More than five years after the last Olympic medal was awarded on the ski slopes of Roza Khutor in 2014, the Penetron-Sochi team has completed waterproofing and concrete repair work at the Sportivnaya electrical substation. Completed in September 2019, the new work has eliminated active water leaks and repaired a deteriorated concrete basement.
Russia's largest alpine ski resort, Rosa Khutor, is located in the Western Caucasus mountains above the shores of the Black Sea. The resort was an important venue for alpine skiing events during the 2014 Winter Olympics based in nearby Sochi.
As part of the enormous construction effort made by Russia prior to the 2014 Olympics, the “Sportivnaya” electrical substation is a key power relay station that supplies the region with electricity.
Finding a Basement Under Water
“Unfortunately, due to the time constraints during the pre-Olympic preparations, the below-grade concrete structures of the substation were never adequately waterproofed,” explains Alexander Leonov, Director of Penetron-Sochi. “This resulted in constant water leaks that now, five years later, urgently needed to be repaired.”
Only when the work crews arrived at the Sportivnaya substation did the extent of the damage to the concrete structure become obvious. In the basement chamber, almost seven feet of water had collected due to the leaks. As a result, the concrete fittings and high voltage cable channels were badly deteriorated and needed to be replaced.
Applying the Penetron System
“The first step was to stop the active leaks that occurred as a result of the hydrostatic pressure at the substation site,” adds Alexander Leonov. “An application of PENEPLUG, a rapid-setting repair mortar, stopped the water flow. Only then could the team begin the repair work.”
Next, the Penetron-Sochi team applied a layer of PENETRON, a crystalline waterproofing material, on all the below-grade concrete surfaces to ensure the impermeability of the substation’s basement. PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline admixture in powder form, was added during batching to the new replacement concrete.
Permanent Protection Against Water
Reacting to the moisture inside the concrete, PENETRON and PENTRON ADMIX reduce concrete permeability by permanently self-healing and sealing micro-cracks, pores and capillaries, effectively protecting the concrete against any further water penetration and deterioration, even when exposed to the hydrostatic pressure encountered at the Sportivnaya substation.
