PENETRON ADMIX provides foundation for University of Calgary’s EEEL building
The University of Calgary has opened the recently completed Energy Environment Experiential Learning (EEEL) lab building, which features many innovative, energy-saving and sustainable technologies. As one of the most energy efficient buildings in North America, the EEEL is built on concrete treated with PENETRON ADMIX.
Founded in 1966 and home to over 30,000 students and 1,800 faculty members, the University of Calgary is a center for learning and innovative solutions. The recently inaugurated Energy Environment Experiential Learning (EEEL) building is the newest expression of the University’s strategy to become one of Canada’s top five research universities by 2016.
Five stories tall with a footprint about the area of a football field, the EEEL building provides room for over 1,000 students in labs, classrooms and a theater. Energy efficiency was a key part of the design; the structure uses 78% less energy than a typical laboratory, which is normally energy intensive.
Concrete was used for the building structure, foundation and shear elements, radiant slabs, walls, columns, etc. PENETRON ADMIX was used to treat all concrete in the below grade structures to maximize durability and water resistance. As a crystalline waterproofing admixture, PENETRON ADMIX was chosen due to its ability to resist extreme hydrostatic pressure (as defined in Chapter 15: “Permeability Reducing Admixtures” of the ACI’s Report on Chemical Admixtures for Concrete / 212.3R-10) and its wide use in watertight construction.
The EEEL basement included storage rooms and lab spaces. Additional energy efficiency measures integrated belowground include:
nderground concrete tubes to move outdoor air inside for cooling and heating
Water storage of rainwater and recycled water used for plumbing
Designed by DIALOG (Canadian interdisciplinary design firm) and Perkins & Will (a global architecture firm), the EEEL was recently awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification as one of the most energy efficient laboratories in North America.
“The EEEL features an impressive array of green technologies,” summarizes Chris Chen, Director of The PENETRON Group. “The waterproofing and durability-enhancing properties of concrete treated with PENETRON ADMIX are invisible, but play an important part in the building’s overall environmental footprint.”
