NJDOT, in cooperation with Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, has developed an inorganic coating material that can be used as a protective coating. This coating material is about two orders of magnitude less permeable than concrete but allows for release of vapor pressure and allows concrete to breathe. The coating also provides a glassy surface to which organic paints do not stick. The coating formulation, generically called an inorganic matrix, is a polymer like material that is being evaluated for applications in aircraft and the civil infrastructure reinforcements.

Common application procedures such as brushing and spraying can be used. The product was successfully used to coat transportation structures by brush and a sprayer in New Jersey and Rhode Island. This application is aimed at demonstrating the viability of geopolymer coating for relatively large surfaces encountered in transportation structures. The structure chosen is a wall located at the scenic overview along I295 South, near Trenton. The surface to be coated consists of 16 sections with a total surface area of about 1100 square feet. The surface is in good condition except for six sections that have some minor spalling on the surface.