PENETRON Adds “Green” Cred to Italian Development

July 2018 saw the completion of the initial stage of construction of the Lops Village in Buccinasco (Milan), Italy. This residential project is part of a growing European trend toward sustainable construction and recently won recognition for a high level of energy efficiency. PENETRON ADMIX added to the Village’s environmentally-compatible credibility by ensuring a durable below-grade concrete structure.

Known as the “green capital of Milan” with 13 leafy public parks, Buccinasco is a bucolic suburb in the southwest metropolitan area of the Lombardy capital. The new Lops Village, set for completion by July 2019, is integrated into the Parco Spina Azzurra, the largest park (500,000 m² / 126 acres) in Buccinasco, with three lakes, making it a welcome destination for the region’s sport fishers.
 

Recognized for Energy Efficiency

The Lops Village complex will have 90 residential units housed in four buildings built on top of basement cellars and extensive underground parking garages. Each apartment, ranging from one-bedroom studio apartments to three to four-bedroom penthouse layouts, features a large balcony, terrace or private garden. The buildings are very well insulated for maximum energy efficiency, qualifying the Lops Village complex for an “A4” energy classification, the highest provided by Italian law. Thanks to the integrated Penetron technology, it also received an INTERRATO waterproof compliance certification, which signals compliance with strict durability standards.

“The Lops Village project is inspired by the vision of an environmentally sustainable lifestyle that places the well-being of the residents and surrounding area at the center,” says Enricomaria Brac, Director of Penetron Italy. 

The project was developed and is being carried out by Lops Costruzioni, a construction company and part of the Lops Group, a real estate holding company. Beyond the energy efficient construction, the Lops Village amenities will also include a solarium and yoga spa, outdoor swimming pool, panoramic rooftop terraces and charging stations for electric vehicles.
 

Collaborating for a Concrete Solution

Working together with the project engineers at Lops, the technical staff at Penetron Italy reviewed the initial project details (placement of construction joints, various anti-seismic adaptations, etc.), the timing of the construction phases and the overall performance specifications for the concrete matrix. They provided an optimal waterproofing solution: PENETRON ADMIX for all below-grade structures.

PENETRON ADMIX was mixed into the concrete for the base slab and the perimeter walls in the below-grade structures of all four buildings and the underground parking garage. A total of more than 3,500 m³ (4,600 cubic yards) of concrete was treated with the crystalline admixture. 
 

Permanent Seal Against Water Penetration

The active ingredients in PENETRON ADMIX react in a catalytic process to generate a non-soluble crystalline network throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete. This reaction permanently seals cracks, pores and capillaries against the penetration of water or chemicals into the concrete, drastically reducing the permeability (and cracking) of the below-grade structures of the Lops Village buildings and garage – guaranteeing a durable village.

“Our Penetron crystalline technology provides a well-known and proven aspect of durability to the project,” adds Enricomaria Brac. “This helps make the Lops Village one of the first ecological villages in the region.”