Could soybeans hold the key to longer-lasting roads? The developers of PoreShield think so.
All colder-weather states experience the same problem. The never-ending freeze-thaw cycle causes the integrity of roads, bridges, and other structures to crack and break apart. Once water and other chemicals get into the concrete’s pores, it cracks open and causes those infamous potholes.
Pavement is incredibly difficult and expensive to maintain. And often those roads have to be repaved anyway. So state and local budgets get squeezed.
That’s precisely why the Indiana Department of Transportation asked Purdue University for help. INDOT needed a sustainable, effective, and inexpensive solution to protect the roads. Purdue tapped United Soybean Board and Indiana Soybean Alliance for collaboration. The result was PoreShield.
PoreShield is made of soy methyl ester. When applied to concrete surfaces, it can provide more than 10 years of protection. It’s cost effective. And it’s environmentally friendly. Bonus: applicators aren’t required to wear personal-protective equipment like they do with current options.
I absolutely love these types of products. We already grow soybeans in the US. Prices are relatively low. And the crop is abundant. PoreShield provides a low-cost and sustainable product that solves a really big problem. If more states adopted this product, it could benefit farmers, governments, and local communities.
Do you have a better understanding of why the freeze thaw cycle effects brides and not grooms? You should have done that one on purpose.
I think it has something to do with their attire. LOL. Good catch.