Welcoming its first residents in August 2024, the Modera Riverside tower in Miami, Florida, is the newest highlight of the Miami skyline. The project engineer specified PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, to protect key below-grade concrete structures from Florida’s high groundwater and tropical climate.
Located a short distance from the well-known Brickell neighborhood of downtown Miami and topping out at 413- feet (125 m) above street level, the Modera Riverside tower is already an integral part of the city’s skyline. Designed by Nichols Architects, the base of the tower is highlighted by massive diagonal columns, which provide essential structural support while making a striking architectural statement.
Modera Riverside is home to 428 luxury apartments on 36 floors, along with an eight-floor parking garage with room for 505 cars (with EV recharging stations and a bike garage) situated directly above the ground floor (4,266 ft2/388 m2) that accommodates restaurants and clubs. Apartment layouts range from studios to one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Residential amenities include a swimming pool with lounge decks, game room, outdoor courtyards with BBQ areas, business center with co-working areas, dog spa, and fitness gym.
“Thanks to the success of our waterproofing admixture in many previous Modera projects, PENETRON ADMIX SB was quickly specified for key concrete elements of the Modera Riverside tower, including the elevator pits, pile caps, swimming pool, and pool deck,” says Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group.
Typically, elevator pits are the lowest structure of an elevator shaft. Housing elevator hardware and propulsion elements, elevator pits are located below the sub-slab capillary break and water collection systems. This requires a comprehensive concrete waterproofing solution, especially given the local geological and climate conditions of Southern Florida.
“This is why Penetron was asked to provide a reliable waterproofing solution for the Modera Riverside tower, situated at a site with very high groundwater levels, explains Christopher Chen.
Delivered in soluble bags to CEMEX, the ready-mix concrete supplier, PENETRON ADMIX SB was mixed into the concrete during the batching stage to treat over 2,000 yds3 of concrete.
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 and exposure to chlorides.
“Thanks to the self-healing capability provided by PENETRON ADMIX SB to seal all hairline cracks, pores, and capillaries, the service life and durability of the treated concrete structures is significantly increased,” adds Christopher Chen.
Secure from moisture penetration: The concrete for the elevator pits, pile caps, swimming pool, and pool deck of the Modera Riverside apartment tower was treated with PENETRON ADMIX SB.
