PENETRON Goes Deep for Office Tower in Chile

Constructing an office tower with a below-ground five-level parking garage at a site with a high water table can be done by adding the crystalline technology of PENETRON ADMIX to the concrete mix. The recently opened Espacio Cordova in Santiago, Chile, is proof of a lasting solution.

The Espacio Cordova building is located at the intersection of Kennedy and Américo Vespucio Avenues in Santiago’s exclusive Alonso de Cordova shopping and art district (the Kennedy Avenue link tunnel was also a PENETRON project). This 13-floor office tower, with 978 m² (10,527 square feet) floor plans, has a total project area of 42,790 m² (460,590 square feet) and features five levels of underground parking (667 parking spaces) and a retail area of boutiques and restaurants on the ground floor.
 
“Considering the relatively high water table at the Espacio Cordova construction site, the PENETRON Chile team was asked by the builder, Constructora Santolaya, for a solution for the underground structures,” explains Domingo Lema, General Manager of PENETRON Chile. “Given the depth of the foundation, a solution was needed to secure a waterproof concrete structure, even with the high hydrostatic pressure at the site.”
 
The solution was to add PENETRON ADMIX at the time of batching directly to the concrete used in the foundation slab and in key retaining walls of the five floors of the underground parking garage. Over 2,000 m3 (2,620 cubic yards) of concrete was treated with PENETRON ADMIX.
 
“PENETRON’s crystalline technology keeps water from penetrating into the concrete matrix even under high hydrostatic pressure, and it also provides protection against corrosion and chemical attacks,” adds Jozef van Beeck, International Sales & Marketing Director of PENETRON. “Using PENETRON ADMIX for the new concrete structures like the Espacio Cordova may also significantly reduce future maintenance costs.”