After more than five years of daily operation, the Penetron Admix-treated concrete feed mixing platforms at Silver Creek Angus Ranch continue to demonstrate durability. The previous untreated slabs, by contrast, deteriorated quickly and needed replacement within just six months.

Peter Crabtree, fourth-generation owner of the ranch, reflected on the family's long-standing commitment: "For over 70 years, we've raised beef in a quiet corner of Kingston. Preserving our family's farming heritage is central to our mission, and we're expanding our outreach to promote sustainable agriculture throughout the community."

The majority of beef raised at Silver Creek Angus Ranch is served at the ranch's own restaurant, Crabtree Kitchen + Bar, while the remainder is sold at the retail marketplace. Each year, the farm collects approximately 2.6 million pounds of spent brewery grains—a byproduct from Silver City Brewery in Bremerton—equivalent to about 25 tons per week. Combined with bean straw, these grains feed the ranch's 60 cattle, with plans underway to increase the herd to 80.

Initially, Crabtree and his team constructed concrete mixing platforms for blending brewery grains with cow feed. However, these slabs, exposed to chemical attacks with pH levels between 4.5 and 6, as well as the wear-and-tear from mixing equipment and loading buckets, failed rapidly. Severe deterioration forced the abandonment of the untreated concrete after just half a year.

In October 2020, new mixing slabs were poured at Silver Creek Angus Ranch, this time treated with Penetron Admix. Phil King, West Coast region sales manager for Penetron USA, said, "The slabs were water-cured to encourage crystal growth and allowed to cure for 28 days, optimizing their durability and strength."

Courtesy of The Penetron Group

Penetron Admix's active ingredients integrate into the concrete, creating a robust crystalline network. This structure blocks water and chemicals from penetrating pores, capillaries, and microcracks, even under constant exposure to aggressive, low pH environments. The admixture's self-healing properties ensure that future microcracks are permanently sealed, preventing damage and considerably extending the service life of the concrete structure.

Crabtree noted, "The Penetron-treated feed mixing slabs remain in excellent condition after five years and are still used every day. Even areas subjected to scraping by excavator bucket teeth show little wear, keeping the platform safe for our cattle. Overall, the service life of our concrete slab has increased tenfold."

Source: The Penetron Group