Flexible T8 Concrete Canvas manufactured by TechPolymer Group has been successfully used at railway infrastructure facilities. The solution provided reliable drainage and became an effective alternative to traditional concreting.
As part of the construction and installation works for the project «Repair of the two-cell culvert at 9 km of Connecting Railway Track No. 1» [project page link] for URALCHEM-TRANS LLC, the upland ditch was reinforced using T8 Concrete Canvas [product link] manufactured in-house.
Choosing an alternative to conventional concreting
Traditional methods of reinforcing drainage channels (reinforced concrete channels and cast-in-place concreting) are often associated with high logistical and labour requirements, particularly at sites with challenging terrain and active infrastructure. T8 Concrete Canvas*, developed by TechPolymer, offers a fundamentally different solution.
*T8 Concrete Canvas (STO 56910145-025-2017) is a roll geocomposite material 8 mm thick, consisting of stitched geotextile layers with a dry concrete mix inside and a waterproofing backing.
Key advantages of the geocomposite under the conditions of this project:
- Ease and speed of installation: The entire process requires no heavy specialised equipment or mixing equipment, which is particularly valuable in the confined conditions of an operating facility.
- Adaptability: Thanks to its flexibility, the canvas precisely follows the shape of the ditch, ensuring close contact and structural integrity even in complex areas.
- Reliability and durability: After being wetted with water, the material achieves up to 80% of its design strength within 24 hours, forming a waterproof, reinforced and frost-resistant concrete layer resistant to erosion and aggressive environments.
Work stages:
- preparation and compaction of the subgrade and ditch slopes,
- laying 388 m² of Concrete Canvas (including overlaps),
- securing the Concrete Canvas with anchors and self-tapping screws,
- sealing the joints with polyurethane sealant to ensure complete watertightness,
- wetting the canvas with water to initiate hydration and strength development.
As a result, the use of Concrete Canvas enabled the customer to create durable and reliable reinforcement for the upland ditch within a short timeframe, with performance comparable to permanent concrete structures but at significantly lower cost.
