New Soy-Based Product Protects U.S. Roads

A new soy-based concrete sealant is protecting roadways in the U.S. while also supporting demand for soybeans and reducing maintenance costs for infrastructure. The United Soybean Board partnered with the Indiana Soybean Alliance on research and market development efforts for soy-based solutions in infrastructure for decades. They’re proud to announce that select Indiana counties have the opportunity to use a new soy-based sealant called PoreShield on their bridges. The brand-new product is made possible by farmers’ checkoff investments. PoreShield is being used on 77 bridge decks totaling 330,000 square feet in Indiana this year, with aims to expand the use in the future. The good news for farmers is, as PoreShield continues to be adopted as a solution, demand for soybeans grows too. On average, PoreShield uses 200 bushels of soybeans per mile of two-lane bridge treatment. That’s equivalent to 7.5 acres of soybeans for each mile demanded by this market. “As a renewable alternative, using U.S.-grown soybean oil as a concrete-durability enhancer is among one of 1,000 soy-based products currently on the market,” says John Jansen, USB Vice President of Oil Strategy. “It unlocks yet another use that drives demand for our soybeans, and with PoreShield, there’s enormous potential for roads and bridges that need these critical enhancements.”