Turkish biological pond lined with PondGard EPDM stands the test of time, even after an earthquake

For the biological pond at the Elazig Culture Park, the largest park in Turkey’s Eastern Anatolia region, the city’s municipality wanted a durable waterproofing solution that was easy to install and that was safe for the aquatic flora and fauna. The pond, located in the center of the park, covers a surface of 17,000 m², which is about 10% of the total park area.

The customer chose Elevate’s PondGard EPDM lining membrane because of its proven quality and ease of installation, its availability in large panel sizes - ideal for the large scale of the pond – and the technical support provided by Elevate’s local partner BioArt, who carried out the installation.

The main challenge for this project was that there was a large quantity of details in the pond. Several bridges, piers, fountains and waterfalls had to be waterproofed carefully. Installing the membrane and carrying out all the detailing around these features took about 4 months.

The Elazig Culture Park was designed by renowned Turkish architect Günay Erdem, together with landscape architects Serpil Öztekin Erdem and Sunay Erdem. Since it opened the public in May 2015, it has become the center of attraction of the city, with its indoor and outdoor areas and its large biological pond. Leisure facilities such as cafes and restaurants are located around the pond, offering a visual feast to the residents of the city.

In January 2020, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake shook the city of Sivrice, some 30 km south of the city of Elazig. Despite this strong earthquake, there was no damage to the pond at the Culture Park. The elasticity and flexibility of the PondGard EPDM membrane, together with its excellent puncture resistance, allows it to adapt to the movements of the support and the irregularities of the substrate, guaranteeing a long service life.