The Maizon Durham Apartment Community in Durham, NC, welcomed its first residents in January 2024. The below-grade foundation of the multi-use complex specified PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, to ensure a durable foundation.
Once a small village of less than 100 people founded in the mid-19th century, Durham has grown into an academic, technology, and industry center of North Carolina. With a population of around 290,000, Durham is the 4th largest city in the state. Traditionally known as a banking and tobacco center, the city is also home to North Carolina Central University and Duke University. In the 1950s, the Research Triangle Park helped make Durham an important hub for information technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medicine.
“Fueled by Durham’s dynamic and growing economy, as well as a comparably affordable cost of living, the residential real estate market for the Raleigh-Durham region continues to grow rapidly,” adds Christopher Chen, Director of the Penetron Group. “The Maizon Durham is only one of many residential properties in the city that was realized in 2023.”
Located in downtown Durham, less than 3 miles from Duke University and within walking distance to Durham Performing Arts Center, the Maizon Durham Apartment Community offers 248 units as studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, ranging from 555-1,450 ft2 (50-132 m2) in size. As a multi-use development, there is also 13,000 ft2 (1,182 m2) of ground floor retail space with shops and restaurants. Amenities include coworking and conference spaces, a fitness center, dog spa, clubroom, and a swimming pool and sundeck.
Because of the high groundwater levels present at the Durham construction site, LeChase Construction, the project’s general contractor, required a reliable concrete waterproofing solution for the below-grade structures of the complex, in particular, for the foundation slab. Penetron collaborated with Argos, the ready-mix concrete supplier, for a durable solution.
PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing admixture in soluble bags, was specified for all below-grade concrete elements. “Using PENETRON ADMIX SB treated concrete allowed for simplified batching, increased efficiency and streamline cost savings,” explains Christopher Chen.
Added to concrete in premeasured soluble bags during batching and unaffected by climatic conditions, PENETRON ADMIX SB creates a non-soluble crystalline network, which forms throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete.
“This network significantly increases the durability and service life of concrete and also gives the concrete structures of the Maizon Durham Apartment Community the ability to self-heal and seal any micro-cracks that may occur in the future, minimizing the need for future concrete repairs,” adds Christopher Chen.
Protected by PENETRON ADMIX SB: The below-grade structures of the Maizon Durham mixed-use development (248 units) – now impermeable – were exposed to high groundwater levels.
