INDIANAPOLIS – Crafco, an Arizona-based supplier of packaged, pavement preservation solutions, will add PoreShieldTM to its portfolio of products. PoreShield is a revolutionary concrete protectant that extends the service life of concrete. The soy-based product was created through a research collaboration between the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), Purdue University and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), funded by soybean checkoff dollars.

PoreShield extends the service life of concrete by five-to-nine times longer than competing products. In a single application, PoreShield delivers more than 10 years of proven protection against water, salt and freeze/thaw damage.

Not only is PoreShield a high-performance solution, it is also safe, environmentally friendly and easy to apply. PoreShield requires no additional personal protective equipment. PoreShield’s key ingredient is soy methyl ester-polystyrene (SME-PS), which is derived from U.S. soybeans.

“This is exciting news for soybean growers everywhere, but especially for those of us from Indiana who invested checkoff dollars into the research and development of this product,” said ISA Board Chair Mike Koehne, a farmer from Greensburg, Ind. “Soybeans have always been a versatile crop that can provide many, inexpensive products that help the world, and PoreShield is another product realizing its potential. Not only that, it also creates new markets for soybeans.”

On average, 200 bushels of soybeans are used for every two-lane mile of concrete highway joint treated with PoreShield.

Crafco, Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of pavement preservation products and equipment, along with supplying specialized preservation products to the roofing, waterproofing and athletic surfacing industries. 

“Crafco is a great partner to take PoreShield to the next level, and I can’t wait to see all they are able to accomplish,” said ISA CEO Courtney Kingery, who added that farmers and staff of the state’s soybean checkoff program worked hard to create this opportunity. “So many people had a hand in getting PoreShield to this point. Everyone should be proud of their work.”

Under terms of the agreement, Indiana soybean farmers will continue to benefit from PoreShield. For a period of time, Crafco will pay a royalty fee to ISA based on sales revenue.

The growth of PoreShield was aided by soybean farmers from across the country. The United Soybean Board invested in the product and helped showcase it to potential vendors from around the country. Kingery said checkoff groups working in tandem produce the best results.

“PoreShield is not a coating but is instead absorbed deep below the concrete surface to protect concrete from within,” said Paul Imbrock, the creator and technical lead for PoreShield. 

Imbrock is joining the Crafco team as PoreShield product manager to continue developing and promoting PoreShield.

University and Department of Transportation research studies demonstrate that PoreShield extends the life of concrete by reducing calcium oxychloride formation by 90 percent. At greater than 93 percent bio-content, PoreShield is a safe and cost-competitive choice for concrete protection that provides numerous environmental and public health benefits.

PoreShield is non-toxic and is safe to use over waterways, and it does not pose any hazards, such as respiration, organ, eye or skin damage. By replacing traditional toxic products, PoreShield reduces volatile organic compounds by 83-93 percent, further reducing carbon dioxide emission impacts.

For these reasons, PoreShield became an attractive product to Crafco.

“We immediately recognized that PoreShield represents the next generation of pavement preservation products: safer, easier to use and more effective,” said Lisa Zentner, vice president of specialty products for Crafco. “Innovation has long been a core value at Crafco, so we appreciate the extensive research and development invested in PoreShield.”