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The Advantages of Fabric-formed Concrete | ||
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Stability: Hydrotex fabric forms have been used in millions of square feet of installations worldwide, some in the most severe conditions. In the process they have established a new benchmark in erosion protection by outperforming traditional concrete slope paving and rip rap. Thousands of installations and extensive flume testing of Hydrotex products have proven that our fabric-formed concrete erosion protection systems outperform all alternatives. Hydrotex linings and mats, with permissible shear stress in excess of 60 lbs/ft2 (2.87 kN/m2), provide the high degree of stability needed to resist the stresses associated with high velocity flows. Hydrotex fabric-formed concrete has greater hydraulic efficiency than rip rap and concrete slope paving because of several factors. It can mitigate uplift forces due to outflow and excess pore water pressure, reduce hydraulic uplift by slowing channel velocities, and conform to soil contours to reduce the potential for underscour. Reduced Uplift Pressures: Many styles of Hydrotex linings and mats can accommodate severe uplift pressures. These uplift pressures often cause the failure of traditional concrete slope paving. Unlike traditional methods, fabric forms can be manufactured with built-in filter drains that reduce the mean phreatic level and pore pressures within the underlying soil. Management of Hydraulic Flow: Most Hydrotex fabric forms construct concrete linings with deeply patterned surfaces. These patterns create a lining with high hydraulic resistance. The result is reduced flow velocity and reduced wave run up and down rush. These surface characteristics impart stability to the system by reducing velocities and also mean that the designer can affect the flow characteristics of a channel, creating the opportunity for an "engineered" hydraulic system. By choosing the correct type of form, in-channel flow can be slowed, reducing downstream velocities and discharge turbulence. Or a hydraulically-efficient, smooth form (such as Uniform Section) can be chosen to maximize drainage from a given area. |
Adaptation to Soil Contours: Filled-in-place fabric forms accommodate themselves to uneven contours, curves, and subgrades at the time that they are filled. So the soil and the concrete protection are in intimate contact, reducing the chance of underscour. Some forms create discrete concrete units, attached to each other with fabric perimeters and/or embedded cables. As a result, the concrete mats can articulate to adapt to uneven settlement. Ease of Installation: Hydrotex fabric forms are delivered to the job site ready-to-fill and require no additional forming materials. Installation consists of preparing the area, laying out the forms, and filling them with concrete from a small line concrete pump. Wood or steel forming is not required, since the fabric forms themselves assure that the protective concrete assumes the proper configuration, contours, dimensions, and thickness. Hydrotex linings and mats do not require steel reinforcement or concrete finishing. A much smaller crew can handle a Hydrotex installation and fabric forms can be installed without dewatering. Simple Job Mobilization: The fabric forms are extremely lightweight, so they can be rapidly shipped anywhere in the world. The "weight" component of a Hydrotex system, the fine aggregate concrete, is readily available from concrete suppliers worldwide. Once the site is prepared, simple hand tools and a concrete pump are all that is needed to fill the forms. And in areas with difficult or restricted access, the concrete can be pumped to the forms from as far away as 800 feet (250 meters). Because of the low mobilization costs, it can be practical to install fabric forms on jobs as small as a hundred square feet (10 sq. meters). Regardless of the job size, the ease of mobilization and transportation and the reduced equipment requirements mean that the job goes in faster and at less cost per square unit of protected area. Environmental Compatibility: Fabric forms are designed to provide the least possible environmental impact. The fabric used in the forms filters the concrete mix, allowing excess mixing water to escape while retaining the cement solids. EL and EB forms have been designed to provide defined areas that can be cut out after installation so that native vegetation can be planted or seeded to create a more natural appearance. And Hydrotex linings and mats are free of hazardous projections that could endanger pedestrians, animals, vehicles, or boats. |
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Hydrotex fabric-formed systems outperform all traditional solutions and do so at a lower cost. Our expertise and knowledge, garnered from literally thousands of installations worldwide, back every form we manufacture. Time and again, in many different types of projects, our erosion control systems have performed "as specified" and delivered predictable erosion control. Site content is © 1999, 2001, Geostar Corporation. Hydrotex, Hydrocast, Filter Band, and Enviromat are trademarks of Geostar Corporation. |
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