Can we use concrete without reinforcement of Steel?
Yes, some applications require that the concrete need some tensile strength So we use FRP, Fiber Reinforced Plastic (polymers) In this experiment, they made a table out of concrete using Fibers. See how flexible it is.
With this introduction, we realize that combining concrete with fiber gives flexibility and tensile strength Therefore, a new technology that is called concrete roll or concrete cloth emerged in 2005 It was created by Concrete Canvas, and became more popular in 2018 It is a cloth fabric, as we see, this is the fabric inside which there is special concrete powder, besides the fiber we talked about, fiber matrix of course, the powder needs water to make the reaction and to get hardened.
That's why after installation on-site, they spray water to make the reaction Concrete cloth gives high early strength, i.e. it hardens fast it reaches 80% of its strength after 24 hours; 40 MPA in 10 days in the back, there is waterproof PVC, so it's impermeable to water It's also chemically resistant and fire resistant As for the availability in the market, the available thicknesses are 5 mm, 8 mm and 13 mm
There are guidelines from Concrete Canvas in which we can find out how to do the lapping, drills or anchorage. Lapping is important to avoid water penetration it also provides strong bonding, to result in a stiff material The concrete cloth can be used as a trench or ditch lining, PCC or blinding, for cleanliness it can also be used for pipe protection, roofing finishes, and for shelters and can be used for soil stabilization, or what's called slope stabilization.
Concrete cloth is also used to fix concrete beams or repair works, as indicated in this study There are many advantages; firstly, it is easy to use and install Furthermore, if you need to modify or adjust anything, you can use regular tool like a knife or a ruler this is if you want to adjust the cloth size Secondly, concrete cloth provides flexibility, just like if there is a steel reinforcement, in addition, it is strong and durable Another advantage is that it has a rapid setting time, we can start using the concrete cloth within 240 minutes because we get 80% of its strength after 240 minutes, unlike the ordinary concrete which needs 10 hours to be functional.
the next advantage is that it is resistant to fire and hazardous chemicals, which is particularly important to engineers. Besides many other advantages of concrete cloth, for instance, it is cheaper than the ordinary concrete and it saves time That was a quick overview of concrete cloth; it is not available here in the GCC region to date. I urge engineers to demand this new material, as it saves time and is cheaper than the regular concrete.
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