Media Release

Penetron System Puts Bangkok’s Samyan Mirtown on Sure Footing

Thailand

The opening ceremony in May 2019 for Samyan Mirtown, a mixed-use development, marks the launch of an ambitious rehabilitation effort for Bangkok’s Rama IV Road district. The Penetron System of products was specified to protect the project’s concrete structures from the tropical climate and high water table.

“The Rama IV Road area is set to be Bangkok’s next business hub, thanks to large-scale investments in the public transport system by the state and private companies like Golden Land Property Development, owners of the Samyan Mirtown project,” explains Jozef Van Beeck, Director of International Marketing & Sales for The Penetron Group. “Samyan Mirtown is one of the first projects to revitalize the area, but it certainly won’t be the last.”

The Bt9-billion (US$ 285.3 million) complex combines attractive retail shopping and dining amenities with an office tower and a residential tower. Occupying a gross floor space of 222,000 m2, Samyan Mirtown highlights include:

  • Live Alive Atrium – features a supermarket, restaurants and a 24-hour “café zone,” a fitness center, a learning center (with a library), and a rooftop garden

  • Intelligent Office Tower – a 31-floor office tower with 48,000 m2 of space fully-equipped with smart technology systems

  • Residential Zone – the 33-floor residential area comprises a hotel and 554 condominium units

“Because of the nearby Chao Phraya River that snakes through the city and the generally soggy terrain of Bangkok, the project owners needed a robust waterproofing solution for the extensive below-grade concrete structures envisioned for the Samyan Mirtown complex,” adds Jozef Van Beeck. “After consultations with the local Penetron team, the complete range of the Penetron System was employed to keep the structures dry and the construction on schedule.”

For the numerous basement structures (foundation slabs, below-grade retaining walls, water storage tank, a water treatment tank, and elevator pits), the local Penetron expert recommended PENETRON, a topically-applied crystalline material, and PENETRON ADMIX (for the underground tunnel), which is mixed into the concrete during the batching phase. Both crystalline products fill the micro-cracks and pores of normally porous concrete with an insoluble crystalline formation. This prevents water and chemicals from penetrating the concrete, even under the hydrostatic pressure found at the Rama IV Road site.

“Once it is part of the concrete, this crystalline formation renders the concrete impermeable,” adds Jozef Van Beeck. “Any cracks that may appear in the treated concrete self-heal, thanks to the growth of the crystalline network that reactivates at any time in the presence of moisture.”

PENESEAL PRO, a liquid sealer, was sprayed on the exposed concrete surfaces of the roof garden and the rooftop deck to seal any hairline cracks. This sealer creates a sub-surface gel that seals the pores and cracks of the concrete to protect against water penetration. PENESEAL PRO can withstand thermal stress and remains active as long as moisture is present.

Specified for the floor of the underground tunnel of Samyan Mirtown, PENESEAL FH is a clear, reactive sealer designed to protect concrete against abrasion. PENESEAL FH penetrates deep into the surface to react with the concrete and harden the surface into a denser, stronger concrete mass.

“The breadth and capabilities of the Penetron System make it a reliable solution for virtually any concrete waterproofing and durability challenge,” concludes Jozef Van Beeck.

Penetron upgrade for Bangkok: The US$ 285.3 million Samyan Mirtown complex combines shopping and restaurants with an office tower and a residential tower.

Sealing the basement structures: PENETRON ADMIX was added to the concrete for the underground tunnel. The remaining below-grade concrete structures were treated with PENETRON.

Waterproofing treatment: The local Penetron expert recommended PENETRON, a topically applied crystalline material, for the foundation slabs, retaining walls, water tanks, and elevator pits.


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