PENETRON Helps Move Potash in Portland Port

PENETRON ADMIX turned out to be the right concrete waterproofing solution for the Canpotex White Potash expansion at Terminal 5 in Portland, Oregon, which was officially inaugurated November 2017. The admixture’s soluble bag packaging also facilitated batching for CalPortland, the ready-mix supplier.

Already the largest port on the West Coast for bulk mineral exports, Portland, Oregon, is set to expand and become even more efficient. Canpotex, a potash marketing and export company owned by three Saskatchewan potash producers, has invested $140 million in the expansion of their potash export facility at Portland's Marine Terminal 5. This mineral bulk exporting facility in the Rivergate Industrial District handles potash and other bulk commodities.

The new equipment and infrastructure will improve efficiency at Terminal 5’s potash ship-loading operations. The new ship-loader, an improved control system and an upgraded conveyor system will enable shorter turnaround times for Canpotex trains and ships. The new storage building will allow the potash exporter to better manage inventory and logistics at the terminal.

PENETRON ADMIX was used to treat all concrete delivered by CalPortland Concrete for the construction of the new tunnels housing the conveyor systems, the 2-foot-thick slabs on grade and the 2-foot-thick walls of the new storage building. 

“After evaluating other waterproofing methods for the concrete destined for the Terminal 5 project, the project designers found PENETRON ADMIX to be the best solution,” explains Christopher Chen, Director of The PENETRON Group. “We have found that many of our contractors, when switching from membrane to crystalline, have accelerated their schedules and reduced their construction costs.”

PENETRON ADMIX is a highly effective permeability-reducing concrete admixture that provides comprehensive protection against chemical attack, freeze-thaw cycles, and corrosion, while withstanding high hydrostatic pressure. Easily mixed in during batching and unaffected by climatic conditions, PENETRON ADMIX becomes an integral part of the – now impermeable – concrete matrix for the life of the concrete.

PENETRON ADMIX SB was added to treat the entire length of the 624-foot long concrete transfer tunnel; PENETRON slurry was applied to the taper tie holes in the walls and to patch previous honeycombing and defects in the concrete. PENECRETE MORTAR was applied to all cracks in the new concrete and for deeper repairs.

“PENETRON worked with CalPortland to come up with the right mix for the marine environment in Portland,” adds Mr. Chen. “We’re very pleased with the results of the Terminal 5 project – and look forward to further cooperation with our new partner.”