East Setauket NY – Completed in December 2019, renovation work at the IRCCS Policlinico San Martino Hospital in Genoa, Italy, needed a seamless waterproofing solution to address various challenges. The Penetron System – based on a proprietary crystalline technology – allowed the contractor to complete the project on schedule.
The hospital recently completed an internal reorganization, which also included a comprehensive renovation program to modernize many of the Policlinico’s pavilions and upgrade the technical facilities to meet new healthcare requirements.
Part of the upgrade program was the construction of a 300-foot long subterranean tunnel for pedestrians and hospital stretchers connecting Pavilion 12 and Pavilion 40 to the newly completed Specialità Pavilion and a new elevator shaft connecting the Medical Pavilions.
“The Penetron Italy team was approached to provide a waterproofing solution for an underground pedestrian tunnel, elevator shafts, and different concrete structures now part of the new construction,” said Enricomaria Brac. “Each building had different requirements for waterproofing and concrete durability.”
The subterranean tunnel required a preliminary application of PENETRON ADMIX-treated shotcrete. Shotcrete, or sprayed concrete, is applied at high pressure on vertical or horizontal surfaces without sagging. The mixture is especially well-suited for application on curved or thin concrete structures with an internal reinforced shell. Once set, the resulting structure is completely waterproof and much more durable than untreated concrete. A final concrete form was then cast against the tunnel structure.
