The December 2022 reopening of the Barnes Crossing Hyundai dealership in Tupelo, Mississippi (USA), revealed an expanded and updated dealership and service center. PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, was specified for all below-grade structures, in particular, the service area’s garage pits.
With around 40,000 inhabitants, Tupelo is a commercial, industrial, and cultural hub of North Mississippi, as well as the birthplace of Elvis Presley. One of the largest automobile dealerships in the Tupelo area, the newly renovated and expanded Barnes Crossing Hyundai dealership is located north of the city’s downtown area.
The $5.4 million renovation and expansion project was carried out by McCarty King, the general contractor. Construction work included the addition of a spacious showroom and expanded sales floor, a new detail building, renovation of the previous service bay area, and a new 15-bay service building adjacent to the main dealership building.
High Groundwater Levels
Because the dealership’s below-grade reinforced concrete structures would be exposed to the high groundwater levels at the construction site, the project architect needed a durable concrete waterproofing solution as protection against corrosion related concrete deterioration.
“B&B Concrete, the project’s ready-mix concrete supplier, has been a long-term Penetron partner for numerous projects across Northern Mississippi,” says Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group. “We worked with B&B to pitch PENETRON ADMIX SB as the optimal concrete waterproofing solution for the new garage pits and other below-grade concrete elements.”
Integral Waterproofing Solution
Once mixed into concrete, the proprietary chemicals in PENETRON ADMIX react in a catalytic reaction with moisture to generate a non-soluble crystalline formation throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete. This formation becomes an integral part of the concrete matrix and permanently seals the concrete, making it impermeable to water or liquids from any direction.
PENETRON ADMIX SB was specified for the concrete mix used for the below-grade concrete structures.
“As an integral solution, PENETRON ADMIX can significantly extend the service life of concrete and, in the long term, reduce any future concrete maintenance and repair costs,” adds Christopher Chen.
![The expansion of the Barnes Crossing Hyundai dealership in Tupelo, MS used PENETRON ADMIX SB to protect below-grade concrete structures from high groundwater levels.](/images/opt/images-project_image-Barnes-Crossing-Hyundai-dealership-Tupelo-MS-USA.jpg)
Bigger and more durable: The expansion of the Barnes Crossing Hyundai dealership in Tupelo, MS used PENETRON ADMIX SB to protect below-grade concrete structures from high groundwater levels.