Bitumen, also known as asphalt, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum.

Typical Application Fields

For Bitumen Roofs

Close up view of bitumen membrane applied on roof at parapet

Flat Roofs

Bitumen Terrace of Residence building in Muehlau Kirchgasse

Terraces

Sika flooring system in parking garage Lammermarkt in Leiden Netherlands

Parking Levels

Comet hangar roof after renovation of bitumen roof

Pitched Roofs

Builiding with green roof in the mountains

Green Roofs

Two workers rolling SikaBit bitumen membrane apply on roof

Roof Renovation

For Bitumen Waterproofing

Bituminous Membrane Basement from Outside

Basements

Man applying bituminous membrane on a building basement

Below-Grade Structures

Application of bituminous membrane on a podium

Podiums

Bridge in Klosters Switzerland

Bridge Decks

Waste water treatment plant in Wroclaw in Poland

Tank Lining

Torch-applied Bituminous Membranes

Bituminous waterproofing membrane

Once applied, Sika’s bituminous membranes are a thin layer of watertight material fully-bonded to the surface. It is a flexible system, able to maintain its waterproof capacity without causing cracks.

See the general bituminous membrane build-up below.

Main Uses
  • Retaining walls, basements and below-ground structures
  • Flat roofs under protective layers of ballast 
  • Balconies and terraces under tiles
  • Wet areas
  • Underground car parks
  • Bridges
  • Raft slabs and foundations
  • Protection of various substrates in a wide range of applications
Advantages
  • Fully-bonded system
  • Resistant to the most extreme weather conditions
  • Ease of maintenance
  • Excellent mechanical properties
  • High resistance to mechanical damage and punctures

Self-adhesive Bituminous Membranes

Bituminous Membrane Basement from Outside

Self-adhesive bituminous membranes are covered by a release liner, which is removed during application.

Main Uses
  • Wood substrates
  • Flammable areas
  • Small areas, vertical surfaces or those areas with difficult access
  • Retaining walls, basements and below-ground structures
Advantages
  • No torch needed
  • Safer, faster installation
  • No special equipment needed
  • Excellent adhesion, even at low temperatures

Related Bitumen Technologies

Bitumen Liquid-Applied Membrane
Application of cold-applied bitumen membrane with a hand trowel

Bitumen liquid-applied membranes are the perfect solution for seamless, fully-adhered and safe systems. They are polymer-modified bitumen emulsions which require no torch or flame to be applied. They are available as water-based or solvent-based coatings.

Self-Adhesive Bituminous Tapes
Application of self-adhesive bituminous tape

Sika also has self-adhesive, polymer-modified bituminous sealing tapes which are laminated with aluminum foil on the upper side and contain no reinforcement.  

Hot Melt Bitumen
Two workers applying hot melted bitumen membrane

Bitumen hot melt is a polymer-modified bitumen, either elastomeric or plastomeric, packed in a solid block state. For application, the block is heated and applied onto the substrate, forming a fully-bonded waterproofing layer.

General Bituminous Membrane Build-Up

The combination of raw materials can be built up in thousands of possibilities, but this is a typical composition example.

Bitumen technology dominates approximately
60%
of the flat roof market worldwide.
In some countries, bitumen accounts for over
80%
of the flat roof market.