Penetron Helps Transform a Deteriorated Hospital Shell into a Modern Office Tower

EAST SETAUKET, N.Y., Sept. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Novokuznetsk's newest office building was officially inaugurated in the summer of 2019 after a long repair and restoration effort. Penetron crystalline material was used in the repair and restoration of the new business center.

The city of Novokuznetsk lies along the Tom River, just below its confluence with the Kondoma, in the Kuznetsk Coal Basin of Southwestern Siberia. Founded in 1617, the city grew quickly in the 20th century after an ironworks was built in the late 1920s and became one of the largest in the Soviet Union. A second plant was built in the 1960s. Today, this city of almost 600,000 is also a center for production of steel, ferroalloys and aluminum – in addition to a local chemical industry and a coal mine near the city.

Hospital Tower Stands Empty for Decades
In the 1980s, the Novokuznetsk City Clinical Hospital began an ambitious expansion program that included the construction of several new buildings. One of these buildings was never outfitted as a hospital, and the shell stood unfinished and exposed for decades.

"When a reinforced concrete structure stands empty and unprotected for so many years, especially in the harsh Siberian climate, the matrix will suffer significant deterioration," explains Igor Chernogolov, President of Penetron Russia.

First Step: A Detailed Damage Analysis
To counter the effects of the many years of neglect, the project team began with a detailed analysis of the deterioration in the concrete matrix, in particular the below-grade basement structures. A high water table, with its associated hydrostatic pressure, had only added to the woes of the concrete matrix.

"In a first step, the local Penetron team, who carried out the restoration work on-site, followed the required concrete surface preparation procedures to expose any hidden damage and micro-cracks," added Igor Chernogolov. "The surface preparation process exposed leaking cracks, damp spots, honeycombing, and structurally damaged concrete. After the major cracks and damaged areas were drilled/routed/chipped out and filled, a layer of PENETRON crystalline materials was sprayed on all concrete surfaces to ensure a durable and waterproof matrix."

Protecting Concrete from Deterioration
When applied to the surface of an existing concrete structure, PENETRON topical crystalline material penetrates deep into the concrete to generate a non-soluble crystalline formation throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete. This permanently self-heals and seals micro-cracks, pores and capillaries against the penetration of water or liquids from any direction, protecting the concrete from deterioration, even under the harsh environmental conditions of Novokuznetsk.

"And now the building, which was once destined to be a hospital facility, has been commissioned as a durable and waterproof office building – thanks to Penetron," says Igor Chernogolov.

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 crystalline technology solutions, please visit http://www.penetron.com, email: [email protected] or contact our Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700.

SOURCE The Penetron Group