As the protective coatings industry closes out another year of strong growth, we’re taking a look at five remarkable Canadian infrastructure projects from 2024 that demonstrated polyurea’s unparalleled capabilities. These projects — from a remote Arctic water treatment plant to a multi-span highway bridge in the Fraser Valley — represent the best of what our industry can achieve.
1. City of Edmonton Stormwater Tunnel Rehabilitation
One of the most significant polyurea applications in Alberta’s recent history, the Edmonton stormwater tunnel project involved rehabilitating 1.8 km of underground stormwater infrastructure without excavation. The City of Edmonton’s drainage department specified a 125-mil polyurea liner system applied over existing concrete.
The project required working in confined spaces with limited ventilation — a challenge that required custom-designed fresh air systems and strict personal protective equipment protocols. The contractor, a CPCA member firm from Edmonton, completed the work over 14 weeks with zero lost-time incidents and a final inspection that showed 100% adhesion across all tested pull-off points.
The polyurea liner is expected to extend the tunnel’s service life by at least 40 years, deferring what would have been a $47 million replacement project. This exemplifies the concrete rehabilitation advantage polyurea brings to aging infrastructure.
2. Nunavut Community Water Storage — Cambridge Bay
Remote communities across Canada’s North face unique challenges in maintaining safe drinking water. The Cambridge Bay water cistern project involved lining five above-ground water storage tanks with a food-grade polyurea system certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61 for direct contact with potable water.
Working in temperatures that dropped to -22°C during the project window, the applicator team used substrate heating blankets and supplemental heated enclosures to maintain the required minimum substrate temperature. The results were perfect — demonstrating that with the right approach, polyurea can perform in conditions that would defeat most other coating systems.
Read more about this type of application: Sealing Every Drop: Why Polyurea Is Becoming the Go-To Liner for Modern Cisterns.
3. Trans-Canada Highway Bridge Deck — Hope, BC
A critical bridge on the Trans-Canada Highway near Hope, BC underwent deck waterproofing using an aliphatic polyurea system. The choice of aliphatic (rather than aromatic) polyurea was driven by the UV exposure conditions on the exposed deck surface and the need for long-term colour stability under the Ministry of Transportation’s performance contract.
The project required careful coordination with traffic management (the bridge carries tens of thousands of vehicles per day) and precise timing to maximize the application windows during overnight lane closures. The entire 1,200 m² deck was completed in five overnight shifts — a pace only achievable with polyurea’s rapid cure properties.
4. Ontario Grain Storage — Norfolk County
Agricultural applications of polyurea are a growing segment of the Canadian market. The Norfolk County grain storage project involved lining the interior of six large concrete grain bins against moisture infiltration, which had been causing grain spoilage losses estimated at $180,000 per year.
The polyurea system provided a seamless, monolithic barrier with zero VOCs — an important consideration for food contact applications. Post-application testing confirmed the liner met all requirements under CFIA guidelines. The farm owner reported zero grain spoilage in the first full harvest season following the application.
5. Halifax Harbour Marine Facility — Secondary Containment
Marine and port environments demand extraordinary corrosion resistance. The Halifax project involved a comprehensive secondary containment and bund wall system at a marine fuel handling facility on the Halifax waterfront. The polyurea system was required to withstand constant splash and immersion in salt water, fuel exposure, UV radiation, and the freeze-thaw cycling typical of Nova Scotia winters.
A hybrid polyurea formulation with enhanced chemical resistance was specified, applied over a zinc-rich primer system. The system has now been in service for 18 months with no signs of degradation, blistering, or adhesion loss at the quarterly inspection intervals.
The Common Thread
What these five projects share is a combination of demanding environmental conditions, high performance requirements, and a client need to extend infrastructure life rather than replace. Polyurea delivered on all counts. As Canada’s infrastructure faces mounting rehabilitation backlogs and increasingly severe climate events — as discussed in our article on The Growing Pressure from Climate Events on Canadian Infrastructure — polyurea will only grow in strategic importance.
Looking to bring these capabilities to your next project? Find a CPCA-certified applicator in your region today.