Pittsburgh, PA
PETERSEN
EVENTS CENTER
Project Basic Information
Project Name: Petersen Events Center – University of Pittsburgh
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Application Date: Summer 2007
Size: 48,000 sq. ft.
Products Used: TechCrete 2500 Waterproofing Agent
Applicator:
Specifier:
Structure Owner: University of Pittsburgh
Project Warranty: None
THE CHALLENGE
The challenge on this project was how to most effectively provide long-term protection for the concrete sidewalk, stairs, and plaza deck areas outside of the Petersen Event Center. Given the harsh winter weather conditions, and the amount of snow & ice melt chemicals that are used to keep the high traffic areas around the arena clear for pedestrians … the concrete takes a tremendous beating. These chemicals actively penetrate untreated concrete and cause corrosion of the embedded steel reinforcement inside the concrete. This corrosion causes the steel to expand and crack the concrete from the inside, causing it to deteriorate more quickly.
THE SOLUTION
The University decided they wanted to provide long-term protection for these highly trafficked areas around the Petersen Event Center. The fast & easy application minimized any potential disruption of traffic in the area, and spray-applied waterproofing quickly penetrated below the concrete surface and began forming the waterproofing gel. An added benefit to using this method of protecting the concrete is that it’s environmentally friendly and does not change the slipperiness coefficient of the concrete surface. It also does not change the appearance of the concrete.
THE RESULTS
This was a fast & easy application of the subsurface waterproofing system – resulting in a contiguous layer of waterproofing gel forming inside the concrete itself. The result of applying the EMSS technology found in TechCrete 2500 has been decades of full waterproofing protection for these high-traffic areas around this busy Event Center.