Penetron Helps Companies Find a Home at the Edificio de las Empresas

Just in time for peak summer season, the December 2019 grand opening of the Reitz II Edificio de las Empresas office tower adds a new accent to the skyline of Viña del Mar in Chile. Penetron crystalline technology was chosen to protect the below-grade concrete structures from water infiltration and deterioration.

Just north of hilly Valparaiso, the main commercial port in the country, lies Viña del Mar (Vineyard of the Sea). Also known as La Ciudad Jardín (The Garden City), Viña del Mar is the tourist capital of Chile, with beautiful beaches, bays popular with boaters, and well-known museums and national monuments. With a population of about 325,000, Viña del Mar is Chile's fourth largest city and part of Greater Valparaíso, Chile's third largest metropolitan area, only 75 miles (120 km) northwest of Santiago.
 

Attractive Destination of Beaches and Tall buildings

“Viña del Mar is a resort city known for its gardens, beaches and high-rise buildings,” adds Domingo Lema, Managing Director of Penetron Chile. “While Viña’s popularity has brought it any number of sleek, modern buildings and hotels, it’s certainly the city’s tropical atmosphere and white sand beaches that attract so many visitors from all over the world.”

The city’s newest skyscraper, the Reitz II office tower, was designed by Juan Pablo Galleguillos, chief architect with the Dhelos Real Estate Group. Centrally located with direct access to the Southern Trunk Highway, the Reitz II office tower offers quick connections to the neighboring cities of Reñaca, Concón, Valparaíso, and Santiago. With 14 floors of office space, Reitz II offers space for approximately 900 people. A future home to virtually dozens of companies, this Edificio de las Empresas offers units for lease from 23-43 m² (253-473 square feet) in size. The ground-floor encompasses a gym, cafeterias and restaurants, and there are two levels of underground parking.
 

Previous Success Points to Penetron

“Working closely with Inpromec, the project contractor, Penetron Chile carefully reviewed the project specifications and presented a comprehensive overview of how to address the waterproofing needs of the below-grade structures,” explains Domingo Lema. “Thanks to our success with many similar projects in the Valparaiso region, we were able to show how PENETRON ADMIX would ensure the impermeable, waterproofed concrete that Inpromec needed for the Reitz II office tower.”

Located adjacent to the Marga Marga Creek that flows through Viña del Mar and into the Pacific Ocean, construction at the site was hampered by high groundwater levels. Work at the Reitz II site began in mid-2017 as soon as the specifications – and the waterproofing solution – were approved. PENETRON ADMIX was added to the concrete mix by Concretes Melon, the ready-mix supplier, during batching to treat the over 3,000 m³ of concrete used for the foundation slab, all basement walls, and the elevator pits.
 

Protecting Concrete from Deterioration

Because water and waterborne contaminants penetrate concrete mainly through capillary absorption and hydrostatic pressure, countering this problem demands a “molecular level” solution. PENETRON ADMIX was developed and optimized to result in a catalytic reaction with moisture in fresh concrete. This chemical reaction generates a non-soluble crystalline formation throughout the hairline cracks, pores and capillary tracts of the concrete that permanently seals them against the penetration of water or liquids from any direction. The admixture protects treated concrete from deterioration and even provides a permanent crack-sealing capability

"The crystalline waterproofing technology from Penetron was optimized over many years through careful micro-engineering," says Domingo Lema. "The results speak for our success."