Cambridge Foods: PENETRON Attends to Customer Parking

The newly expanded, multi-floor parking garage at the Cambridge Foods Supermarket in central Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa opened in May 2018. PENETRON ADMIX was specified to ensure durability of the upper level parking deck structures.

Cambridge Food began in the 1990s as a local food grocer in KwaZulu-Natal, with six stores that sold fresh meat. Today, the company has grown into a chain of more than 30 outlets operating in five provinces across South Africa.

“In the company’s latest expansion project, one of the Durban facilities needed to enlarge the customer parking garage due to increasing traffic congestion and new parking regulations,” explains Clive Leader, Director of Penetron South Africa.
 

Countering Climactic Effects and Adding Durability

The construction project encompassed a dual-level parking garage with an access ramp to the upper level. In particular, the upper level concrete deck structures are exposed to the elements – and needed to be waterproof.

Sutherland Engineers specified Penetron crystalline products to counter the effects of the climate and add a substantial level of overall durability to the treated concrete structures. PENETRON ADMIX was mixed into the concrete during batching and used for the upper level slabs of the new parking garage. PENEBAR SW-55 waterstop was used to seal the resulting construction joints in the slabs against any moisture ingress. Finally, these concrete elements were treated with a topical application of PENETRON slurry by Norvo Construction – to doubly ensure a durable and completely waterproof structure.
 

Permanent Protection Against Water or Chemicals

Once mixed into the concrete during batching, the non-soluble crystalline network generated by PENETRON ADMIX – and the PENETRON slurry – becomes an integral part of the concrete matrix and provides protection for the life of the concrete. The micro-cracks, pores and capillary tracts in the concrete are permanently sealed against the penetration of water or water-borne chemicals – from any direction – and cracks that appear later are also “healed” by the action of the crystalline protection.

“Penetron provided an optimal and cost-effective waterproofing solution for Cambridge Food’s new parking garage,” adds Clive Leader. “The ease of application and enhanced durability of the concrete will greatly minimize the need for any future maintenance of the concrete structures.”