The 3rd and final stage of the Piraeus Port Plaza project in Piraeus, Greece, was completed in April 2023. The $165 million project covers three city blocks in the center of this harbor city. The Penetron System of concrete waterproofing solutions was specified to protect the expansive below-grade structures from the hydrostatic pressure due to the surrounding high groundwater levels.
Piraeus is a port city of almost half a million inhabitants on the Saronic Gulf within the Athens metropolitan area, 8 km southwest of the Athens city center. The Piraeus Port Plaza (PPP) project has transformed the former industrial complex of the Papastratos Tobacco Company into a modern high-tech hub of eight buildings covering three city blocks (440 acres), with a total plot area of 17,800 m2, and a total buildable (multi-floor) area of 77,050 m2, all situated in close proximity to the city’s port facilities. In addition to office space, PPP also features numerous outdoor public green areas and space for cultural events.
“The Piraeus Port Plaza is an enormous urban renewal project, which will ultimately house office space for about 10,000 people,” says Theodor Mentzikofakis, Managing Director and Partner of Penetron Hellas. “The repurposing of all the previous industrial buildings complied with the LEED certification guidelines.”
Designed by 3SK Architects, and built by Ballian Techniki, the PPP project consisted of three stages:
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Piraeus Port Plaza 1 (PPP1) – completed in 2018 and LEED Gold certified, the previous warehouse was converted into a modern 14,900 m2 sustainable office building.
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PPP2 – two historic industrial and neoclassical buildings were renovated and converted into an office building in 2019-2020.
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PPP3 – comprises four buildings and an underground parking garage; the renovation and expansion of the final two buildings was completed in April 2023.
“Excavation at the construction site reached down three below-grade levels, which presented the PPP project with substantial waterproofing challenges for the concrete structures,” adds Theodor Mentzikofakis. “Penetron Hellas worked with the consulting engineers at DCarbon to propose an optimal concrete waterproofing solution for the below-grade levels.”
Kouros Beton, the ready-mix concrete supplier, supplied 3,000 m3 of PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete for the parking garage levels. Over 1,800 m of PENEBAR SW swellable waterstop strips were also installed to permanently seal the new construction joints. Topical applications of PENETRON, a crystalline waterproofing material, and PENECRETE MORTAR, a crystalline repair grout, were applied to the surfaces of the previous, now renovated buildings to repair any cracks and enhance the impermeability of the old concrete structures.
Easily mixed in during batching and unaffected by climatic conditions, PENETRON ADMIX quickly becomes an integral part of the concrete and lasts for the life of the concrete. Once applied to prepared concrete surfaces, PENETRON and PENECRETE MORTAR also provide the same self-healing capabilities as PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete. Any hairline cracks that form in the concrete will permanently self-heal when exposed to moisture.
“The specification of the Penetron System helped the PPP project meet various LEED parameters for certification,” adds Theodor Mentzikofakis. “The whole PPP complex is now LEED-certified, and the underground parking garage has the distinction as the first parking garage in Greece to meet sustainable construction guidelines.”
Enormous urban renewal project: The Piraeus Port Plaza in Greece repurposed previous industrial buildings in the center of the city to provide modern office space for about 10,000 people.
Penetron was the solution: The Piraeus Port Plaza site reached down 3 below-grade levels, presenting the project with substantial waterproofing challenges for the concrete structures.
