The Riverfront at Promenade Park, an urban development project in Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA), welcomed its first residents in mid-November 2022. The Penetron System of crystalline concrete waterproofing products was specified to waterproof the below-grade concrete structures.
A midsize metropolitan area in the heart of the Midwest, and the second-largest city in the state of Indiana, Fort Wayne is the economic and cultural hub of northeast Indiana. Home to 270,402 inhabitants, the city has maintained a sizeable local manufacturing industry – including GM and BAE Systems – and is revitalizing the city’s downtown and riverfront districts with new living options and economic development projects.
The Riverfront at Promenade Park is one of Fort Wayne’s key riverfront development projects: a mixed-use city block that features apartments and townhouses, commercial areas, and a parking garage. The six-story project has 228 apartments, seven town homes, and a 4-story, 913-space parking garage – situated along Promenade Park, the city’s newest riverfront park, and St. Mary’s River. The commercial area comprises approximately 25,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of retail space.
Designed by Hoch Associates
Designed by Hoch Associates, local Fort Wayne architects, the $88 million project was built by F.A. Wilhelm Construction. Amenities for Riverfront at Promenade Park residents include an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, bicycle and kayak storage rooms, outdoor grilling patio, putting green, two private access courtyards, covered outdoor lounge, rooftop terrace with fire tables and firepits, outdoor wet bar, coffee bistro, dog spa, package lockers, co-working area, and private conference rooms.
“The Riverfront at Promenade Park construction site is just across the street from St. Mary’s River and also has sandy soil. This added up to plenty of groundwater for the engineers at F.A. Wilhelm to deal with,” explains Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group. “Construction plans specified an integral waterproofing solution; Irving Materials Inc. (imi), the ready-mix supplier and a Penetron partner, recommended the Penetron System as the optimal concrete waterproofing solution.”
Easily mixed in during batching, imi added PENETRON ADMIX SB to 5,000 yds3 of concrete. The treated concrete was used for the retaining walls, foundation slabs, and the outdoor swimming pool. PENETRON, a topical crystalline waterproofing material, and PENECRETE MORTAR, a crystalline waterproofing repair grout, was also used to fill and waterproof the tie-holes in the concrete walls, completing the waterproofing system.
Once added to the mix, the active ingredients in PENETRON ADMIX generate a non-soluble crystalline formation throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete that permanently seals microcracks, pores and capillaries against the penetration of water or liquids from any direction. This formation provides long-term protection for concrete from deterioration, even under the moist environmental conditions found at the Fort Wayne construction site.
“Because the Penetron System performs consistently during the service life of the concrete thanks to the continuous self-healing abilities of any hairline cracks in the concrete, no further maintenance or treatment is required,” says Christopher Chen.
About The Penetron Group
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.
