This study arose in the face of adversities involving groundwater seepage that affected the

performance of the underground-level slab and retaining walls of a residential building under
construction. Given the seriousness of the problem, the following question emerged: what
technical solution should be taken in the face of the pathologies that occurred on the retaining
wall and anti-flotation slab, in order to restore their original capability? Seeking to answer
that question, this study aims to analyze the effectiveness of two technical solutions in order to
repair pathological manifestations associated with water seepage on anti-flotation slabs and
retaining walls. The method of inquiry employed is qualitative research, the type being applied
research, the research design is explanatory with a case study approach. Buildings with
underground floors built using anti-flotation slabs comprise the research population, and the
sample of the study is a multi-storey building located in the city of Teresina – Piauí, Brasil,
possessing the technical features that allow its inclusion in the aforementioned population
group. Data collection was conducted with photographic records, documentary research
including the building projects, in addition to several visits at the site in order to evaluate the
presence of aggressive agents, cracks and measure deformations. The data analysis performed
consists of an evaluation of the information collected, in which a diagnosis of the causes and
determination of an effective solution to the problem was sought. The first technical solution
appointed was treating the retaining walls with prefabricated mortars and using polyurethane
resin injections for the slab, which proved to be very effective when it came to repairing the
retaining wall, while it was not able to fix the slab pathologies and ended up aggravating the
situation in some points. Given the inefficiency of the previous slab repair, the second technical
solution taken was conducted in several steps, as follows: removing concrete strips (joints of
concreting panels); applying patching cement compound (Pó2); adding a layer of geotextile
material; overlaying of epoxy adhesive and a drainage layer of gravel over the geotextile;
applying drainage geocomposite and asphalt roll over the entire anit-flotation slab, and
mechanically protecting the surface. The second recovery measure was successfully conducted
and provided watertightness to the structure. The final considerations of the research indicate
that in spite of the problems involving the lack of effectiveness of the first solution adopted for
the slab, the second form of intervention brought satisfactory results aesthetic and functional-
wise, as the surface layer on the slab has shown to be watertight and no evidence of
groundwater could be found. In addition to the unprecedentedness of the recovery system
adopted, the study has also shown that a technique commonly used in the repair of a pathology,
such as polyurethane resin injections, will not always be adequate to fix another of the same
type.
Keywords: Anti-floatation Slabs. Retaining Walls. Groundwater. Repair of Concrete
Structures. Watertightness.