PENETRON Permanently Protects Santiago Tunnels
East Setauket, New York (PRWEB) February 27, 2017 -- Thanks to PENETRON’s crystalline admixture, getting around Santiago, Chile, just got a little easier. The PENETRON-treated walls – of both the Costanera-Norte and Costanera-Sur tunnels – now feature low permeability, waterproofed concrete to help keep traffic moving.
To achieve concrete impermeability in critical environments such as highway tunnels, key properties, including low permeability, low shrinkage, self-healing and protection against chemical attack, must be realized. PENETRON’s permeability-reducing crystalline technology has been proven in numerous tunnel projects in Australia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, USA, etc.
“Just recently, PENETRON also helped waterproof the Avenida Kennedy Tunnel here in Santiago, only two miles from the new Costanera tunnels,” adds Domingo Lema, General Manager of PENETRON Chile. “Both projects are completely dry and are waterproofing successes!”
This $30 million project added two highway tunnels in the Vitacura section of Santiago, providing much-needed additional capacity for heavily-traveled routes through the eastern part of the city. In part of the Costanera-Norte, a 30.4 km (19 mile) toll highway, the tunnels run in a north-south direction along the Mapocho River and are 12 m (40 feet) high and 5 m (16 feet) wide; each tunnel accommodates two lanes of traffic. The Costanera-Norte tunnel is 608 m (1,995 feet) long and the Costanera-Sur tunnel is 490 m (1,610 feet) long.
To ensure impermeability of the concrete to encroaching groundwater and environmental influences, PENETRON crystalline technology delivered the needed durability and waterproofing performance for the concrete used in the walls and drainage system of the new tunnels. A PENETRON ADMIX-Enhanced Shotcrete (PAES) mix was applied to the interior surfaces of the tunnel walls to quickly waterproof the interior and prevent any water penetration of the construction site. PENETRON ADMIX was mixed into the concrete for the subsequent concrete tunnel walls to provide a permanently dry interior.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new tunnels, the Chilean Public Works Minister, Alberto Undurraga, noted that the completion of the Costanera tunnels was a key part of the overall traffic plan for Santiago’s Center East urban area.
The PENETRON Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives and distribution channels.
For more information on PENETRON waterproofing solutions, please visit penetron(dot)com or Facebook(dot)com/ThePenetronGroup, email CRDept(at)penetron(dot)com, or contact the Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700.
Corporate Relations, The Penetron Group, http://www.penetron.com, +1 (631) 941-9700, [email protected]
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