Media Release

Penetron Aces Durability Test for Further A+ Storage Facility in Tennessee

USA

The newest A+ Storage Facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee was inaugurated in August 2021. The Penetron System was specified as the preferred concrete waterproofing solution over traditional membrane systems to ensure concrete durability and eliminate future maintenance and repair costs.

A city of about 44,000 people, Spring Hill is located about 30 miles (48 km) south of Nashville, Tennessee. The city has gone through rapid growth in recent years and is home to a major GM manufacturing facility. The A+ Storage of Tennessee company has successively expanded across Tennessee, Texas and Florida with the construction and acquisition of a network of self-storage facilities. Most recently, the company chose Spring Hill as the location for a new storage facility close to Nashville. Built by Conseco Group, a Nashville-based construction firm, the Spring Hill facility comprises 92,950 square feet of total space housed in two two-story buildings and a single-story outside storage building. The building walls are brick with metal canopies and a roof structure, built on top of the reinforced concrete foundation.

“Similar to earlier A+ Storage construction projects, the Conseco Group looked for an alternative solution to the originally specified membrane system as a waterproofing solution for the concrete perimeter walls and elevator pits,” explains Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group.
 

Past Performance a Good Sign

Based on Penetron’s success with a previous A+ facility in Murfreesboro, TN, H&C Concrete Construction, the project’s concrete subcontractor, knew where to find a more durable concrete waterproofing solution. The subcontractor reviewed the project specifications together with Penetron to ensure they had an optimal concrete waterproofing solution.

“We’ve worked with H&C on numerous projects in the past,” adds Christopher Chen. “After discussions about the project parameters, the Penetron System was quickly approved.”

Nashville Ready Mix, the project’s ready-mix supplier, added PENETRON ADMIX SB to the concrete mix for the first-floor perimeter walls and elevator pit. PENECRETE MORTAR, a crystalline waterproofing mortar, was applied to seal the tie holes along the perimeter walls and elevator pits. PENECRETE MORTAR was also used to complete a few concrete-related repairs required during the construction of the perimeter walls.

Added during the batching phase and unaffected by climactic conditions, PENETRON ADMIX SB is one of the world’s most efficient and economic permeability-reducing concrete admixtures (PRAH). PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete is protected against a range of factors that cause concrete deterioration, such as freeze-thaw cycles, chemical attack, corrosion, and alkali silica reaction (ASR), all while blocking moisture penetration caused by hydrostatic pressure.
 

Adding Value to the Project

“As a proven alternative to the traditional membrane waterproofing systems, the Penetron System is recognized as a value engineering solution,” adds Christopher Chen. “It’s less costly to implement and also saves time during construction, which helps accelerate the schedule without sacrificing performance and quality.”