How is Textile Concrete made?
We start with CemStrands, which mimic plant roots: strong core with “branching” fine fibres. These strands are used in the weft (across the textile) during leno weaving or warp knitting, to create CemForce, an open mesh textile with CemStrands in the weft and, if required, in the warp. The fine fibres “bridge” the holes in CemForce; any cement mortar in those holes will become fibre reinforced. The volume fraction of those fibres in the mix, being higher than can be introduced by mixing the fine fibres, are bonded to the core yarn (of CemStrands.) No portion of the mix is more than 0.5 mm away from being fibre reinforced and that fibre is part of the woven or knitted textile in the concrete.
Two layers of CemForce become CemPly # 4®. We have found CemPly # 4 to be the most flexible in terms of the breadth of applications, and as already illustrated the material itself can be flexible.
Intaglio Composites of Texas, one carefully measured step at a time, are experimenting with textile concrete to reduce the thickness and therefore the weight to be transported and installed of their product. See their textile concrete page for further details.
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