Product Name	Hycrete
Manufacturer	Hycrete, Inc.
Material Use	Waterproof concrete for infrastructure
Cost	$3-$7 USD/sq ft
Featured Project	Yorktown High School
Location	Arlington, Virginia, USA
Date	2010
Client	Arlington Public Schools
General Contractor	Hess Construction
Designer	Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, Perkins Eastman
Civil Engineer	ADTEK Engineers, Inc.
Concrete Contractor	Canyon Concrete Contracting
Concrete Mix	Superior Concrete
Funder	Arlington Public Schools
Application	240 000-gal concrete cistern

left image: Illustration of Hycrete admixture filling in cracks in concrete to prevent water absorbtion. Image: Hycrete, Inc.

top right image: Drops of water on the surface of Hycrete. Photo: Hycrete, Inc.

bottom right image: A completed greywater cistern for Yorktown High School is made with Hycrete. Photo: Perkins Eastman|EE&K

Manufacturers are also looking at ways to make concrete more durable. Hycrete Technologies has developed an admixture, extending the life of concrete by waterproofing it and reducing corrosion. This is important for uses such as rainwater collection tanks which are often buried underground and are expensive to replace as well as other infrastructure uses where cracking can reduce the life of concrete.

Concrete is porous, absorbent, and breaks down from pollutants. Typical concrete waterproofing methods include applying membranes or sheet-applied bentonite to the surface of the concrete, which adds an extra step and prevents it from being recyclable.

Like EcoCreto, Hycrete is an additive that makes installation easier and less error prone. It works by sealing byproduct hydrocarbon in the capillaries that is created when the Hycrete mixes with concrete. In addition, the company claims it bonds concrete to the steel rebar reinforcement forming a protective layer that prevents corrosion. According to the company’s Website, “Hycrete admixtures remain an integral part of the concrete matrix for the life of the structure. The molecule doesn’t breakdown. It won’t leach out.” The company goes on to say, that no reapplication is needed, and contextualizes Hycrete as a “green” concrete that will not be replaced frequently.