PoreShield™ Application Prevents Highway Deterioration
In 2011, the Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University launched a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a new soy-based concrete protection product developed by the university. This was the first of many real-world studies to test this new concrete durability enhancer called PoreShield™ (SME-PS). They selected a heavily traveled and heavily de-iced section of U.S. Highway 231 in Lafayette, Ind. with 13-year-old pavement joints as the test subject.
Six slab joints were treated with PoreShield while the other joints went untreated. Additionally, previous methods, including backer rods and silicone, were removed. However, these previous methods were left in place for the surrounding joint areas as an additional point-of-comparison. Application was quick and easy, using a backpack sprayer. And because it is a low VOC product, protective gear was not needed. After three hours, the highway was reopened to traffic.
Now in its 10th year, the results are remarkable. Sections treated with PoreShield look virtually the same as the day it had been applied. The control sections, including the surrounding joint areas with rods and silicone, are showing signs of significant deterioration and will likely need replacement soon.
The results from this first real-world test of PoreShield help to prove that the roadways of our states and cities can be protected for the long haul. Minimizing repair and replacement costs. And getting the lifecycle from concrete projects that you should expect.