Construction work on the new Armstrong Road Pump Station in Frankfort, Indiana (IN), was completed in March 2023; subsequent commissioning of the new facility is set for May 2023. PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, was specified to increase the durability of the water treatment plant’s concrete structures exposed to constant hydrostatic pressure.
Approximately 40 miles northeast of Indianapolis, Frankfort is a city of about 15,000 and the county seat of Clinton County in central Indiana. When the city’s water utility, Frankfort’s Water Works, began having difficulty meeting the community’s water demands, a $5.3 million project to expand water treatment capacity – for both Frankfort and the adjacent town of Jefferson, IN – was launched.
“Because Frankfort’s water utility expects a 50% increase in demand over the next 20 years, and the condition of the existing West Water Treatment Plant was deteriorating, getting a new facility in place became urgent,” explains Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group.
The Armstrong Road Water Treatment Plant project was designed and administered by Wessler Engineering and comprised a 12,000-foot water main extension, a new water treatment plant (capacity: six million gallons per day / MGD), and a one-million-gallon composite water storage tank. Construction work was carried out by Crosby Construction. While the typical daily production is approximately 4 million gallons of drinking water, the Armstrong Road facility was designed to be readily upgradeable to 9 MGD.
“Penetron worked with Wessler Engineering during the planning phase to secure approval of PENETRON ADMIX as the preferred crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture,” adds Christopher Chen. “In addition, imi, the ready-mix concrete supplier, specifies Penetron products as the preferred crystalline waterproofing solution – thanks to easy dosage, durable and convenient packaging, our on-site support, and competitive pricing.”
In addition, all Penetron crystalline materials are non-toxic and NSF-61-approved for potable water applications. PENETRON ADMIX was added to the concrete exposed to water, including the two new wells, aerators, the detention and backwash tanks, and the pump station of the new Armstrong Road facility.
PENETRON ADMIX is a blend of Portland cement, very fine-treated silica, and active, proprietary chemicals. Mixed with fresh concrete, it triggers a catalytic reaction to form a non-soluble crystalline structure throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete, sealing it tightly from water or liquid penetration. This enables the concrete to resist extreme hydrostatic pressure from either the positive or negative surface of the concrete element and also self-seals any hairline cracks. The PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete elements remain permanently waterproof over the service life of the concrete.
“These concrete waterproofing characteristics increase the overall durability of the Armstrong Road facility’s concrete and drastically reduces future waterproofing-related maintenance costs,” concludes Christopher Chen.
Built to meet growing demand: The exposed concrete structures of the new Armstrong Road water treatment plant and pump station in Frankfort, IN, are protected by PENETRON ADMIX.
