Penetron Reaches New Heights with South African Water Tower

The 2020 commissioning of the new water tower in Crown Gardens, Gauteng (South Africa) restores much needed drinking water capacity to that community. PENETRON ADMIX was specified to ensure waterproofing and durability for the tower’s concrete superstructure.

The 30 m (99 feet) high water pressure tower in Crown Gardens, a suburb of about 4,000 inhabitants immediately south of Johannesburg, holds 2,000 m³ (528,344 US gallons) of drinking water (more than double that of the original water tower from the 1970s) and adds 2.9 bars of natural gravity pressure to the local water pipeline.

During the planning phase of the Crown Gardens water tower, the project engineers at Tri-M con Engineering were looking for a durable and permanent waterproofing solution for the water tower’s concrete structure.
 

Penetron Top to Bottom

“Because Penetron has had great success with a number of municipal infrastructure projects across South Africa, we were quickly put in touch with the engineers to demonstrate the effectiveness and longevity of Penetron crystalline technology,” explains Jonathan Whitehead, Technical Engineering Support at Penetron South Africa. “They immediately appreciated the notable advantages of extending the service life of a structure with PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete, which can add up to 60 years or more to the service life of conventional concrete.”

PENETRON ADMIX was specified for all the Crown Garden water tower’s major concrete elements, from the below-grade foundation to the main water-containing superstructure far above ground. Pronto, the ready-mix supplier, treated 2,000 m³ (2,615 cubic yards) of concrete with PENETRON ADMIX. The PENEBAR SW-55 swellable waterstop strips were installed along the construction joints of the water-containing structure by Maxlife Solutions, a Penetron-approved applicator, to ensure waterproof joints. In a final step, PENETRON and PENECRETE MORTAR were used to repair areas of light honeycombing on the surface as a precaution by the contracting team.
 

High Altitude Inspection

PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete is impermeable to water and chemical penetration, even for structures under the high hydrostatic pressure encountered at the construction site in Gauteng, South Africa.

“The main challenge – and most unusual aspect – of the Crown Gardens project was having to work on a site far above the ground to complete the required Penetron-related inspections of the finished structure,” explains Jonathan Whitehead. “The new tower is a replica of the original, with double the capacity, and is now maintenance-free, thanks to the self-healing properties of Penetron crystalline technology.”