Completed in December 2019, renovation work at the IRCCS Policlinico San Martino Hospital in Genoa, Italy, needed a seamless waterproofing solution to address various challenges. The Penetron System –based on a proprietary crystalline technology – allowed the contractor to complete the project on schedule.
The Policlinico San Martino Hospital is an extensive healthcare facility comprising about 5,000 employees housed in dozens of specialized diagnosis and treatment buildings (pavilions) that dominate the San Martino d'Albaro district of the city.
“The Policlinico is one of the largest and most important hospital complexes in Europe,” explains Enricomaria Brac, General Manager of Penetron Italy. “It serves the health needs of the citizens of the Genoa metropolitan area and the surrounding province of Liguria.”
The Policlinico recently completed an internal reorganization, which also included a comprehensive renovation program to modernize many of the Policlinico’s pavilions and upgrade the technical facilities to meet new healthcare requirements. Part of the upgrade program was the construction of a 90 m (300-foot) long subterranean tunnel for pedestrians and hospital stretchers connecting Pavilion 12 and Pavilion 40 to the newly completed Specialità Pavilion and a new elevator shaft connecting the Medical Pavilions (12 & 40).
Different Structures, Different Requirements
“The Penetron Italy team was approached to provide a waterproofing solution for an underground pedestrian tunnel, elevator shafts, and different concrete structures now part of the new construction,” adds Enricomaria Brac. “Each building had different requirements for waterproofing and concrete durability.”
The elevator shaft was cast in situ using PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete and PENEBAR SW swellable waterstop strips to seal the resulting construction joints. PENECRETE MORTAR was also used to complete repairs required in the concrete structure.
Advantages of Treated Shotcrete
The subterranean tunnel required a preliminary application of PENETRON ADMIX-treated shotcrete. Shotcrete, or sprayed concrete, is applied at high pressure on vertical or horizontal surfaces without sagging. The PENETRON ADMIX-enhanced shotcrete mixture is especially well-suited for application on curved or thin concrete structures with an internal reinforced shell. Once set, the resulting structure is completely waterproof and much more durable than untreated concrete. A final concrete form was then cast against this initial PENETRON ADMIX-treated shotcrete tunnel structure.
“Once the application of the Penetron products was completed, the dry surfaces of the treated concrete structures stopped any groundwater penetration – and they continue to be dry today, months after our work was done,” concludes Enricomaria Brac.
