Media Release

PENETRON Provides Solution for Orthodontics Institute in Chile

Chile

PENTRON ADMIX was mixed into the concrete foundation of the newly inaugurated National Institute of Orthodontics (INO-3) to solve the challenges of a high water table. Located in the Ñuñoa district of Santiago, Chile, the new facility features an orthodontic clinic, offices and parking.

The proprietary chemicals in PENETRON ADMIX react with concrete to generate water insoluble crystals, which fill and block micro-cracks, pores and capillaries in the substrate. This blocks any water penetration into the concrete of the INO-3 building, which is now essentially – and permanently – waterproof.

Originally, because of the high water table at the construction site, the project specified an asphalt membrane for the perimeter walls. However, the membrane failed to perform as expected and the project engineers then specified PENETRON ADMIX for the concrete structures exposed to the groundwater.

The design of the INO-3 building is a fresh, modernist geometry of native hardwoods and concrete. With a footprint of 1,030 m2 (11,090 square feet), the total floor space of the four above-ground floors totals 5,700m2 (61,400 square feet). The four below-ground levels provide basement space and parking for 80 automobiles.

PENETRON ADMIX was added to approximately 800 m3 (1,050 cubic yards) of concrete during the batching phase by Concretes Melon SA. The waterproofing properties of the crystalline admixture secured the building’s perimeter walls and the foundation slab. Further, PENEBAR SW-45 swellable-type waterstops were used to prevent water ingress along 1,200 m (3,600 feet) of concrete joints.

“The crystalline technology behind PENETRON ADMIX provided an optimal solution for the challenge of a high water table,” adds Jozef van Beeck, International Sales & Marketing Director of The PENETRON Group. “It’s a problem we’ve solved at countless construction sites around the world.”

The waterproofing properties of PENETRON ADMIX secured the building’s perimeter walls and the foundation slab

Looking at the basement:
The waterproofing properties of PENETRON ADMIX secured the building’s perimeter walls and the foundation slab (seen here in the photo).

Time for crystalline:
The excavation for the National Institute of Orthodontics demanded an integral crystalline solution to ensure a dry foundation resistant to hydrostatic pressure.


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