MC-Bauchemie MC-Crete 810
An MC-Bauchemie liquid admixture that waterproofs concrete integrally, reducing capillary porosity through the full cross-section rather than just the surface.
What is it?
A liquid integral waterproofing and permeability-reducing admixture from MC-Bauchemie, dosed into the concrete mix at the batching stage.
Where is it used?
Water-retaining and below-ground concrete: basement rafts and walls, water tanks, sumps, swimming pools, retaining walls and marine structures.
Why use it?
It reduces water penetration through the entire concrete section and works permanently from within, so waterproofing does not depend on a surface coating that can wear or debond.
How is it applied?
Added to the mixing water or during batching at 0.5-1.5% by mass of cement (roughly 500-1,500 ml per 100 kg cement); no separate site application step is needed.
About MC-Bauchemie MC-Crete 810
MC-Crete 810 is an integral waterproofing admixture from MC-Bauchemie, the German construction-chemicals house, intended for structures where water resistance has to be built into the concrete itself. Instead of relying on a membrane or coating applied after casting, it is metered into the mix at the batching plant or transit mixer so that every cubic metre of concrete leaves the pour already densified. That distinction matters on Indian sites, where surface systems are the first thing to fail once backfill goes in, plaster is chased for services, or a raft sits permanently below the water table with no access for repair.
The admixture targets the capillary pore network that lets water travel through hardened concrete. By combining water-repellent stearate chemistry with pore-refining reactive components, it produces a tighter, less connected paste matrix and lowers the depth to which pressurised water can penetrate. Space Arc Engineering supplies MC-Crete 810 as an authorised MC-Bauchemie channel partner across Delhi NCR and Pan-India, and our team can advise on dosage trials, compatibility with the plasticiser already in your mix, and how to read the results against IS acceptance criteria.
The technical insight
Hardened concrete is never fully solid. As cement hydrates and bleed water evaporates it leaves behind a network of interconnected capillary pores, and it is this network, not the odd visible crack, that carries most of the water into a wet basement or a leaking tank. MC-Crete 810 attacks that network on two fronts. The stearate fraction lines the pore walls to make them water-repellent, so capillary suction that would normally draw water into the concrete is broken. At the same time the reactive pore-filling components react within the paste to physically narrow and block the finer capillaries, reducing how deeply pressurised water can advance. Because the admixture also helps the mix reach workability at a slightly lower water content, the paste starts denser to begin with, which compounds the effect. The result is measured as a reduction in water penetration depth under pressure testing to IS 2645 and DIN 1048, and unlike a coating the benefit is distributed uniformly through the section, so a chased wall or a drilled slab is still protected at the freshly exposed face.
Where it is used
- Basement raft foundations and perimeter retaining walls cast against permanent groundwater
- Underground and overhead water storage tanks, sumps and reservoirs
- Swimming pool shells and balancing tanks
- Retaining walls and box-type structures subject to hydrostatic pressure
- Marine and hydraulic structures exposed to standing or moving water
- Basement car parks and podiums where the concrete itself is the water barrier
- Roof slabs and structural screeds in monsoon-exposed construction
- Water-retaining structures designed to IS 3370
Key advantages
- Waterproofs through the full concrete cross-section, not just the exposed face
- Permanent action that cannot wear, puncture or debond like a surface membrane
- Measurably reduces water penetration depth under pressure to IS 2645 / DIN 1048
- Helps achieve workability at a lower water-cement ratio, densifying the paste
- No adverse effect on compressive strength when dosed correctly
- Dosed at the plant with no separate site application, saving a trade and a program step
- Protects newly exposed concrete after chasing or drilling, unlike coatings
- Compatible with normal Portland cement concrete and typical admixture regimes
Limitations & considerations
- It is a permeability reducer, not a crack bridger; structural or thermal cracks wider than fine hairlines still need a joint or coating treatment
- It cannot compensate for poor compaction, honeycombing, cold joints or inadequate cover
- Dosage and mix compatibility should be verified by trial, especially where a superplasticiser is already in use
- It does not waterproof construction joints, tie-holes or penetrations, which need a separate waterstop or sealant system
- Benefit depends on good curing; a densified matrix still relies on proper hydration to develop
Selection & best practice
Fix the dosage by trial mix rather than by rule of thumb. Start within the 0.5-1.5% by mass of cement band, add the admixture to the gauging water or during batching (never onto dry cement), and mix thoroughly so it is evenly dispersed. Keep the water-cement ratio as low as workability allows, because the admixture rewards a dense starting matrix and cannot rescue a wet, bleeding mix. Confirm compatibility with any plasticiser or retarder already in the concrete before scaling to production, and check penetration results against IS 2645 acceptance criteria. On site, protect the waterproofing you have paid for: compact fully to avoid honeycombing, plan pours to minimise cold joints, detail every construction joint with a waterstop, and cure properly for the full period. Remember that integral admixture and joint detailing are complementary, not alternatives.
Specifications
| Product type | Liquid integral waterproofing / permeability-reducing admixture |
| Base chemistry | Water-repellent stearate compounds with reactive pore-filling components |
| Recommended dosage | 0.5-1.5% by mass of cement (approx. 500-1,500 ml per 100 kg cement) |
| Point of addition | Gauging water / batching stage; not added to dry cement |
| Primary action | Reduces capillary water penetration through the concrete section |
| Effect on strength | No adverse effect on compressive strength at correct dosage |
| Relevant standards | IS 2645, IS 9103, IS 456:2000, IS 3370; DIN 1048 penetration test |
| Compatibility | OPC concrete and typical plasticiser/admixture systems (verify by trial) |
Industry use cases
Basements and below-grade
Rafts and retaining walls that sit permanently below the water table, where no surface system can be maintained once backfill is placed.
Water retention (IS 3370)
Tanks, sumps and reservoirs where the concrete is the primary barrier and leakage risk must be reduced at source.
Swimming pools and hydraulics
Pool shells, balancing tanks and hydraulic works in continuous contact with water under head.
Marine and coastal
Structures exposed to standing or moving water where a dense, low-permeability matrix improves durability.
Monsoon-exposed superstructure
Roof slabs, screeds and wet-area concrete that need integral resistance to driving rain and ponding.
Frequently asked questions
Does MC-Crete 810 replace a waterproofing membrane?
What dosage should I use?
Will it reduce my concrete strength?
Can it seal cracks that have already formed?
When is it added to the mix?
Is it compatible with the plasticiser already in my mix?
How we position MC-Bauchemie MC-Crete 810
MC-Crete 810 sits in the integral waterproofing family alongside MC-Bauchemie’s Centrament water-resisting admixtures, and pairs naturally with their joint-sealing and waterstop systems where construction joints and penetrations need separate treatment. Because integral admixture protects the concrete body but not its joints, we typically specify it with a compatible waterstop and a joint sealant to close the whole water path. Buyers cross-shopping brands will find direct equivalents in the Fosroc Conplast waterproofing range, Sika’s integral admixtures, and Dr. Fixit’s site-batched waterproofing products; Space Arc supplies across these lines and can match a like-for-like alternative to your specification and mix design.
Fosroc Conplast X421IC — A specifier standardising on Fosroc, or needing an IS 2645-marked integral waterproofing admixture from that supply chain, can choose Conplast X421IC as a like-for-like liquid alternative.
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