufactured from prime virgin resin and is the trusted choice for environmental engineered concrete structures.

Understanding Waterstop

To understand what a waterstop is, it is helpful to understand what it is not. Waterstop will not prevent the migration of moisture through a concrete slab, protecting the installed flooring system (such as tile or hardwood) from adhesion failure or deterioration. Nor will waterstop have any effect on capillary water migration through concrete walls. Vapor barriers, drain boards, concrete admixtures, bituminous wraps, flashings, and multiple other construction products are available to the specifier, contractor, or end-user for these criteria and there are many good books written on the subject.

PVC Waterstop

Waterstop has a singular purpose: To prevent the passage of fluids across and along concrete joints. Waterstop does all of its work at the joint. Because concrete joints are frequently open and subject to hydrostatic loads, a strong case states that waterstop has the most critical role in fluid-proofing a concrete structure. A pinhole or imperfection in a vapor barrier will have little to no noticeable effect, but even the slightest defect in a waterstop product or its installation can be truly catastrophic to the fluid-tight integrity of the building envelope. 

The first waterstops used in construction were strips of lead or copper. In the early 1900s, the preferred waterstop material shifted to vulcanized rubbers such as neoprene or styrene butadiene rubber (SBR). While rubber waterstops had excellent mechanical properties (high tensile strength and elongation) they had one major weakness: they were challenging to fabricate as the rubber was vulcanized, meaning it had already taken a “set” (thermoset) and could not be heat welded together like the metals used previously.

In 1926, Waldo Semon of the B. F. Goodrich Company invented plasticized PVC. Semon was attempting to dehydrohalogenate (non-plasticized) PVC in a solution of boiling solvent to create an unsaturated polymer that would be useful for bonding rubber to metal. The results of Semon’s experiment was the creation of a thermoplastic with properties very similar to rubber.  

It took many years for plasticized PVC to find suitable commercial applications, and was first used as a waterstop material in the early 1950s. Back then, the material was properly labeled as fPVC or flexible PVC. The first wide-scale test of any waterstop was performed in 1954 by the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, Canada. Many manufacturers still use the results of this test as a benchmark, and other than some new polymers, waterstop has not changed that much since then.

HDPE Waterstop for Hydrocarbons

Earth Shield® HDPE Waterstop is a specialized thermoplastic that is ideally suited for hot petroleum oils, diesel fuel, aromatic hydrocarbons, industrial solvents, and other aggressive, non-polar fluids that would cause significant softening and swelling of other waterstop polymers.

Earth Shield® HDPE Waterstop is available in many of the same shapes and profiles as our industry-leading, chemical resistant, Earth Shield® TPV polymer.

Install Earth Shield® HDPE Waterstop in all concrete joints. Waterstop should be centered in, and run the extent of the joint. All changes of directions should be prefabricated (see Shop Made Fittings), leaving only butt-welding for the field. If installing in an expansion joint, keep center bulb unembedded to allow it to accommodate movement as designed. Use our factory-installed brass eyelets or #3 hog rings and tie wire to secure waterstop to reinforcing steel to avoid displacement during the concrete pour. Splice straight lengths of waterstop and Shop Made Fittings to straight lengths, with an ST-10® In-Line Waterstop Splicer with the iron temperature set to 410°F to 430°F. More detailed installation instructions are in our Standard 3-part Specifications.

Flat Strip Waterstop

Flat strip waterstop is installed most often in below grade applications, with limited movement. Flat strip waterstop functions in construction and contraction (control) joints. Both JP637 and JP937 are all 3/8” thick... The largest and thickest profiles available in the industry! Like all our thermoplastic waterstops, Earth Shield® flat strip waterstop can be heat-welded using a standard waterstop splicing iron allowing for easy field fabrications and enable the waterstop to function as a continuous, homogeneous, fluid-tight diaphragm. Waterstop directional changes are available along with straight roll stock. Custom, fit-to-print waterstop modules are produced to order. Prefabricated ells, tees, tank pads, column fittings, and many others are in stock and ready to ship.

We're Hiring

We currently have two positions to fill: Welder/Fabricator and Extruder Operator. Great pay and benefits included. If you're interested in learning more, please contact us at jpspec@jpspecialties.com

JP216L Retrofit Waterstop for Chemical Containment

Earth Shield® part no. JP216L Retrofit Waterstop is designed to provide a fluid-tight seal between existing and new concrete construction, without resorting to the labor-intensive and structurally destructive saw-cut-and-grout method. It is ideal for joining a new slab to an existing wall. Special profile fabrications are available for columns and pipe penetrations. All of our retrofit waterstops are sold as a complete system, and include all the necessary stainless steel bars and bolts. We also offer a high-quality chemical resistant novolac epoxy — VEN 1000. Earth Shield® retrofit waterstops are manufactured with our proprietary thermoplastic vulcanizate compound, which provides for unsurpassed chemical

JP216L Retrofit Waterstop

resistance. Like all our thermoplastic vulcanizate waterstops, Earth Shield® retrofit waterstop can be heat-welded using a standard waterstop splicing iron. This allows for easy field fabrications, and allows the waterstop to function as a continuous, homogeneous, fluid-tight diaphragm. Waterstop change of directions can be purchased along with straight roll stock, and custom, fit-to-print waterstop modules are produced to order. Prefabricated ells, tees, tank pads, column fittings, and many others are in stock and ready to ship.

JP216L in a construction joint.

TPV Waterstop for Secondary Containment

Earth Shield® Thermoplastic Vulcanizate Waterstop is used as a fluid-tight diaphragm, embedded in concrete, across and along the joint, for primary and secondary containment structures. Earth Shield® Chemical Resistant Waterstops are resistant to a wide range of oils, solvents, and aggressive chemicals. Alcohol, ketones, glycols, esters, and aqueous solutions of acids, salts, and bases have little effect on Earth Shield® Thermoplastic Vulcanizate Waterstop.

Unlike polyvinyl chloride (PVC) waterstop, Earth Shield® waterstop contains no plasticizer, stabilizer, or filler to leech out when exposed to chemicals, fuels, and aggressive industrial fluids. Also, unlike PVC waterstop, Earth Shield® can withstand prolonged exposure to high and low temperatures (-78°F to 275°F long term) without detrimental effect.

Earth Shield® TPV Waterstop is NSF Standard 61 Certified for use in drinking water and is made of a recyclable polymer, so it is good for health and the environment.

The superior chemical resistance of Earth Shield® Thermoplastic Vulcanizate Waterstop is enhanced by the use of a ribbed centerbulb configuration, which is available in a 4, 6, and 9-inch width. This provides for greater mechanical bonding with the concrete and a barrier against migration of liquid flow around the waterstop. The ribbed centerbulb style also allows for joint movement and may be used in above or below grade applications. Additional shapes are available for retrofit, extreme expansion, stainless steel and base seal applications. 

Different varieties and grades of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) are commercially available. On the low-end there is thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), which has a rubber phase that is not cross-linked. On the high-end there is thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV)... Earth Shield® has chosen a fully cross-linked TPV as our standard elastomer compound, which provides superior mechanical properties, retention, and chemical resistance. In fact, when compared side-by-side, no competitive product is even close to achieving the physical properties of Earth Shield®