The Ascent St. Petersburg in St. Petersburg, Florida, welcomed its first residents in January 2023, as final details of the tower are completed over the next four months. PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, was specified as the concrete waterproofing solution for the below-grade elevator pits of the multi-use complex.
Ascent St. Petersburg, a 36-story residential and commercial tower in downtown St. Petersburg on Florida’s west coast, comprises 357 rental apartments, a 172-room AC Hotel by Marriott, and over 6,800 ft2 (620 m2) of ground floor shopping and dining space. It will also have a four-story garage with 497 parking spaces. The apartments — available as studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom plus penthouse units – feature amenities such as two outdoor pools (on the 6th floor and the top floor), sun decks & cabanas, fitness gym, wellness studio, coworking spaces, and an elevated rooftop lounge (including a “Cane & Barrel” restaurant) with a terrace.
“At a height of 358 feet (110 m), the Ascent is one of the tallest buildings in the city’s skyline, with 360° views of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico,” adds Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group. “Virtually every unit has glass balconies and there is also a restaurant and bar with an outdoor terrace on the eighth floor.”
Designed by R2L Architects, the $117 million project located just three blocks from Tampa Bay, initially faced high groundwater levels present at the construction site. RSI, the project’s concrete subcontractor, required a reliable waterproofing solution for the below-grade elevator matts. Thanks to the success of PENETRON ADMIX SB with numerous, similar large developments across Florida and our collaboration with Argos USA, the project’s ready-mix concrete supplier, Penetron’s crystalline waterproofing technology was specified.
PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing admixture in soluble bags, was added to the concrete mix during the batching phase in premeasured soluble bags. Unaffected by climatic conditions, PENETRON ADMIX SB creates a non-soluble crystalline network, which forms throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete.
Christopher Chen concludes: “This crystalline network significantly increases the durability and service life of concrete and also gives the PENETRON ADMIX SB-treated concrete structures of the Ascent tower the ability to self-heal and seal any micro-cracks that may occur in the future, minimizing the need for future concrete repairs for the Ascent tower.”
Foundation waterproofed by Penetron: The 36-floor Ascent St. Petersburg is a residential and commercial tower that includes 357 apartments, a hotel, and shopping and dining on the ground floor.
Skyline highlight: At a height of 358 feet (110 m), Ascent St. Petersburg is one of the tallest buildings in the city’s skyline, with 360° views of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
