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Answers
How did the concept for Concrete Canvas originate?
The concept originated from the idea of using inflation to create a purely tensile surface to use as the formwork for perfect compressive forms, thus using the properties of concrete most efficiently. The Concrete Cloth was developed over a 3 year period and thousands of iterations, including developing a plant to produce the cloth continuously.
Research was conducted in Uganda, visiting camps in the field and interviewing refugees and 22 UN Agencies and NGOs over a 5 week period. New Orleans was also visited in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as well as a user feedback forum in Geneva with staff from the all the major aid agencies.
The development has been iterative, beginning with 1/8th scale prototypes and trial samples and progressing to full scale prototyping and testing.
How long has Concrete Canvas been in operation?
The idea for Concrete Canvas has been around since 2003 when the 2 company founders met while studying for a postgraduate degree in Industrial Design Engineering. The company Concrete Canvas Ltd was set up in August 2005 to develop and commercialise Concrete Canvas Shelter and surrounding technologies in Concrete Cloth.
Is it possible to purchase a Concrete Canvas Shelter or Concrete Cloth?
Concrete Canvas have established a production facility in South Wales, for the commercial manufacture of both Concrete Canvas Shelters and Concrete Cloth. Please contact us at sales@concretecanvas.co.uk if you would like to place an order.
Have you done any analytical testing on the shelters?
The University of Bath has completed Finite Element Analysis of CCS54 structures. The result showed that the shelter can withstand all specified load cases including a person standing on the roof, uneven snow loading and Hurricane force winds. In addition it proved that the shelter can be earth-bermed with up to 0.75m of wet sand on the sides of the structure and 0.5m on the roof.
What are the weights of each shelter variation?
The weights of the shelters are continually dropping as we develop both Concrete Cloth and Concrete Canvas Shelters. A basic guideline for the CCS25 and CCS54 are 1800kg and 3100kg respectively, significantly less than any other comparable semi-permanent and permanent structures.
How do the shelters perform thermally?
Concrete Canvas Shelters have excellent thermal properties and have been designed to allow earth or snow berming. This provides both improved thermal insulation and a large thermal mass which helps maintain a constant internal temperature by dampening temperature fluctuations between night and day. This is especially important in desert environments where the temperature can vary from extreme heat in the day to below freezing at night.
What is earth or snow berming?
Earth or snow berming is the practice of using earth or snow against building walls for external thermal mass, to reduce heat loss and to maintain a steady indoor air temperature. Concrete Canvas Shelters, when earth bermed, will also provide protection against small arms fire and shrapnel.
What size of shelters are available?
There are two shelter variants available with 25sqm and 54sqm of floor space (known respectively as CCS25 and CCS54). Visit 2.4 for further illustration. The technology can be scaled up to provide larger structures and we are continually investigating the ideal size requirements of various applications of Concrete Canvas Shelters.
Is it possible to repair Concrete Canvas Shelters?
Yes. Concrete Cloth can be used to patch Concrete Canvas Shelters as it bonds extremely well to itself. Alternatively a standard cement mortar may be used.
Is it possible to connect shelters together?
Concrete Canvas Shelters have been designed as part of a modular system: units can be easily linked together enabling the space to be tailored to the application. The structures have 2 lockable doorways at each end, which can be docked when the structures are deployed. This is done by aligning the bases of the doors to be connected before inflation. Once inflated one of the doors is removed leaving an internal door between the two structures. We are also developing systems to join structures at 90 degrees to each other, to enable larger enclosed complexes with T and X junctions to be created.. See 2.5 for further detail.
How long can a Concrete Canvas Shelter last?
CCS has a design life of over ten years.
How do you demolish a CCS?
Concrete Canvas Shelters can be demolished using simple hand and/or power tools or by conventional demolition using heavy equipment. Concrete Canvas Shelters are thin walled structures. When demolished, they constitute a very small volume of debris which can be reused as hardcore in rebuilding operations.
What is the lifespan of CC?
CC has a design life of well over 10 years. The material will withstand extremes of temperature, UV, high humidity and will not be adversely affected by mould, mildew or rot.
How is CC currently used?
CC has a range of civil engineering applications including ditch lining, erosion control, flooring and flood defences. In the defence sector, applications include sandbag and gabion reinforcement, rapid track way and dust suppression.
How much does Concrete Cloth cost per square metre?
Pricing of CC is volume dependant. Please email sales@concretecanvas.co.uk specifying CC type, quantity and delivery point.
Can I get a sample of CC?
Concrete Canvas can provide hardened 4” swatches of CC material free of charge. However, given the volume of sample requests we receive, we do ask that the customer pays for delivery.
