The December 2024 inauguration of the new Andria Nord underground rail station in Andria, Italy, responds to the city's need to open up a town center that was previously an above-ground railway. The Penetron System was specified to waterproof and protect the concrete railway tunnel from high groundwater levels.
Situated in the foothills of Puglia in southern Italy, Andria is an agriculture (wine, olives, and almonds) and service center with a population of around 100,000 inhabitants. The city is best known for its Castel del Monte, an octagonal medieval fortress built by Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century – an important example of medieval European military architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Designed by 3TI PROGETTI as lead designer, along with Ingegneri Guadagnolo & Partners and Servizi Integrati, the Andria Nord construction project encompassed not only submerging the Andria Nord railway station but also burying the city’s main railway line all the way to the renovated Andria Centrale station, resulting in a 3-km (1.8-mile) long tunnel that lies under the city center, as well as construction of the new Andria Sud station (above ground).
“In addition to upgrading the transport offer and infrastructure of the Ferrovie del Nord Barese line, the Andria Nord project also responded to the city's urgent need to remove the railway line that previously split the city in two,” said Enricomaria Gastaldo Brac, CEO & Managing Director of Penetron Italia. “Beyond enhanced accessibility to public transportation, the project is a golden opportunity for large scale urban renewal and reinvention of the center of Andria.”
During the planning phase of the Andria tunnel, the project engineers at Ingegneri Guadagnolo specified a concrete mix that would ensure impermeable and durable concrete tunnel walls. Using the case studies of successful tunnel projects from around the world, Penetron Italia showed how the Penetron System of crystalline waterproofing products enhances corrosion resistance and substantially improves the durability of concrete while waterproofing the tunnel, even under the conditions of a subterranean railway tunnel in Puglia.
The Penetron System products used in the Andria project included:
- PENETRON ADMIX – a crystalline waterproofing admixture which was added to the concrete mix for the tunnel walls and foundation
- PENEBAR SW – a swellable waterstop used to permanently seal non-movement concrete construction joints
- PENETRON - a crystalline waterproofing material applied as a slurry to prepared concrete surfaces
The active ingredients in Penetron System products create a non-soluble crystalline network, which forms throughout the micro-pores and capillary tracts of the concrete, dramatically decreasing concrete permeability – and extending the service life of the concrete. It now has the ability to self-heal and seal any microcracks that may occur in the future.
“By specifying the Penetron System, the concrete structures of the Andria tunnel will be less likely to crack, spall, or deteriorate due to water penetration and corrosion related damage,” says Enricomaria Gastaldo Brac. “This substantially reduces the need for any future concrete waterproofing-related maintenance and repairs.”
Unleashing broad urban renewal: Submerging the Andria Nord line met the city's need to remove the railway line that previously split the city – and help reinvent the center of Andria.
PENETRON ADMIX was the answer: The Andria Nord tunnel project engineers needed a concrete mix that would ensure impermeable and durable concrete tunnel walls.
