Colchester Rapid Transit (RTS), UK

THE PROJECT
Colchester Rapid Transit is a bus rapid transit system under construction in Essex. It has a main bus line including a segregated busway and new bus lanes at Clingoe Hill. The client, Essex Highways, a county-wide infrastructure management, appointed main contractor Milestone Infrastructure, with PP Construction as the specialist sub-contractor. Fosroc had involvement in this project after an enquiry was received for a coating that could protect against graffiti and defacement. This specific requirement was included in the original project specification from the client.

THE SOLUTION
A technical data sheet was supplied by Fosroc to the contractor for Nitocote AG. This new anti-graffiti product was launched in 2025 to provide non-sacrificial protection against defacement from permanent markers and aerosol paints. It is a single component, ready-to-use product that can be applied by airless spray, roller, or brush – for this project the contractor opted for roller and brush application. Using just cold water and a cloth (or jet wash for larger areas), graffiti can be removed up to 20 times without compromising protection – no cleaning agents or aggressive/abrasive cleaning is required. In usual scenarios, such as the substrates in this project, only one layer of Nitocote AG was needed, and in addition to graffiti spray paint and permanent markers, fly posters and stickers can also be easily removed.

THE BENEFITS
In addition to reducing the overall cost of graffiti removal in the long term, the solution offered an immediate low-cost option that was readily available from distributor outlets. The contractor feedback on the use of Nitocote AG was that the product was straightforward and quick to apply as well as being versatile for use on varying substrates. It applied onto the concrete well and they also used it on the brickwork of the crossing point. The single-coat application saved on application time and cost, as well as reducing packaging and waste.