Architect Opts for Penetron Waterproofing to Ensure Long Life for New Rehabilitation Center in Santiago, Chile

The Centro de Rehabilitación Integral (CRI) in Santiago, Chile was inaugurated in July 2021. PENETRON ADMIX was specified by the project architect to ensure durable – and waterproof – below-grade concrete structures. PENETRON ADMIX provided comprehensive concrete protection for basement structures exposed to groundwater pressure.

Located on Avenida El Rodeo 13,600, just east of the Las Condes district of Santiago, Chile, the Centro de Rehabilitación Integral (CRI) facility was designed by architect, Alonso Balaguer. The CRI is a four-floor, 1,348 m² complex that comprises a therapy pool, five therapy rooms for physiotherapy, occupational and speech therapy, a kinesiology room, a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation room, workshop spaces, a sensory integration area, and an outdoor therapy space for therapeutic activities.

The biggest waterproofing issue for the project was the high groundwater levels at the construction site. Penetron Chile was asked by the architect to collaborate with Melon Concretes, the project’s concrete ready-mix supplier, on a reliable waterproofing solution. Melon Concretes provided 900 m³ (1,170 yds³) of concrete, treated with PENETRON ADMIX, for the basement retaining walls and foundation slab, the facility’s swimming pool, and the below-grade water storage tank.

PENETRON ADMIX is an integral and permanent concrete waterproofing solution. 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 liquids from any direction.

“PENETRON ADMIX also provides concrete with the capacity to self-heal micro-cracks for the lifetime of the structure,” adds Domingo Lema, Managing Director of Penetron Chile. “This effectively minimizes any future waterproofing related maintenance costs for the basement and pool structures of the Centro de Rehabilitación Integral facility in Santiago.”