Construction of the new Mohamed Hardware Supply building in Overport (Durban), South Africa, was completed in September 2022. The Penetron System was chosen over a membrane waterproofing system to provide permanent protection for the new concrete structures.
Located on the east coast of South Africa on the shores of the Indian Ocean, Durban is the third most populous city in South Africa and the largest city in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Durban (pop. 600,000) is part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which includes the adjacent towns (pop. >3.5 million). Durban’s harbor, one of the world’s major commercial ports, is an important container port and point of entry to the South African market. Overport is a hilly residential area and lies northwest of central Durban.
The initial plans for the construction of the new Mahomed Hardware Supply building in Overport specified the installation of a waterproofing membrane system as a waterproofing solution. However, Penetron Africa presented an alternative solution to Cazir Naroth Architects and Young & Satharia, the project engineers, on how to better protect the two-floor concrete building from the local climate and groundwater levels.
“The Mahomed hardware building is set into a low hill, with the flat concrete roof exposed to the elements and the ground-floor retaining walls exposed to groundwater found on the site,” explains Shalk Faber, Technical Engineering Support at Penetron Africa. “Our technical team showed how an integral waterproofing solution based on the Penetron System would provide a clean as cast finish and more durable concrete matrix.”
After the consultation with Penetron Africa, the project engineers revised the project specifications and replaced the waterproofing membrane system with the Penetron System.
On-Time Ready-Mix Concrete, the concrete ready-mix supplier, delivered the PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, and added it to the concrete mix for the raft foundation slab and retaining walls. PENEBAR SW-55A swellable waterstop strips were applied to permanently seal the construction joints. PENETRON, a cementitious integral crystalline waterproofing slurry, was topically applied to the flat concrete roof and all exposed concrete surfaces of the retaining walls. Finally, PENECRETE MORTAR, a crystalline waterproofing repair grout, was used to complete the waterproofing system.
Once applied, the active ingredients in the Penetron System products create a non-soluble crystalline formation throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete, becoming an integral part of the concrete. The treated concrete will now self-heal and seal all hairline cracks that form for the service life of the concrete.
“In addition, switching to the Penetron System enabled the contractor to keep to the construction schedule and reduce the labor costs associated with the complex installation and maintenance of a membrane system, as well as installation of a solar panel system, which is planned for the future,” concludes Shalk Faber.
Integral concrete waterproofing: The two-floor Mahomed Hardware concrete building in Durban, South Africa is protected from the local climate and groundwater levels with PENETRON ADMIX.
More durable concrete matrix: The flat concrete roof of the Mahomed Hardware building (KwaZulu-Natal province) is permanently protected with the Penetron System of crystalline waterproofing products.
