Taffys said that the concrete canvas took two years to set
UK company Taffys says that its concrete canvas product has enjoyed a successful deployment in Ras Al Khaimah despite searing summer temperatures and interference from a hoard of goats.
Concrete canvas is a flexible cement impregnated fabric that hardens on hydration to form a thin, durable water proof and fire proof concrete layer. The lighter alternative to pre-fabricated products can be laid on the ground, channels or slopes, minimising the use of heavy equipment.
Speaking at Big-5, Richard Thorne said that the RAK government turned to the company while constructing a road by the Al Jais Wadi in the heart of the emirate.
The new road is being constructed to allow tourists to reach the peak of the mountain range and Taffys worked alongside with resident engineering company Halcrow and contractor is GMC.
The key issues for the road were the effect of large volumes of rain, which fall in a short period of time and in many cases only once every couple of years, causing the erosion of the slopes which in turn fall and block the road or wash parts of it away.
According to Taffys: “Halcrow sought a fast and effective solution to creating gullies down the mountain side to channel the water. Due to the steepness of the slopes old fashioned methods of precast channels to pouring insitu concrete with form work and steel were dif?cult to implement and added signi?cant time, potential for injuries and on costs.”
The rolls of concrete canvas were delivered in earlier this year and stored over the summer. Thorne revealed that goats picked at and removed the wrapping leaving the rolls exposed in temperatures of well over 40 degrees. Fortunately Taffys’ products survived the ordeal and was ready to be laid in August.
Concrete Canvas allows very quick implementation, reducing risks signi?cantly by only needing to be pegged into the slope. No heavy equipment was needed, with the exception of a crane to allow the CC rolls to be laid down the slope. Once all the pieces were in place, water was poured down the gulley which then set within two hours.