Project utilizes soy-based concrete enhancer

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Illinois Soybean Association recognizes that rural roads and bridges serve as the initial link in the agricultural supply chain.

Without a system of well-maintained rural roads and bridges, the soybeans and grain Illinois farmers produce will not be efficiently delivered to elevators, processing facilities and, ultimately, domestic and international customers.

Unfortunately, a sizable percentage of rural infrastructure is dilapidated while resources to replace or repair it is severely limited.

While additional investment is needed, promoting longevity and making existing taxpayer dollars stretch further is also required.

In an effort to promote greater resilience of rural roads and bridges in an environmentally sustainable manner, while providing an increased marketing opportunity for soybean farmers, the Soy Transportation Coalition and Knox County recently partnered on a pilot project in which PoreShield, a soy-based concrete enhancer, was applied along the joints on a rural county road.

The penetration of salt, water and other materials into a road — particularly in areas with a freeze-thaw cycle — can result in significant damage and diminished longevity.

The application of a concrete enhancer, like PoreShield, can provide a barrier to such penetration and significantly increase the useful life of the road or bridge.

“One of my priorities as a county engineer is to maximize the longevity of our roads and bridges without compromising safety,” said Duane Ratermann, Knox County engineer.

“One of the effective ways to protect concrete from degradation is to treat the joints with a sealant in order to create more resistance to water and salt penetration. I was pleased to partner with soybean farmers in doing a demonstration project utilizing PoreShield.

“The product is designed to provide long-term protection of concrete, and because it is largely comprised of soybean oil, it is environmentally sustainable. I look forward to continuing to monitor the performance of PoreShield in the future.”

“If we don’t have a well-maintained system of rural roads and bridges, farmers will not be able to efficiently get their soybeans and grain to market,” said Tim Scates, soybean farmer from Carmi, ISA director and STC member.

“By collaborating with Knox County on this project, we hope to increase the awareness of these soy-based sealants for our rural infrastructure. We think it is an approach that should be more widely implemented within Illinois.”

In November 2022, Knox County applied PoreShield on transverse joints on 2.25 miles of concrete pavement constructed eight years ago.

Because PoreShield is 93% produced from bio-based products — mostly soybean oil — it is safe to apply and environmentally sustainable. The product is included in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred program.

“The use of PoreShield and other soy-based road sealants and enhancers accomplishes a number of goals,” said David Niekamp of Coatsburg, ISA director and STC member.

“It not only increases the life of our rural roads and bridges, but it also does so in an environmentally sustainable way while creating an additional market for soybean farmers. We hope to see this product more widely used in Illinois and throughout the country.”

To inquire further about the STC demonstration project, contact Mike Steenhoek, STC executive director, at 515-727-0665 or msteenhoek@soytransportation.org.