The “Zara-Expo” road connector project, which was carried out by the Metropolitana Milanese SpA of Milan, Italy, underwent many changes over the past decade before last month’s inauguration. Penetron crystalline technology was specified to ensure a permanent concrete waterproofing solution.
The new “Zara-Expo” connector links the Via Eritrea in Milan, to the EXPO 2015 exhibition area. The new connector also links the Molino Dorino-A8 highway connection with the new Cascina Merlata junction on the A4 that leads to the Lombardy Lake Regions.
Currently, only authorized buses, taxis and vehicles are allowed on the road while work is being completed on the bike lanes, an adjacent soccer field on Via Aldini, and the landscaping above the Boccioni tunnel sections. The road is 1.12 miles(1.8 km) long, including the Boccioni tunnel sections 1,975 feet (602 m) with two lanes in each direction. Each tunnel measures 34 feet by 19 feet (10.5 m wide x 6 m high), with a maximum in-ground depth of about 40 feet (12 m).
Original construction plans called for a welded PVC-geotextile liner to provide waterproofing. This was replaced with a crystalline admixture, Penetron Admix, which was mixed into the concrete during batching to ensure a permanent, integral solution that provides self-healing capabilities for the life of the concrete.
“The Penetron solution ensured an impermeable concrete surface in the tunnels that handily exceeded the official project specifications,” notes Enricomaria Gastaldo Brac, CEO of Penetron Italia. “Recent laboratory tests of Penetron Admix-treated concrete showed maximum water penetration levels of only 8 mm; the project tender required a 30 mm limit on water penetration. Nessun contesto!”
The remaining work on the Zara Expo connector will be completed by mid-summer 2015; the waterproofing protection provided by Penetron technology will last forever.
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