Bossa Nova Mall in Rio Partners with PENETRON

A modernized and expanded Bossa Nova Mall in Rio de Janeiro, re-opened in April 2018, was built on PENETRON technology. The crystalline-based materials were applied to ensure a waterproof and durable concrete foundation for the seaside facility.

The Prodigy Hotel Santos Dumont and Bossa Nova Mall are located at the water’s edge, adjacent to the Santos Dumont Airport on Calabouço Point in Rio da Janiero’s Guanabara Bay. The 44,000 m² (484,000-square feet) mall comprises a hotel, shopping center and a convention center. When looking to update the mall, the owners (GJP Hotel Management and HIS Investment) opted for a comprehensive retrofit to add an enlarged event hall and swimming pool.

The Bossa Nova Mall is a popular shopping destination for Rio de Janeiro and an entertainment hub with restaurants and a nightclub. The rooftop restaurant provides unforgettable views of the world-renowned Guanabara Bay and the famous city skyline of Rio. In addition, the infinity pool at the top of the Prodigy Hotel Santos Dumont allows guests to take a relaxing dip between flight connections – and enjoy the stunning views.
 

Looking for an Optimal Waterproofing Solution

“This construction project, located where once seaplanes from around the world landed, demanded a robust waterproofing solution for the new below-grade concrete elements,” says Cláudio Neves Ourives, Executive Director of Penetron Brazil. “Our PENETRON crystalline technology was an optimal – and time-saving – solution.”

The most difficult part of the construction was demolition of the previous foundation. This was necessary to add a larger foundation slab and reinforced below-grade structures, allowing for construction of a larger, obstruction-free event hall and a covered swimming pool. Due to the facility’s location directly adjacent to the Guanabara Bay, the Penetron Brazil team provided a range of crystalline materials to ensure a waterproof slab and basement walls, including a total of 1,000 m (3,300 feet) of PENEBAR SW-55 swellable waterstop to permanently seal all below-grade construction joints.

The proximity of seawater from Guanabara Bay and the high groundwater levels meant that chloride attack on the new concrete structures was a clear threat to the project,” adds Cláudio Neves Ourives.
 

Countering Chloride Attack and Deterioration

While a very hard and strong material, concrete also consists of a porous network of microscopic voids that water – and with this project, chloride ions – can enter through. The constant presence of chloride ions from the seawater of Guanabara Bay could quickly penetrate through these pores and attack the reinforcing steel in the concrete, initiating corrosion of the steel, and cause the corresponding expansion. Ultimately, the concrete can crack and fail, necessitating expensive repair work.

Applying a crystalline treatment from PENETRON helps to significantly reduce the permeability of concrete by permanently sealing micro-cracks, pores and capillaries, effectively protecting the concrete against water penetration and the effects of deterioration from chemical attack by seawater from Guanabara Bay.