Penetron Helps Ferrari Accelerate Production of a New Generation of EV Supercars

The Ferrari E-Building, an automotive factory in Maranello, Italy, dedicated to the production of electric sports cars, was completed in August 2024. PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, was specified to protect the facility's below-grade concrete structures from high groundwater levels.

In 1947, the first Ferrari automobile emerged from Enzo Ferrari’s small factory in Maranello, Italy. Today, the name is synonymous with Formula 1 racing and the brand’s sleek (usually) red sports cars, which are fast, blessed with a sonorous exhaust note – and expensive. The company’s prancing horse logo is immediately recognized around the world.

Thanks to the financial backing of Fiat, a fellow Italian automaker and subsidiary of Stellantis, a global automotive conglomerate, Ferrari has been able to invest in a steady expansion of production, which contributed to the brand’s global popularity,” explains Enricomaria Gastaldo Brac, CEO & Managing Director of Penetron Italia.

While Ferrari has only two plug-in hybrid cars today – the SF90 Stradale (twin-turbo V8 with three electric motors) and the 296 GTB (twin-turbo V6 with an electric motor driving the rear wheels) – the company has announced plans to greatly expand the number of both EV and hybrid models: “The first Ferrari EV is scheduled for launch in late 2025,” adds Enricomaria Gastaldo Brac.

Ferrari’s just-completed E-Building in Maranello is the production site for the brand’s first fully electric vehicle. This new electric supercar factory will manufacture electric motors, inverters, and battery modules for EVs and hybrids. The facility also comprises an assembly line and paint shop where a new generation of handcrafted EV sports cars will take shape.

The below-grade areas of the E-Building contain the technical room, freight elevators, connecting tunnels to nearby facilities, and elevator structures. The engineers at Techbau, the project’s designer and engineering consultant, specified a robust concrete waterproofing solution to protect the building’s concrete foundation slab and retaining walls from high groundwater levels.

“Groundwater levels can significantly affect the cost and time schedule of its construction,” notes Enricomaria Gastaldo Brac. “Because the construction site in Maranello showed high groundwater levels, the Techbau engineers contacted Penetron Italia for durable waterproofing protection for the below-grade concrete structures. After reviewing the project specifications, the Penetron technical team recommended PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing admixture.”

Easily mixed into about 3,000 m³ (3,924 yds³) of concrete during the batching phase, the active ingredients in PENETRON ADMIX SB react in a catalytic reaction with moisture in fresh concrete to generate a non-soluble crystalline formation throughout the pores and capillary tracts normally found in concrete. This formation permanently seals microcracks, pores and capillaries against the penetration of water or liquids from any direction, substantially reducing the permeability of usually porous and permeable concrete.

“PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete is impermeable and significantly more durable than normal concrete, thanks to its ability to self-heal microcracks," says Enricomaria Gastaldo Brac. “Our integral waterproofing solution is also quicker and easier to implement compared to traditional waterproofing methods, such as membranes and bentonite sheeting."