Penetron Crystalline Technology Waterproofs Aqua Park Facilities in Tunisia

The new Rayar Aqua Park, a waterpark of pools, a kayaking river and water slides, was inaugurated in July 2019, in time for the fall tourist season in Tunisia. Part of the LTI Mahdia Beach Hotel in the resort city of Mahdia, the project contractor asked the local Penetron team for a durable waterproofing solution to permanently protect the concrete structures.

Founded in the early 10th century as the capital of Fatimid-ruled Tunisia, today’s Mahdia is a quiet port town on the Mediterranean coast and a provincial center with over 62,000 inhabitants. The small city is a tourist’s jewel, with numerous historic attractions, including the ruins of an ancient Punic city, the Fatimid port, the first Fatimid mosque (10th century), and a 16th century Ottoman fort.

“Mahdia is one of Tunisia's most picturesque cities, and it’s known for its fishing, silk weaving and olive groves,” adds Akrout Hamdi, Technical Manager at Penetron Tunisia. “And the beaches aren’t bad either!”
 

Hotel Complex Adds an Extensive Water Park Facility

Part of the German LTI global hospitality network, the LTI Mahdia Beach Hotel is a four-star hotel located less than 40-km (25-miles) from Monastir International Airport. The 464-room complex was built in Moorish style and has large indoor/outdoor swimming pools, an extensive landscaped garden, many shops, a café, restaurants, bars, and a disco. The guestrooms all have a view of a white sand beach and the clear turquoise waters of the Sea of Mahdia.

Last year, construction began on the Rayar Aqua Park, the newest addition to the LTI Mahdia Beach Hotel complex. The project included:

• Six giant water toboggan runs (>17m/>55 feet high)
• A 600m² wave pool
• A man-made river for canoes & kayaks
• A 300m² swimming pool
• A pirate ship with seven water toboggan runs and a 500m² swimming pool
• Four water slides
   

High Groundwater a Major Concern

“Because the Rayar Aqua Park was directly next to the Mediterranean Ocean, the high groundwater at the construction site was a major concern for Batimod, the project contractor,” explains Akrout Hamdi. “Thanks to our success with many similar seaside projects at nearby Monastir, we were able to show the contractor how the Penetron System would be a very effective solution.”

Concrete is a hard, porous and absorbent material that can crack and allow water to easily penetrate through pores, micro-cracks and capillary tracts. This can result in a wide range of problems that damage the concrete or the underlying reinforcing steel. Penetron products are formulated to react with key concrete components to produce an integral crystalline formation.
Penetron-treated concrete is vastly less permeable, more resistant to moisture and chemicals, and has a self-healing capability.

“The service life of Penetron-treated concrete is about three times that of conventional concrete,” adds Akrout Hamdi.
 

On Time and On Budget

Super Beton, the ready-mix supplier for the Rayar Aqua Park project, added PENETRON ADMIX to the concrete mix destined for all the swimming pools and the river section. While PENEPLUG, a rapid-setting, crystalline-based compound was used to plug the active leaks resulting from the localized hydrostatic pressure, PENETRON topical material and PENECRETE MORTAR were topically applied to all the concrete surfaces exposed to the outdoors.

“The Penetron System was successfully used on all the concrete structures of the Rayar Aqua Park to provide a high level of durability,” concludes Akrout Hamdi. “The park opened on time and on budget.”