Waterproofing the New Toppen Shopping Centre’s Vehicular Tunnel

Toppen Shopping Centre, one of Johor Bahru’s new shopping destinations, is set to open later this year. Located in Tebrau city, a short drive across the causeway from Singapore, the Shopping Centre boasts 46,696 square metres of floor space. Toppen Shopping Centre lies on the same plot of land as IKEA Tebrau.

Managed by the IKANO group, which also manages IKEA in the region, the mall is designed as an open concept mall, utilising modern eco-friendly design elements such as glass ceilings and roof gardens to boost its standing as the “heart and hub” of Johor Bahru.

EVALON V 2.5mm (with fleece) was used for the waterproofing of vehicular tunnels and electrical substations around the complex, totalling 1,500 square metres. The new vehicular tunnel is a one-way tunnel that connects inbound traffic from the main road directly to Toppen Shopping Centre’s basement carpark.

One of the design considerations was that the project needed a membrane which is able to withstand the dynamic movement of vehicles travelling on the roadway above this vehicular tunnel. Hence, EVALON waterproofing membranes were chosen for its durability and superior quality as compared to standard PVC-P membranes.

Another consideration was the environmental factors surrounding the tunnel structure. Using EVALON which is resistant to root penetration will reduce the need for a separate root-resistant membrane to protect the waterproofing membrane against any surrounding plant roots’ attempt to puncture it.

With strong technical support from Elmich, and various successful EVALON applications in projects around Malaysia as testimonies, EVALON was the ideal choice for the project.

EVALON is an EVA-PVC waterproofing membrane made with DuPont’s Elvaloy EVA terpolymer. The highly reliable membrane meets German FLL requirements for root resistance and is FM approved. The high solids content in EVALON ensures minimal volumetric and flexibility loss, giving it excellent mechanical and weathering resistance. 

EVALON was fully-bonded using an EVALON V adhesive that has a high bonding strength. Due to EVALON being bitumen compatible and can be directly applied on all standard bituminous layers, a wide selection of adhesives can be used for a fully-bonded membrane system as well as a membrane of choice when it comes to re-roofing any existing bitumen roof. 

Over 160,000,000 square metres of EVALON membranes have been installed worldwide, with over 2,000,000 square metres on iconic structures in Singapore. 

For more details about our EVALON waterproofing membrane, click here.

Project Credits:

Waterproofing Installer: KCP Projects Sdn Bhd