The December 2023 opening of the modern P8 Office Tower creates an optical and architectural highlight in the Buenavista Business Park in San Fernando (Buenos Aires), Argentina. PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, was specified to protect the office tower’s below-grade structures from the hydrostatic pressure of the region’s high groundwater levels.
With a population of over 165,000, San Fernando is a district within the greater metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, Argentina, about 20 km (12 miles) north of the city center.
Located in the Buenavista Business Park just south of San Fernando and about 15 miles northeast of downtown Buenos Aires, the P8 Office Tower is a free-standing tower with floor-to-ceiling glazed glass facades. It offers 15,000 m2 (165,000 ft2) of Class A+ office space on eight above-ground floors, including a ground floor lobby and welcome area. A central sanitary core integrates restrooms and kitchens, as well as a bar/dining area. The below-grade parking garage for 333 automobiles is situated on the two below-grade floors.
“During the planning phase of the P8 project, Speziale Linares, an architectural studio and project manager, asked Penetron Argentina to provide an optimal concrete waterproofing solution,” adds Ariel Stipelman, Country Manager, Penetron Argentina. “Because of the high-water table encountered at the construction site, the contractor needed an especially durable and reliable waterproofing solution to keep to the project timeline.”
PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, was specified to protect the below-grade concrete structures – situated well below the local water table – from the site’s high hydrostatic pressure, including all concrete basement and parking structures. PENEBAR SW swellable waterstop was used to seal the concrete construction joints.
Easily mixed in during batching and unaffected by climatic conditions, PENETRON ADMIX quickly becomes an integral part of the concrete and lasts for the service life of the concrete. The active ingredients in the admixture generate a non-soluble crystalline formation throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the treated concrete. These crystals permanently self-heal and seal micro-cracks, pores, and capillaries against the penetration of water or liquids from any direction.
“Thanks to the performance of PENETRON ADMIX and the continuous self-healing of any hairline cracks in the concrete, work at the P8 Office Tower was completed on schedule,” concludes Ariel Stipelman. “Both the developer and contractor were very pleased with the results!”
