929 Alton, a retail/office building in Miami Beach, was inaugurated in September 2020. Located on Miami Beach Island and looking out on to Biscayne Bay, Penetron provided the technology for a durable waterproofing solution for the below-grade concrete elements and exposed parking decks.
With 10,375 square feet of office space, a 3-level parking garage, 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space with high ceilings and 80 feet of store frontage, 929 Alton features a bright, modernist design that looks out on the busy Alton Road artery of South Beach. The close proximity of the construction site to Biscayne Bay demanded a robust waterproofing solution to ensure resistance to chloride attack and resulting corrosion for the building’s below-grade concrete elements and exposed parking decks.
“A membrane solution was originally specified for 929 Alton,” explains Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group. “However, with the construction site sandwiched between two existing buildings, space was limited. There was almost no room behind the walls needed to install the membranes as waterproofing protection.”
Waterproofing Prevents Corrosion
Instead, Penetron collaborated with Paramount, the project’s waterproofing consultant, and Supermix, the ready-mix supplier, to provide a comprehensive waterproofing solution with corrosion protection. The project engineers at Sabal Development were convinced by the simplicity of working with Penetron’s crystalline products and the prospect of minimizing any future repair and maintenance costs.
PENETRON ADMIX was added to the concrete mix for the elevator pits, pile caps, and the post tension roof parking slab. PENEBAR SW waterstop strips were applied to seal all resulting construction joints, and a combination of PENETRON topical material and PENECRETE MORTAR were applied to plug the tie-holes.
Permanent Self-Healing Concrete
Easily mixed in during batching and unaffected by climatic conditions, PENETRON ADMIX quickly becomes an integral part of the concrete and lasts for the life of the concrete. Topically applied to concrete, PENETRON and PENECRETE MORTAR also provide the same self-healing capabilities as PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete. All hairline cracks that form throughout the service life of the concrete will now self-heal in the presence of water.
Christopher Chen adds: “By opting for a Penetron solution, Open Sight Construction was able to fast-track the project schedule and save costs because the waterproofing was done at the same time as the concrete placement – two in one!”
Penetron is permanent: Because of the proximity to Biscayne Bay, 929 Alton needed a robust waterproofing solution to ensure durability of the below-grade concrete elements and exposed parking decks.
