Concrete Canvas® is part of a revolutionary new class of construction materials called Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats (GCCMs). It is a flexible, concrete impregnated fabric that hardens on hydration to form a thin, durable, water proof and fire resistant concrete layer. Essentially, it’s concrete on a roll.
Concrete Canvas® GCCM (CC) is typically used to replace conventional concrete for a wide range of erosion control and protection applications. Typical examples include channel lining, slope protection, bund lining, remediation works, culvert lining, outfall protection, mining vent walls, gabion covering and pipe protection. Our biggest markets are the Civil Infrastructure sector (principally road and rail), the Mining sector, the Petrochemical sector and the Agricultural sector.
CC can be supplied as either palletised bulk rolls, or man portable batched rolls. CC5TM bulk rolls are 200sqm, CC8TM are 125sqm and CC13TM are 80m2. CC5TM batched rolls are 10sqm and CC8TM are 5sqm. Due to its relative weight, CC13TM is not available in batched rolls as standard.
Concrete Canvas® GCCM has nominal dry weights of 7kg/m2, 12kg/m2 and 19kg/m2 for CC5TM, CC8TM and CC13TM respectively.
CC is manufactured in our UK production plant using bespoke machinery designed by Concrete Canvas® Ltd, to impregnate a custom cement blend into a 3 dimensional synthetic fibre matrix, with a PVC coating on one surface.
CC is currently used in over 80 countries around the world and exports make up over 80% of turnover. Outside of the UK our biggest markets are Brazil, Chile, Russia, Australia, Indonesia and the Middle East.
Customers include Network Rail, Highways England, The Environment Agency, Vale, and many more. We have also supplied 7 of the top 10 oil and gas companies in the world.
Contractors include BAM Nuttall, Costain Group, Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall, Trant, Kier, Morrison Construction, Skanska, AMCO, Murphy Group, Dyer & Butler, Amey Colas, J Breheny Contractors Ltd and Knights Brown Ltd among many others.
CC has achieved Euroclass classification B-s1, d0 and has passed the American MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) fire testing for use in underground mining applications.
CC has excellent resistance to chemical attack, in particular sulphate attack, which means it is well suited for use in ground surfacing applications. The concrete we use is also much more resistant to chemical attack compared to ordinary Portland concrete. CC has passed acid (ph1), alkaline (ph13) and hydrocarbon immersion tests to BS14414.
CC is increasingly being used for slope protection, as an alternative to shotcrete to protect slopes from surface erosion caused by weathering, surface run-off and environmental degradation. In certain applications CC can be used for structural slope stabilisation by combining it with steel mesh and soils nails (see the CC Installation Guide: Slope Protection for more details). In this case the project should be designed by a geotechnical engineer.
Slope protection is where the body of the slope is inherently stable but the surface of the slope is prone to erosion from weathering and surface slip. Typically this might be on a sandstone rock face, or on slopes constructed from a mixture of small rocks and fine sand where rainfall causes loss of fines which then destabilises the slope causing rock-falls.
Slope stabilisation is where the body of the slope is inherently unstable and is at risk of suffering from deep slip (where a large mass of the slope collapses). This may be caused by ground- water lubricating the soil or from other factors such as ground vibration. Conventional solutions include shotcrete, steel mesh and soil nails which are used to stabilise the slope by providing structural reinforcement. When combined with a steel mesh facing system, CC can substitute for the shotcrete component of this design for many projects but must be included as part of a solution designed by a qualified geotechnical engineer.
The level of waterproofing that materials provide is typically referred to in geotechnics using a measure of impermeability called the k-value. CC has been tested to BS1377 and has an average k value of between 10-8 and 10-9 m/s, which is similar to clay; a range commonly referred to as being impervious.
If the overall impermeability level is critical for your application then you will need to carefully consider the CC jointing method you use. Please see the CC User Guide: Jointing and Fixing document for more information.
We do not recommend CC as a vehicle trackway in most circumstances. However CC can be used as hard armour capping of ground to prevent dust generation, erosion and wash-out of fines. The load bearing capacity of the trackway should be based on the surface modulus (CBR) of the ground which should be sufficient to support the requisite traffic loading.
The CC should therefore only be used to provide surface erosion control rather than to increase the surface modulus of any given substrate. For this type of application we would typically recommend 2 layers of CC13TM with an offset overlap and the 2 layers screwed together.
CC should be stored under cover in dry conditions, away from direct sunlight and within the manufacturers sealed packaging.
When stored in the manufacturers packaging in the correct conditions, CC can be kept for up to 24 months without significant degradation in performance. After the 24 month point CC will continue to function but it may take longer to reach the values specified on the CC data sheet.
CC will start to lose performance once opened and should be used within a few days to prevent any significant degradation. It is best practise to reseal any packaging after opening to extend this period as much as possible.
Yes. Once wet, CC has a working time of approximately 1-2 hours in a UK climate.
Yes. Warm water should be used for hydration and plastic sheeting should be applied over hydrated material during setting. Consult the CC & CCH Hydration Guide for further instruction or contact Concrete Canvas® Ltd directly. Generally, the same setting conditions that apply to conventional concrete pouring should be observed when installing CC.
Yes. It is advised to hydrate CC at dusk to avoid the hydration water evaporating in warm environments. In very hot conditions, it is advised to re-wet the material at 2 hour intervals for the first 8 hours.
CC has a design life of over 50 years in conditions similar to a UK climate. For advice on specific climates please contact Concrete Canvas® Ltd.
Providing it is installed correctly, CC requires no regular post- installation maintenance.
CC can be demolished using standard construction demolition equipment and disposed of in the same manner as conventional concrete waste.
Yes. In sufficient order volumes, Concrete Canvas® Ltd can accelerate or retard the setting times of CC to accommodate different environmental conditions and applications.
One of the key features of CC is that the fixed internal volume and control during manufacture ensures void space is set within carefully prescribed bounds and subsequently limits the Water:Cement ratio achieved in the field. It is therefore not possible to over hydrate CC and can therefore be installed in adverse weather conditions.
The CC will not reach its full strength and the setting time may be delayed.
Yes. It will hydrate fully from immersion.
It depends on the application. Consult the application table in the CC User Guide: General or contact Concrete Canvas® Ltd directly for technical advice.
The 3 most common methods are: a screwed overlap joint, a screwed and sealed overlap joint or a thermally bonded overlap joint. There are a number of other mechanical and non mechanical methods which may be suitable for particular applications, Please see the CC User Guide: Jointing & Fixing or contact CC for more details.
CC can be hydrated using saline or non saline water. The water does not need to be potable.
The minimum ratio of water:CC is 1:2 by weight. For Example, CC8 weighs 12kg/m2 and a minimum of 6 litres per m2 is required for hydration. CC cannot be over hydrated so an excess of water is always recommended.
CC can be installed onto vertical surfaces.
This is dependent on the application and the quality/inclination of the substrate; as a guide we recommend pegging at 2m intervals and at joints.
CC should be installed with the fibre surface exposed. The fibre reinforced concrete layer will protect the PVC backing from weathering and UV damage.
The PVC is an important part of how CC functions, both in terms of maintaining its waterproof properties and preventing water loss during hydration. We do not supply CC without the PVC backing.
Prior to hydrating, unset CC can be cut using basic hand tools. It is recommended to use snap off disposable blades or handheld self sharpening powered disc cutters. After CC has set, it can be cut using angle grinders, jigsaws with ceramic blades or good quality tile cutters.
General PPE precautions should be taken; face masks, protective clothing and gloves should be worn when handling CC. CC does not contain measurable amounts of soluble chromium (VI) and is not classified as an irritant. Consult the CC & CCH (M)SDS document for more information.
CC typically replaces 100-150mm of poured, sprayed or precast concrete, resulting in typical material savings of 95%. This directly results in a reduction on the carbon footprint of construction works. A recent Life Cycle Assessment found that CC8 contains 45% of the embodied carbon compared to a 150mm ST4 poured concrete channel, before the carbon savings are also considered
Yes. CC has been approved for use by the Environment Agency (EA) SEPA and Natural Resources Wales on several projects since 2009 and case studies are on our website. Project approval is granted on a case-by-case basis.
CC has a low wash out rate and limited alkaline reserve. Unlike most concretes it is not classed as an irritant.
CC is stocked and supplied in its natural colour (mottled grey) as standard. There are a number of options for colouring CC including dying the surface fabric fibres or applying coloured surface treatments, such as painting the fibre surface of CC with a good quality exterior masonry paint.
CC is supplied in standard widths of 1.0m for CC5TM and 1.1m for CC8TM and CC13TM. Wide Rolls up to 4m (CC5TM) and 4.4m (CC8TM) can be manufactured to order. It is possible to produce narrower rolls but this would be subject to a minimum order quantity.
Yes, bespoke lengths can be supplied subject to a batching surcharge.
Concrete Canvas® Ltd can supply a full range of ancillary products for CC installation including ground pegs and sealant.
Yes. See the Contact Us page on our website for details about who to contact to find your nearest distributor.
Yes. Concrete Canvas® Ltd supplies small and large sample packs which contain hardened swatches and unset A4 samples of each of the three material thicknesses. Due to the volume of requests for sample packs, a postage fee will apply.
The price of CC is volume dependant and the price/m2 drops when ordering large volumes. Contact your local Concrete Canvas® Ltd rep for a quote specific to your requirements and delivery location.