Kelso Coatings
“Imagine lowering your $1 Billion infrastructure spend to $500 million,” asks Kathryn Wortsman Stein of the Kelso Industrial Group. Kelso’s innovative new water proofing solution product does just that.
Kelso Coatings is a Canadian company offering revolutionary products for lasting waterproofing of concrete structures, with exclusive distribution rights to a breakthrough product in waterproofing solutions. Established in 2006 as Revolutionary Concrete Solutions, Kelso Coatings’ CN2000 waterproofing solutions product is nothing short of revolutionary, and is changing the way private and public infrastructure owners approach infrastructure maintenance.
“CN2000 is our revolutionary anti-corrosive crystalline waterproofing solution that will increase the sustainability of your infrastructure and reduce the operating costs associated with repair and maintenance,” says Stein.
Our CN2000 will cure faster than other crystalline solution, allowing a building or bridge to open sooner, and owners to save time and money. A CN2000 application results in maintenance savings of more than 70 per cent compared to no coating at all. When applied, CN2000 becomes an integral part of the concrete, self-healing cracks that may form years after application, stopping the deterioration. The extreme hydrostatic pressure resistance tested by Queens University, and the high freeze/thaw and chloride resistance of CN2000 – tested by the National Research Council – protects the concrete infrastructure against harsh Canadian weather, making it our nation’s ideal waterproofing material.
The science behind CN2000 is its patented eka molecular sieve crystalline solution that creates a permanent barrier layer against water but still maintains tiny pores for breathability. The CN2000 cementitious capillary crystalline waterproof material prevents leaks and permeation to infrastructure by adhering to the concrete as an integral part of the structure. Once the water is detected, the CN2000 chemical reaction produces insoluble crystals to fill and block pores and the capillary tracts and achieve self-rehabilitation. This reaction maintains the waterproof barrier for the life of the structure. The product works with the matrix of the concrete, effectively self-healing hair line cracks even 20 years down the road. “As long as there is moisture in the concrete, our product will penetrate. If not, it stays in a dormant state.” says Ron Langdana, President.
The coating can be brushed, trowelled or sprayed on, and can be applied on the inside (negative) or outside (positive) wall of a structure. This factor alone has massive implications in terms of cost of maintenance, reducing the need to dig on the outside of a structure.
In summary, Kelso Coatings scientific waterproofing crystalline solution reduces maintenance and repair costs and, as a result, increases the lifespan of a concrete structure. Whether the structure is a multi-residential condo building, foundation wall, bridge, tunnel, water tank or any other concrete structure, this waterproofing solution can be applied from the negative side with the same results as if it was applied on the positive side (outside).
Test Results Off the Charts
Langdana, has accomplished a number of milestones since founding Kelso Coatings (formerly Revolutionary Concrete Solutions). He has seen CN2000 products go “the long route for instant credibility,” with significant lab test results and case studies completed with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA), the TTC, the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) and other significant private infrastructure owners like Oxford Properties Group.
Two significant tests were undertaken by Langdana that proved to him that his CN2000 product was exceptional. The first was conducted by Queens University Department of Engineering. The Queens study was partially funded by Ontario Centre of Excellence (OCE) to test anti-corrosion and by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (“NSERC”) to test hydrostatic pressure of 3.3 MPa that CN2000 is capable to sustain for negative side waterproofing.
Then, the National Research Council of Canada that tested the effect of CN2000 on Chloride Ion (salt) penetration and the effect of rapid freeze and thaw cycles.
Life Cycle Cost Analysis
For his work with the GTAA, Langdana approached an active leak for that had been problematic for several years where excavation was next to impossible. “In addition to significant cost and inconvenience, if they were to excavate, the GTAA would suffer a revenue loss due to disruption of income-generating areas of the Airport. Kelso Coatings applied the coating on the inside wall of the below-grade structure. We brought in a 3-man crew, and in an 8-hour shift, we accomplished mobilization/demobilization, security clearance and resolved the leak permanently.”
An Oxford Properties multi-building complex had a common pedestrian tunnel which was shut down due to the severity of the leakage issues. Once Kelso Coatings applied the CN2000 on the foundation walls and ceiling (soffit), it was re-opened for the tenants.
“The Jacques Cartier Champlain Bridge Incorporation (JCCBI) also invited us to do a trial application on their barrier walls to prevent water, chlorides or any other contaminants from attacking the re-enforcing steel,” says Langdana. “One and two years after the application, JCCBI has taken core samples to test if CN2000 is capable of withstanding the freeze/thaw cycles as well as the chloride ion penetration. The tests received positive results.”
The list goes on, establishing significant credibility in the market, starting to get the attention of engineers, construction companies and government agencies.
CN2000 outperforms its competitors. “People almost have a hard time believing their eyes,” says Stein. “The flexibility and the hydrostatic pressure of 3.3 MPa, these results and figures are not common in the industry.”
Another milestone we reached was CN2000 series of products received an “A” classification from the Ontario Provincial Standards (OPS) – Products Management Committee (PMC).
When he saw he needed to expand his business and grow, Langdana felt he needed a larger team for sales support and resources for application. By finding Kelso Industrial Group, a growing business focused on infrastructure restoration and repair services, Langdana found a great fit in its portfolio of service and products to provide a very strong repair product and service for infrastructure.
Just recently, the two parties rebranded the company to Kelso Coatings, and in addition to CN2000, will be adding other complementary water proofing products in the near future.
Currently, Kelso Coatings is sought after by municipal and government related property managers, private property managers, building owners, and other private building construction managers and engineers in Ontario. “We have across-Canada exclusivity, but for now we are focusing on Ontario,” says Stein. “The building owners in Ontario and Canada who are looking to extend the life expectancy of their concrete assets by decades are calling on Kelso Coatings.”
Kelso Coatings offers surface prep and application for smaller jobs, and intends to sell the product and train applicators. “Be it union staff at TTC, airports, etc., we would be happy and pleased to train existing construction crews to be certified applicators,” says Stein.
