The history of Textile Concrete
The frieze in the heading was wet sculptured. It reflects the experience we have gained from working with sculptors, artists, artisans and landscape architects; each has added to our font of knowledge. We have a list of experienced people who are sought by developers, to work on projects. The amphora was made using 20th Century technology, adapted from the 2nd Century BC method of the Romans. Textiles formed a part of their method, but only in the former, we used textiles to toughen the ultra-thin wall of the amphora.
Amphora in textile concrete
Textiles add flexibility, ductility and toughness to concrete. Textile concrete products fail at a stress level higher than the cement mortar matrix; micro-cracking occurs as strain hardening takes place. Our philosophy is to use textiles to hold cement mortar in place, as a permanent shutter for traditionally reinforced concrete. A vapour proof membrane can be used on or in a customized textile, to protect steel from attack by atmospheric chlorides.
Textile Concrete has become a generic term. The Cement & Concrete Institute of South Africa published an article in Concrete Trends, and in the process created a heading for search engines. Why South Africa?
In the 1970s a non-woven product was developed by researchers at the University of Surrey. It was intended to replace asbestos in cement. Netcem was sold to Montecatini, who marketed it as Retiflex. A mining products company in South Africa used Retiflex to toughen A-R glass fibre drain channels supplied for use underground in the gold mines. Outside of Europe this was the major application.
In the 1990s ownership changes in Italy led to the Retiflex plant being closed. A woven alternative to Retiflex was created; it proved to be as good as Retiflex and was cost effective. For some applications it was flawed; that problem was solved; a patent filed. A textile developed for use in concrete had been made. Textile concrete was made using the propylene extracted from coal, and the clinker dug out of the ground... the product did not exist elsewhere... it was South African.
Mine drain channels are used 3.5 km below the surface; textile concrete was used in the mines and in buildings 1.5 km above sea level. The temperature could reach 38°C in the day, and drop to -10°C by night. It was used to repair a boat launching ramp in a sea water estuary -- under load, in soft and saline water, dried by salt air -- these are the durability tests applied to concrete products. South Africa’s textile concrete has been used for 10 years, for 120 months, for yet another application.
Textile concrete is a water-based composite that thermosets at ambient temperature into a rigid, tough, ductile product. We use either ultrasonics or lasers to cut the textile, and are developing CNC technology for hand off 24/7 conversion purposes.