City of Lincoln Looks to Penetron for Durable Concrete in New Wastewater Plant

Construction of the modernized and expanded wastewater treatment plant in Lincoln, Illinois was completed in February 2022. Final plant commissioning by the City of Lincoln is now in progress. PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline concrete admixture, was used to protect key concrete components from the aggressive environment due to the effluent and extend the service life of the plant.

Centrally located in Illinois along the famed Route 66, Lincoln was first settled in the 1830s and is where Abraham Lincoln practiced law from 1847 to 1859. It is the only town in the United States named for our 16th President before he became President. Today, Lincoln has a population of almost 14,000 inhabitants and is home to three colleges – Lincoln Christian University, Lincoln College, and Heartland Community College – and two prisons.

The town’s original wastewater treatment plant was built in the 1930s and was continually expanded and updated over the years to accommodate population growth. Designed as a combined sewer/sanitary and stormwater system, the plant could see anywhere from 2-10 million gal/day (MGD), with spikes of over 33 MGD during rainstorms. The city was required by the EPA to develop a plan – with substantial improvements and capacity expansion – to comply with Federal standards to limit combined sewer overflows (CSO) during wet weather.
 

Providing a Durable and Waterproof Solution

Designed by Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, the newly completed $13.3 million construction project comprises a 70 MGD CSO treatment facility, which includes a bar screen and structure, an influent/drain/underflow pump station, a primary treatment structure, upgrades for the existing clarifier structure to function as a first flush storage tank, and modifications to the existing chlorine contact tank to increase capacity.

“With a mandate to provide a durable and waterproof concrete mix for the headworks structure, grit chamber, treatment and clarifier structures, and disinfection system, Roanoke Concrete, the project’s ready-mix concrete supplier, specified PENETRON ADMIX SB, a cementitious crystalline admixture proven for such applications across the country,” explains Christopher Chen, Director of the Penetron Group.
 

Enhancing Concrete Durability

Concrete structures in a wastewater treatment plant are continually exposed to chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, disinfectants, and an array of toxic compounds and various chemicals added during the plant’s treatment processes. Delivered in pre-measured soluble bags to simplify the batching process, PENETRON ADMIX SB is added to the concrete mix, which reduces concrete permeability, increases chemical resistance, and enables the self-sealing of any new or future hairline cracks – enhancing overall durability and extending the service life of the treated concrete components.

“With the experience of our comprehensive portfolio of previous wastewater treatment plant projects across the USA and our on-site support, the engineers at Plocher Construction, the general contractor, were confident of success,” concludes Christopher Chen.