Nanokote ProGuard
Concrete Infrastructure Anti-Carbonation Coating Perth
Background – New Standards for Tunnel Safety and Maintenance A Designed Solution
Globally, tunnels are becoming longer and are attracting more expensive maintenance programs. In fact over the last twenty years the costs associated with maintenance in tunnels has increased exponentially. These trends are resulting in the need for tunnels to last longer. The requirement for best practice has never been more important in order to achieve:
- Cost efficient design
- Enhances service life
- Reduced maintenance costs
- Highest safety
ProGuard – Functional opaque coatings for highly stressed concrete surfaces
ProGuard is a coating that is a designed solution to a request for a new coating material to be manufactured to fulfill new standards in safety in road tunnels. The scope of this request is summarized below:
- Increased tunnel safety by reducing pollution and easier, faster cleaning. A bright, stable and clean tunnel was the primary aim.
- Reduction of maintenance time. Simple, chemical free cleaning procedures. Cleaning with water (low-medium pressure spray) and rotating brush.
- Increased resistance to environmental influences (temperature, moisture, chemical attack from salts, diesel soot, rubber abrasion etc.
- Protect the value of the investment – robust and durable coating (one coat to last 30 years).
- Minimisation of risk in application.
- Not critical to application conditions (temperature, moisture).
- Short tunnel closures.
Product Information – ProGuard
ProGuard is a new technology coating material produced for application on highly stressed concrete surfaces. ProGuard is an organometallic coating, that is, it has both organic and inorganic components. Compared with traditional coatings that are inherently organic (polyurethane, acrylic, styrene acrylic etc) these new hybrid coatings have some exceptional properties. Some properties include:
- Exceptional bond strength with substrates (long durability)
- Very high resistance to UV radiation
- Very high resistance to chemicals (acids, bases and solvents)
- Very high resistance to environmental influences (weathering, temperature shock etc)
- Low dirt pick up
- Chemical reactions with surfaces that enable easy application on both new and old surfaces
- Single coat applications.
This manufacturing process is enabling the creation of new materials, materials that can be specifically modified for particular applications and for particular functions.
Applications include:
- Infrastructure
- Road tunnels
- Bridges
- Road barriers
- Railway tunnels
- Underpasses
- Concrete walls
- Engineering structures
- Underground structures
- Exposed concrete
- Military buildings
- Concrete facades
- Ports
Competitive Advantages:
| Feature |
ProGuard |
Typical Competitor |
| No. of Coats | 1 | 3 |
| Difficulty to prepare concrete for coating | One step (simple high pressure clean only) | Multiple Steps |
| Risk of defective application | Low | Medium |
| Easy clean property | ***** | * |
| Pollution removal | ***** | * |
| Solvent / chemical resistance | ***** | None |
| Bond strength with substrate | ***** | * |
| Colour stability / UV-light stability – stable reflection property | ***** | * |
| Anti Graffiti Property | ***** | *** |
Summary of Key Properties 
- One coat process.
- Applicable on old and new concrete
- Applicable on old coatings
- Anti carbonation coating (Barrier to chloride ions, barrier to water ingress, barrier to carbon dioxide, allows water vapour to pass).
- UV resistant
- Fire tested
- Graffiti resistant
- High scratch hardness,
- Abrasion resistance (eg. tyre abrasion)
- Excellent hiding capability.
- Easily patched,
- Bacteria and mould resistant
If you require more information or have any questions, please contact us.