The inauguration of the Wahda Bank headquarters in Benghazi, Libya, in April 2023 is a further signal of this country’s steady return from a long civil war. PENETRON ADMIX was specified to protect the below-grade concrete structures of the complex from the saltwater environment of the nearby Mediterranean Sea.
Formed in 1970 through a merger of five North African banks (African Arab Bank, Bank of North Africa, Al-Kafela Bank, Al-Nahda Bank, and Commercial Bank), Wahda Bank is a Libyan banking and financial services institution with 76 branch offices across the country. The bank’s main offices are located on Gamal Abdal Nasser Street in Benghazi, which is in close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea.
The new Wahda Bank Building comprises five above-ground floors housing the offices with the ground floor customer areas, and a below-grade basement floor for the bank safe and safety deposit boxes. Notably, the natural ground level of the construction site was only 1 m (3 feet) above sea level. This contributed to the extensive deterioration of the foundation of the previous building because of the saturated environment and chemical attacks (sulfates, chlorides, and other harmful elements in the groundwater and soil) – and hastened the decision to construct a new building.
Coastal Site and Concrete Deterioration
“As a result of the harsh coastal conditions, the project engineers required a robust waterproofing solution to prevent any chloride ion penetration and resulting corrosion of the reinforced concrete structures of the new Wahda Bank Building,” says Kadem A. Elbarghathi, Managing Director of Penetron North Africa.
Initially, the engineers at Assarh Engineering specified a waterproofing membrane system to protect the below-grade structures from the corrosive environment. However, Penetron North Africa showed the engineers how an integral waterproofing solution based on PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, would provide less permeable concrete with increased durability and resistance to chloride ion penetration, as well as speed up the construction schedule and reduce labor costs.
Better Than Conventional Waterproofing Membrane Systems
After the consultation with Penetron North Africa, Assarh Engineering and Golden Gate Contracting, the project’s general contractor, revised the project specifications and replaced the waterproofing membrane system with PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete. El Reehab Concrete, the concrete ready-mix supplier, delivered the PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete for the raft foundation slab and retaining walls. PENEBAR SW-45A was used to permanently seal the construction joints.
“Compared to conventional waterproofing membrane systems, the Penetron solution turned out to be substantially more economical for the Wahda Bank project,” adds Kadem A. Elbarghathi. “Not to mention virtually eliminating the need for future waterproofing-related maintenance.”
Self-Heals Concrete Cracks
Easily mixed in during batching and unaffected by the local saltwater environment, PENETRON ADMIX quickly becomes an integral part of the concrete and lasts for the service life of the concrete. A permanent solution with self-healing capabilities, PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete will self-heal and seal all hairline cracks that form throughout the service life of the concrete.
“In addition to the cost savings and superior performance of the Penetron solution, our success with similar projects exposed to a marine environment – in Libya and across northern Africa – played a key role in winning the Wahda Bank project for Penetron,” concludes Kadem A. Elbarghathi.
The better, integral solution: PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, provided a more reliable and less costly alternative to a membrane system for impermeable concrete.
Built with Penetron technology: The new Benghazi headquarters of the Wahda Bank features five floors with offices and customer areas, and a basement floor for the bank safe and safety deposit boxes.
