The first packaged steaks rolled off the conveyor belts at the Looped Square Meat Company plant in January 2022. Located in Okmulgee County near Tulsa, Oklahoma (USA), the meat processing facility used PENETRON ADMIX SB to waterproof the concrete water storage tanks and the tanks of the plant’s water treatment plant to ensure durable concrete structures and reduced maintenance.
The $10 million meat processing facility is owned by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and is part of the Creek Nation’s efforts to secure long-term stability in food sovereignty and security. The Looped Square Meat Company encompasses 25,000 square feet of space, including a retail store that offers fresh meats to the public, smokers, grills, local honeys, and salsas. In addition to beef and pork processing, the facility has a dry-aging room, and a large smoking capacity for brisket, pork shoulder, ham and jerky. A wildlife wing allows customers to bring in animals (such as deer) for processing.
“The name, Looped Square, refers to the tribe’s brand for its cattle and ranch operations,” adds Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group. “With the newly installed state-of-the-art processing equipment, the plant is unique when compared to other processing facilities in the region.”
The reinforced concrete structures in Looped Square’s water storage tanks and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) are constantly exposed to water and the corrosive substances commonly found in effluent. Looking to prevent corrosion of the embedded reinforcement bars and enhance durability of the concrete matrix, the project engineers needed a robust concrete waterproofing solution.
The local Penetron representative worked with Standard Materials Group, the project’s ready-mix concrete supplier, to provide an optimal waterproofing solution. PENETRON ADMIX SB – in pre-measured soluble bags to simplify the batching process – was specified for the concrete water tanks and WWTP structures.
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) states that hydrophilic permeability-reducing admixtures for hydrostatic conditions (PRAHs), i.e., crystalline admixtures like PENETRON ADMIX SB, resist water penetration even under hydrostatic pressure. PRAHs are the most effective permeability reducing admixtures with clear advantages over hydrophobic permeability reducing additives for non-hydrostatic conditions (PRANs).
“PENETRON ADMIX SB-treated concrete provides the much-needed protection against hydrostatic pressure and corrosive environments,” concludes Christopher Chen. “The success of PENETRON ADMIX SB in previous projects in the area furnished further proof of the effectiveness of Penetron’s crystalline technology.”
