The renewal of the Landing Lane Spillway on the Delaware and Raritan Canal in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was completed in December 2022. PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, was specified to maximize the durability of the spillway’s repaired concrete structures.
The Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal) in central New Jersey (USA) was originally built in the 1830s to connect the Delaware River and Raritan River. It was an economical (and much shorter) route to reliably transport freight between Philadelphia and New York City, especially coal from the anthracite fields of eastern Pennsylvania.
The New Jersey Water Supply Authority recently mandated the rehabilitation of the Landing Lane Spillway, a historic flood control structure located on the D&R Canal in New Brunswick. During rainstorms, excess water from the Canal flows over the stone spillway and into the Raritan River. This $996,550 project repaired the damaged concrete spillway to prevent further erosion of the spillway.
The goal of the project was to preserve both the structural integrity and historic character of the Landing Lane Spillway. Construction work included dismantling the spillway and reconstructing mortared stone over a reinforced concrete cap. Additional work included the installation of gabions and rip rap (stone) along the toe of the spillway where it meets the Raritan River.
Silvi Materials, the ready-mix concrete supplier, initially contacted Penetron during the submittal phase about an optimal concrete mix for the new spillway. After a review with Mott MacDonald, the project engineer, PENETRON ADMIX SB was approved as a waterproofing solution. Silvi Concrete provided the PENETRON ADMIX SB-treated concrete for all surfaces exposed to water and the concrete slab on the slope below the surface stone material.
"The spillway was completely dismantled and rebuilt to match the appearance and dimensions of the previous structure,” explains Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group. “The result is a robust and waterproof, yet historically appropriate, repair that will serve the needs of the public for decades to come.”
Once added to concrete, the proprietary chemicals in PENETRON ADMIX SB react in a catalytic reaction to generate a non-soluble crystalline formation throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete. These crystals permanently seal micro-cracks, pores, and capillaries against the penetration of water (or liquids) from any direction – making the concrete impermeable.
“The concrete structures of the Landing Lane Spillway are now impermeable to water and waterborne contaminants, even under the constant hydrostatic pressure encountered at the D&R Canal,” adds Christopher Chen. “The ability of PENETRON ADMIX SB to permanently self-heal any future microcracks will help mitigate concrete deterioration over the service life of the concrete.”
