The Las Brisas de Macul Residences welcomed its first residents in October 2023. The below-grade structures of the 18-floor tower were secured with PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, to protect the building against a high groundwater level.
Macul is a prosperous, mixed residential and industrial district just east of downtown Santiago, Chile’s capital city. The district is home to many academic institutions, including the University of Chile, the Metropolitan University of Science and Education, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and the sports complex of the University of the Americas. Notably, it also features the Estadio Monumental Arellano, where Colo-Colo, the country’s most popular soccer team, plays, as well as the Juan Pinto Durán facility, the training center of the Chilean national football team.
The Las Brisas de Macul Residences are located in the Los Plátanos neighborhood of Macul, close to the Avenida Macul and multiple public transportation options. The 18-floor tower encompasses 266 units, available in 1-3-bedroom layouts (37-80 m2), and underground parking on four basement levels. Amenities include a roof terrace (with BBQ area), swimming pool, co-working areas, communal dining room, gym, outdoor sports area, playground, and bike racks.
Due to the groundwater levels present at the Macul construction site, Cosal Construction, the project’s general contractor, planned to specify a competitive product as a waterproofing solution. After consulting with Transex Concretes, the ready-mix concrete supplier, PENETRON ADMIX was specified as a reliable waterproofing solution for the below-grade concrete structures of the complex, in particular, for the underground parking garage.
Guarantee of Concrete Permeability Reduction
“PENETRON ADMIX proved to be a more cost-effective solution for the Las Brisas project,” explains Domingo Lema, Managing Director of Penetron Chile. “The local Penetron team provided a comprehensive guarantee of permeability reduction and self-healing and sealing of cracks over the service life of the concrete.”
PENETRON ADMIX was added to the concrete mix during the batching phase to protect the residential tower’s foundation slab, the below-grade retaining walls of the four-floor parking garage, the elevator pits, and the outdoor swimming pool from the high groundwater levels at the construction site.
When added to concrete, the active ingredients in PENETRON ADMIX create a non-soluble crystalline network, which forms throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete. This network significantly increases the durability and service life of concrete and also gives the concrete structures of the Las Brisas de Macul apartment tower the ability to self-heal and seal any micro-cracks that may occur in the future. The need for future concrete repairs is virtually eliminated.
Protected from high groundwater: The below-grade concrete structures of the 18-floor Las Brisas de Macul Residences are permanently protected by PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline waterproofing admixture.
