Completed in December 2023, the mixed-use Hoàng Huy Commerce complex in Hải Phòng, Việt Nam, creates a virtually self-sufficient community in the Le Chan District of the city. PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, provides permanent protection from high groundwater levels for the below-grade concrete structures.
With a population of almost 2.5 million inhabitants, Hải Phòng is the 3rd largest city in Việt Nam and the country’s largest port. It is also the commercial and industrial center for the Red River Delta region. Architecturally, the city retains a colonial look and is known as the “City of Flame Flowers,” thanks to the many streets lined with vivid, crimson-colored flame flower trees.
The Hoàng Huy Commerce mixed-use complex is situated on a 3-hectare (7.5-acres) site in the Le Chan District close to the center of Hải Phòng. Designed by Humphreys & Partners Architects, the project’s four 35-floor petal-shaped towers with three below-grade levels house 4,014 luxury apartments (available as 1-3-bedroom layouts), a three-floor shopping mall, entertainment venues (night club, movie theaters, etc.), and numerous restaurants. Amenities for residents include indoor & outdoor pools (including an outdoor infinity pool), a fitness gym, yoga studio, and playgrounds.
“Because the construction site is located on alluvial land accreted by the Lạch Tray River, Ecoba Việt Nam, the main contractor, required a robust waterproofing solution to counter the high groundwater levels the extensive below-grade concrete structures would be exposed to,” explains says Kim Khanh Ngo Xuan, CEO & Managing Director of Penetron Việt Nam.
During the planning phase of the Hải Phòng development project, the Penetron Việt Nam technical team showed how PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, was an effective – and long-lasting – waterproofing solution.
“Many large construction projects from around the world with similar concrete structures constantly exposed to high hydrostatic pressure have successfully used our admixture for permanent protection,” adds Kim Khanh Ngo Xuan.
PENETRON ADMIX was added to the concrete mix for the foundation slabs of the four towers and the concrete basement retaining walls for all three below-grade levels. Once added to the concrete mix, the active ingredients in PENETRON ADMIX react in a catalytic reaction to the moisture in concrete. This reaction generates a non-soluble crystalline formation throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete. The entire concrete matrix is now impermeable, stopping the penetration of groundwater and moisture from any direction.
“PENETRON ADMIX also enables concrete to self-heal micro-cracks over the service life of the treated structures,” adds Kim Khanh Ngo Xuan. “This effectively minimizes any future waterproofing related maintenance costs for the Hoàng Huy Commerce owners.”
Protected from high hydrostatic pressure: PENETRON ADMIX was used to treat the foundation slabs and basement retaining walls (three below-grade levels) under the four Hoàng Huy Commerce towers.
