In March 2020, repair work on the cooling tower of the Poltava Mining and Processing Works in Horishni Plavni, Ukraine, was completed. PENETRON crystalline waterproofing coating was applied to ensure a durable and waterproof concrete structure.
Founded as a mining town only in 1960 (as Komsomolsk-na-Dnipri), the city of Horishni Plavni was planned and built around the Poltava Mining and Processing Works, Ukraine’s largest and most important iron ore-mining company. The Poltava facility covers the complete range of iron ore processing, from extraction of crude ore to the production of iron ore pellets used for steel production. As the world’s 3rd largest supplier of pellets to the global steel industry, Poltava supplies all the major steel mills across Europe and Southeast Asia.
Repairing Concrete Damaged by Weather
Recently, the company carried out a large-scale modernization of the Poltava production facilities. Penetron Russia was consulted on the rehabilitation of the concrete in the company’s cooling tower reservoir, which showed weathering and damage to the concrete surface. In addition, the sludge holding tanks, fire-suppression reservoirs, and other structures also formed part of the repair project.
“Penetron-trained specialists were able to quickly apply a topical layer of PENETRON to self-heal the pores and micro-cracks in the concrete,” adds Igor Chernogolov, President of Penetron Russia. “The ease of application helped keep the project on schedule.”
Lifetime Concrete Self-Healing Ability
Once applied to a concrete surface, the Penetron chemicals penetrate deep into the pores, micro-cracks, and capillary tracts of the concrete to react with water and concrete minerals to form insoluble crystals. This crystalline growth takes place throughout the concrete structure, originating from the point of application to fill in the cracks, pores and voids, becoming part of the concrete matrix.
“Using Penetron’s integral waterproofing solution reduces concrete permeability and improves concrete durability,” adds Igor Chernogolov. “Moreover, the self-healing and waterproofing ability of PENETRON remains active for the lifespan of the concrete structure, eliminating the need for future repairs.”
Ukraine’s biggest: Poltava Mining and Processing Works is a complete iron ore processing facility – from the extraction of crude ore to the production of iron ore pellets used in steel production.
Making concrete good again: PENETRON was topically applied to Poltava’s cooling tower reservoir and the sludge and fire-fighting tanks, where the concrete surfaces showed weathering and damage.
