New Fort Lauderdale Tower Specifies Penetron Crystalline Technology for Key Concrete Structures

The $200 million Riverwalk Residences of Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was inaugurated in March 2024. The luxury senior living residence project specified PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing concrete admixture, to ensure durability for key below-grade concrete components.

The Riverwalk Residences of Las Olas, a luxury senior residence located in downtown Fort Lauderdale, features 192 independent living units, 152 assisted living units, and 57 “memory care” units (designated for those with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia). Designed by Borges & Associates Architects, the 42-story tower is also home to a range of healthcare facilities, including doctors’ offices, physical therapy, and adult daycare. Further amenities include restaurants, rooftop bar, spa, fitness gym, swimming pool, and parking garage.

"The Riverwalk Residences tower is not only Fort Lauderdale’s tallest building, the project’s residential concept also provides a range of services and amenities that enable a positive social environment," adds Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group.

Due to the project’s proximity to the New River and an inordinate amount of groundwater at the construction site, a long-term concrete durability solution was needed. Cemex, the ready-mix concrete supplier, recommended PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, to Kast Construction, the project’s general contractor, as the optimal concrete waterproofing solution.

Cemex delivered over 2,300 yds³ of PENETRON ADMIX SB-treated concrete for the below-grade pile caps and elevator pits of the residential tower. PENEBAR SW-55, a swellable waterstop strip, was used to seal the bulkhead along the construction joints between the two large concrete pours in the initial phase of construction – to ensure a waterproof result for areas where it was difficult to get a completely dry wrap at the site.

Once mixed into the concrete, the proprietary chemicals in PENETRON ADMIX SB react with moisture and concrete minerals to form insoluble crystals throughout the entire concrete matrix. The insoluble crystals in the cracks and voids of the concrete matrix reduce long-term shrinkage cracking, seal existing microcracks, and provide the concrete with a self-healing capability to seal hairline cracks over the service life of the structure.

“The self-healing capability of the concrete mix used at the Fort Lauderdale construction site ensures long-term durability for the concrete pile caps and elevator pits,” adds Christopher Chen. “Once added to the mix, PENETRON ADMIX SB has been proven to extend the service life of concrete structures by 60 years or more, even in the saturated chloride-rich environmental conditions in Southern Florida.”