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On February 26, 2025, residents of the Dockside Condominiums in Charleston, South Carolina, were given just 48 hours to evacuate after engineers raised serious concerns about the building’s structural safety. The event immediately drew comparisons to the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, which claimed 98 lives in 2021. As we approach the fourth anniversary of that disaster this June, the construction and engineering industry is once again faced with a critical question: Are we doing enough to protect our concrete infrastructure from corrosion and failure?
While many factors can contribute to structural deterioration, one of the most preventable is concrete corrosion caused by water ingress and salt exposure. Particularly in coastal environments like Charleston and Miami, reinforcing steel embedded in concrete is at constant risk of corrosion when water is allowed to penetrate the concrete structure.
The solution? Permeability-Reducing Admixtures (PRAs) — a class of advanced concrete admixtures that provide integral waterproofing from the inside out. When added to the mix at the batching stage, these crystalline admixtures react chemically to block capillary pores and self-seal microcracks. This proactive protection can extend concrete lifespan by decades, reducing the risk of catastrophic failure.
Kryton’s Krystol Internal Membrane (KIM) technology has been safeguarding concrete for over 40 years. Field-validated in real-world conditions — including a 1983 water tank in Langley, BC that remains watertight today — KIM is a trusted solution for municipalities, developers, and infrastructure owners worldwide.
KIM not only eliminates the need for external membranes but also contributes to LEED certification, Buy Clean compliance, and long-term lifecycle cost savings.
As climate change continues to increase the frequency of extreme weather events, the need for resilient, low-maintenance infrastructure is more urgent than ever. From storm surges and saltwater flooding to wildfires and landslides, concrete remains a first line of defense — but only if it’s protected from within.
The Surfside tragedy resulted in a $1.2 billion legal settlement — a harsh reminder that failing to invest in durability carries devastating human and financial consequences.
At Kryton, we believe that every structure deserves a strong foundation. That’s why we continue to innovate, educate, and advocate for smart concrete solutions that don’t just meet the spec — they outperform it for generations.
Learn more about how PRAs like Kryton’s KIM are redefining concrete durability.Read the Full Article → “Re-Building a Resilient Concrete Infrastructure: Averting Concrete Corrosion”
