Penetron Products Used to Waterproof the Shanghai World Expo Axis

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May 05, 2010

The Shanghai Expo 2010 (from May 1 to October 31, 2010) has opened its doors and it is the biggest World Expo in size to date. Its theme “Better City, Better Life” signifies Shanghai's new status in the 21st century as a major economic and cultural center. More than 190 countries and international organizations are participating in the event and it is estimated that 70-100 million people from around the world will visit this World Expo in China, which would make it the largest in history in regards to visitors.

The World Expo will take place in the heart of Shanghai where the former river port was transformed into a spectacular venue of permanent and temporary Expo pavilions.

The Expo Axis, the largest single building of the Expo, is a one-kilometer-long and 100m wide walkway and runs from the Expo site's main entrance straight to the Celebration Square by the Huangpu River. The structure, designed by SBA Architects (Germany), consists of two underground and two above-ground levels and connects the major exhibition areas on the Shanghai Expo 2010 site and houses commercial, food catering, entertainment and exhibition service facilities. It will also connect several metro stations and the elevated pedestrians' walk. During the Shanghai Expo the Expo Axis will serve as the major traffic-way for gathering and guiding the heavy pedestrian flow.

According to the Expo's motto of “Better City, Better Life” the Expo Axis was designed as a sustainable structure for the future. It features six “Sun Valleys” that open up to the sky and provide sufficient sunlight and fresh air, while its steel-glass funnels effectively collect rainwater. A pipeline-system with a total length of 700 kilometers under the pile foundation introduces geothermal and river water that keeps the area warm in the winter and cool in summer.

Penetron was applied as a dry-shake to completely waterproof and protect the entire bottom concrete slab of the Expo Axis against the high groundwater table due to its close proximity to the Huangpu River; in total more than 216 tons of materials were applied.

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