LeakGuard is an integrated smart waterproofing system that turns standard bituminous membranes into monitored infrastructure assets for flat roofs and underground structures. In these applications, leaks often remain hidden for months because membranes are covered by gravel, green roofs, insulation or solar arrays, making inspections infrequent, intrusive and expensive. LeakGuard addresses this by embedding a distributed sensing grid (humidity and temperature) directly into the membrane during roll-to-roll manufacturing, so installation remains unchanged: contractors use conventional heat-welding tools and established workflows with no added sensor layers or batteries.
The project will industrialise an on-the-fly R2R printing step for conductive sensor grids, combined with 100% in-line electrical quality control, roll-release criteria and unique roll IDs. Manufacturing data, electrical verification results and installation zone mapping are linked into a traceable evidence chain, enabling commissioning and signed handover reports suitable for warranty and certification. A grid-powered readout unit provides once-daily measurements without batteries, while a secure monitoring platform uses analytics and AI to distinguish condensation from true ingress and generate actionable leak localisation (target resolution 2×2 m). Pilot production and field installations will validate performance and long-term durability under thermal cycling, standing water and freeze–thaw conditions