Penetron Provides Impermeable Structures for Saudi Arabia Economic Hub

The March 2019 inauguration of the National Commercial Bank (NCB) Data Center & Archives was a further milestone in the construction of the King Abdullah Economic City in Saudi Arabia. The construction work with Penetron crystalline technology was completed this month and provides a waterproof solution for the building foundations and water tanks.

King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) was initiated in 2006 as a huge development project to create a new economic hub – and investment magnet – for Saudi Arabia. According to a plan implemented by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), KAEC is one of five economic cities that are being realized as part of an ambitious program to place Saudi Arabia among the world's top investment destinations.

“KAEC forms part of a $500 billion bet to create millions of jobs and diversify the Kingdom’s oil-based economy by attracting increased direct foreign and domestic investments,” explains Jozef Van Beeck, Director of International Sales & Marketing for The Penetron Group. “Once KAEC is completed over the next two years, it will help create new education and employment opportunities for the citizens of Saudi Arabia.”
 

Creating a “City of the Future” for the Kingdom

Located on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia, about 100-km (62-miles) north of Jeddah, the commercial hub of Saudi Arabia, KAEC is divided into six main components: Industrial Zone, Sea Port, Residential Areas, Sea Resort, Educational Zone, and a Central Business District (CBD) that includes the Financial Island. The National Commercial Bank (NCB) Data Center & Archive buildings are located on the Financial Island.

NCB’s new Data Center and Archives project comprised two facilities. The Data Center offers approximately 4,630 m² of space (including the roof area), and the Archives building adds about 9,300 m² of space. There is also an ancillary building consisting of a guard house and electrical power facility (130 m²), for a total of 14,049 m².
 

Go-Live Date Set for 2020

The project architects were Lime Design, with consulting support from SAK Architecture and Engineering. As the general contractor, OCC Weavers expects to complete all construction work by September 2019. NCB will then begin equipping and testing the final layout to meet the “go live” date of May 2020. 

“Penetron Saudi Arabia worked with OCC Weavers to ensure a durable concrete mix for both facilities,” adds Jozef Van Beeck.
 

Lowering the Permeability of Concrete

PENETRON ADMIX was added to the concrete mix for the foundation slabs and water storage tanks, which include dedicated tanks for drinking water and a reservoir for fire-fighting purposes. PENEBAR SW-45A waterstop strips were applied to seal the resulting construction joints and, in a final step, all repairs were done with PENECRETE MORTAR.

The crystalline network unleashed by the proprietary chemicals in Penetron products significantly reduces penetration of water and chemicals by lowering the permeability of the concrete. It also prevents corrosion of the reinforcement steel embedded in the foundation slabs and water tanks of the NCB's Data Center and Archives.

“Penetron-treated concrete performs consistently during its lifetime because the crystalline network is an integral part of the matrix,” says Jozef Van Beeck. “The technology has also been NSF 61-certified. It is completely non-toxic and contains no VOCs, making it an ideal solution for the project’s drinking water tank.”