The $50.5 million Baldwin Village residential/retail complex on the edge of the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Georgia, welcomed its first occupants in June 2024. PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, was specified to ensure durable concrete protection for the below-grade foundation structures and parking garage.
With a population of around 130,000, Athens, Georgia, is known as a university town, home to the state’s flagship public university and research institute. Only 70 miles (110 km) northeast of Atlanta, the city’s economy is driven to a notable degree by the University of Georgia and is rapidly expanding into healthcare, technology, and innovative growth markets such as biotechnology.
“As a result, the local housing market has seen a significant uptick in demand for housing close to the University’s campus,” adds Richard Farmer, Eastern Regional Sales Manager for Penetron USA.
Constructed on the edge of the University of Georgia campus on Williams and Baldwin Streets, and adjacent to Stamford Stadium, Baldwin Village comprises 157 multifamily units housed in five-buildings of varying heights and positioned around a landscaped courtyard. The residential units range from studio apartments (286 ft2/25 m2) to one and two-bedroom units of up to 1,314 ft2 (120m2). The garden style complex also offers approximately 25,000 ft2 (2,280 m2) of retail space and 221 above-grade parking spaces.
“Originally, a competitive waterproofing solution was specified by Parker & Associates, the project developer, for the below-grade concrete structures at Baldwin Park,” noted Richard Farmer. “However, we were able to show how PENETRON ADMIX SB had performed in similar mixed-use projects throughout the region as protection from high groundwater levels. As a result, Morgan Concrete, the ready-mix concrete supplier, chose the Penetron admixture for the job,”
Added to the concrete mix by Morgan Concrete during the batching phase, PENETRON ADMIX SB helped optimize durability of the concrete foundation slab, basement walls, and elevator pits.
Formulated to react with moisture, the active ingredients in PENETRON ADMIX SB produce an integral crystalline formation throughout the concrete matrix. This makes concrete impermeable to water, chemicals, and waterborne elements, even against high hydrostatic pressure of the high groundwater levels commonly encountered in northern Georgia.
“Thanks to the self-healing capability provided by PENETRON ADMIX SB, all hairline cracks, pores, and capillaries are automatically sealed, extending the service life of the treated concrete structures,” adds Richard Farmer.
