BondTex
A decade ago we started by friction spinning yarns, weaving or knitting them, soon learned of the need to bond the fibrous sheath to the core yarn.
Spinning, bonding, conversion... we have moved the bonding operation to the conversion machine, can customize BondTex to meet the needs of the application. Mixing fibres into concrete is a random operation, that can (does) lead to very variable results. CemPly®, layers of textile used with a fines only mix (mortar) was tested at C&CI, a decade ago. It allows composite articles to be made with very different properties to those of concrete: ductile concrete, strain hardening, are some of the terms being used. Research has continued (now) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), which has shown the benefit of using bonded as opposed to unbonded yarns.
BondTex: a user-friendly textile
This is the key feature of Bonded - Textiles... BondTex or 007Tex. The two pictures of BondTex, above, are very different; it can be customized to meet the needs of the application. We have maintained the interfacial bond (organic / inorganic) between the textile yarns and the cement paste (of concrete), and have created space for aggregate. The textiles can be customized, to suit the product being made and the size of aggregate to be used, etc.
The tape-like textile can be used to make grid plates, a caravanner can carry these to site have a court yard to step onto. A similar construction made at C&CI., has been in boat launching ramp into the Keurbooms Estuary (Plettenberg Bay) for seven years, about 10,000 tide cycles; looks good for 100,000.
The strand mesh will be available in any desired configuration A-R glass with an appropriate mesh opening, it can be used with chopper gun spraying, alternatively it can be used in a mould with A-R glass BondTex in an A-R glass fibre / aggregate mix.
Dr Peter Taylor presented a seminar at World of Concrete, Mexico, in June 2006.