Completed in July 2021, just in time for the fall semester of the 2021/2022 school year, the CTE Annex in Phenix City, Alabama, will help expand the academic program for the city’s Central High School and Central Freshman Academy. PENETRON ADMIX SB was used to guarantee a waterproof and durable foundation.
A vibrant community of around 37,000 inhabitants with a colorful outlaw history, Phenix City was recently rated as the nation's "Best Affordable Suburb to Raise a Family” in 2007 by BusinessWeek magazine. Located on the Chattahoochee River, Phenix City is part of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, a thriving economic hub.
The construction of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Annex on the campus shared by Central High School and the Central Freshman Academy provides much needed classroom space to a rapidly growing student body. The $9 million project was designed by Hecht Burdeshaw Architects and comprises 21 classrooms and six labs in a 33,000 ft2 (3,000 m2) layout. The CTE Annex classrooms focus on Computer Science, Business, Health Sciences, Digital Media, and Engineering (including a robotics playing field). Because the new building is located behind the school’s softball field, a new concession stand, coach’s office and press box were also part of the CTE Annex project.
Providing Tangible Cost Savings
The project engineers at Wright Engineering noted that a permeability-reducing solution was needed for the below-grade concrete structures of the CTE Annex due to the construction site’s high groundwater levels.
“The original project specifications called for a competitive permeability-reducing admixture,” says Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group. “However, after the Penetron technical expert submitted a substitution request outlining how PENETRON ADMIX would provide a tangible cost savings, including complimentary technical support services, we were approved.”
In Soluble Bags for Easy Mixing
Ready Mix USA, the concrete ready-mix supplier, added PENETRON ADMIX SB to the concrete mix for construction of the retaining walls and foundation slab of the CTE Annex building. Delivered in soluble bags for easy mixing, PENETRON ADMIX SB provides comprehensive protection against penetration of liquids and chemicals to prevent corrosion and water-related damage to concrete.
“Once it’s added to the concrete, the waterproofing and durability-enhancing properties of PENETRON ADMIX become an integral part of the concrete matrix,” adds Christopher Chen. “This protects concrete from deterioration for the service life of the concrete, even under conditions of hydrostatic pressure.”
Expanding the academic program: Shared by Central High School and the Central Freshman Academy, the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Annex provides classroom space to a growing student body.
