Advancement in construction technology has facilitated the construction industry in a big way by creating extremely innovative and ingenious construction materials that are used for erosion control, containment and various shelter applications.

Using revolutionary materials like Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats (GCCMs), today we have a new class of concrete products such as concrete canvas that is not only flexible but highly durable and eco-friendly as well.

What is concrete canvas?

Concrete canvas is a highly flexible and concrete-filled Geosynthetic that creates or forms a thin and durable concrete layer when hydrated with water. Also referred to as Fabric Reinforced Concrete (FRC) or concrete cloth; this 3D spacer fabric is lightweight and thin in thickness but has exceptional power to resist corrosion and provide efficient waterproofing.

 Concrete canvas is a highly durable and flexible cement impregnated fabric i.e. Fabric Reinforced Concrete (FRC)  that provides you high tensile strength, excellent ductility and a high degree of flexibility despite being lightweight and thinner in thickness. Owing to the use of ceramic material in making concrete canvas, it exhibits fireproofing and fire-resistant properties as well.

Being crack-resistant, it lasts longer than conventional concrete and is less likely to emit harmful gases as compared to conventional concrete structures.

In the civil or construction sector, the concrete canvas is used for various applications such as:

  • Soil Erosion Control
  • Flood Defence
  • Water Tanks
  • Containment
  • Roofing
  • Retaining Wall
  • Basement Lining
  • Building Cladding
  • Tunnel Lining
  • Shot Crete Replacement
  • Shelter
  • Mining Applications

In addition, you may use it for Gabian and sandbag repairs and can be used as a suspension of sludge around helicopter landing sites for dust suspension.

Despite so many usages and benefits of Concrete canvas; researchers continued with their efforts to bring out even better alternatives for concrete canvas.

The resultant product i.e. Earthlok is known to help to stabilize steep slopes, protect embarkments, prevent damages due to flood, efficiently control soil erosion and reduce the impact of water flows in a most cost-effective manner.

If you wish to access more details pertaining to its design process and details of applications of Earthlok, click here.

Earthlok vs concrete canvas

Earthlok is a precast and highly flexible and precast concrete mattress that can be easily rolled, moved and applied within much lesser time than concrete canvas. Unlike concrete canvas, Earthlok can be installed during rain.

Concrete canvas when treated with water solidifies and is quite prone to cracking whereas Earthlok does not crack.

When compared to concrete canvas, Earthlok has a much longer lifespan and like concrete canvas, it can be created for vegetative or non-vegetative applications. Earthlok like concrete canvas is made from recycled materials like sand and water and hence considered environmentally friendly as well as the most cost-effective erosion protection in Australia.

Earthlok is a preferred product for all civil and other constructions as well as engineers largely due to its durability, strength and relatively much lower carbon footprint that makes it more eco-friendly as compared to concrete canvas or concrete fabric.

When you wish to use the best alternative to concrete canvas for various cost-effective, durable and long-lasting products for soil erosion or similar other applications, consider Earthlok as the first choice and click here to get the best quality of Earthlok in Australia