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Fabriform®

What is Fabriform®

The Fabriform process is a construction technique in which fluid mortar or concrete is pressure-injected into a fabric form made of high tenacity synthetic fiber. (Japanese Patent: 636074, 133167,706813)

The fabric form is water permeable, permitting the release of excess mixing water through the fabric under injection pressure.

Accordingly the resulting reduction of the water/cement ratio results in early stiffening of the concrete or mortar, increases in density and compressive strength,improvement in abrasion resistance and reduction of permeability.

The Fabriform process is applicable to construction of revetments for protecting the shorelines of canals, rivers,and reservoirs and also for preventing the scour of canal and stream beds.

Fabric casting is used in the construction of groins,breakwaters,pipeline saddles and similar oceanfront and deep water structure. Pile jacketing is for structural restoration and protection of steel,wood and concrete piles.

The Fabriform process is described in U.S. and foreign patents assigned to Construction Techniques,Inc. (Contech) and is offered in Japan under exclusive license by Asahi Chemical's Industry Co.,Ltd. which provides marketing and technical services.

The fabric is woven of Asahi Chemicals high tenacity synthetic fiber which is particularly suitable for use in the Fabriform process. Experience record to date has been excellent.

The Fabriform revetment or mat is a double layer fabric form woven of high tenacity synthetic fiber yarn necessary to sustain injection pressure. Textured yarn improves filtering characteristics of the fabric and prevents loss of cement. Fabriform structures can be installed in-the-dry and underwater with equal facility.

Advantage of Fabriform®

1. High production:

Fluid mortar is pump injected. Large surface area can be quickly protected.


2. Conforms perfectly to the ground surface:

Fabriform adapts to curved and irregular surfaces. The thickness on the revetment will be uniform regardless of slope or gradient.


3. Fabric forms are shop assembled:

Fabric assemblies are tailored in the shop to suit site topography. Shop assembly saves man hours in the field,providing cost savings over conventional methods.


4. Economical transport and storage:

Transportation and storage of fabric forms are easy and safe because of its light weight (450-500 g/m2 ),strength and durability.


5. High strength and rapid stiffening:

Since the W/C ratio of the mortar is greatly reduced during pressure injection,stiffening is rapid,early compressive strength is very high and curing time is greatly reduced.


6. Easly installed underwater:

No dewatering is necessary. Fabriform can be installed even under flowing water. There is no need to reroute a river or canal. Fabriform saves time and money.


Main types of Fabriform®

  • NF type
  • FP type
  • CX type
  • Greening type

Fabriform® construction photos by application

  • Dam flooded surface frame work (CP100M)
  • Dam slope protection work (FP150RJ)
  • Fishway protection work (CX type)
  • Regulation pond (NF + greening type KH type)
  • River bank protection work (FP150)
  • Port underwater construction (CX type)
  • Channel work (NF + greening type GP type)
  • Channel work (NF100)
  • Channel work (CX200)

Types of Mats

Filter Point Mats (FP)
Filter Point Mats (FP)

Two layers of fabric are woven together at regularly spaced intervals.
These points of attachment serve as filter points allowing upward passage of ground water from beneath the mat to reduce hydrostatic uplift.
Filter points are placed in a diamond pattern.
After mortar is injected, the pattern of the mat takes on an attractive diagonal grid appearance.
Non-Filter(NF)Mat
Non-Filter(NF)Mat

Two layers of fabric are laced together by drop stitches to form a waterproof mat eliminating single-layer portions.
NF50: The two layers are laced together at close intervals to form a slab with a smooth,checkerboard appearance after being injected with mortar.
NF100 and NF150:The drop-stitched portions are partially grouped together so that the finished slab is given a lumpy, lattice pattern.
Concrete Mat(CX)=Storm Mat
コンクリート (CX)マット

CX fabric is used for constructing concrete slabs.
It is filled with injected concrete containing coarse aggregate with a maximum size from 10
Revetment Greenification (GP) Mat
護岸緑化 (GP)マット(ベルテール)

Two fabric layers are woven together to a single layer is formed in advance at the factory, and a hydrostatic uplift preventing material (nonwoven fabric,t=10mm)is used so as to produce a slope revetment friendly to nature combining the slope protection of a conventional fabriform plus a vegetation planting function.

Type of mats and typical use

Name of mat Thickness (cm) Injection Material Use
Filter Point FP65 6.5 Mortar Temporary erosion protection
FP100 10 Erosion and scour protection: slope, revetment, around abutment various kind of open channel
FP150 15
Non Filter NF50 5 Mortar Irrigation channel, reservoir, pond
Erosion and scour protection
NF100 10
NF150 15
Concrete Mat CX200 20 Concrete Erosion and scour protection for hard condition:
embankment of big river
wave action at seaside
under jetty
dock
CX250 25
CX300 30
CX350 35
CX400 40
CX500 50
CX700 70
Revetment Vegetation Type GP50 5 Mortar Vegetation and protection of aquaducts in mountains, rivers and acuaducts in cities, etc., concealed protection of rivers etc., protection of drainage and other slope protection
GP65 6.5
GP100 10
GP150 15

  • Above mentioned thickness is average thickness of the mattress.
  • If required, weep hole can be set to NF and CX type within one hour after injection.

Constructions

DAM

RESERVOIR·CONTROL POND·FISH POND

Retention pond

RIVER·CANAL

waterway

creation

ROAD BRIDGE

three-sided waterway

VEGETATING REVETMENT

HARBOR·UNDERWATER

Typical Composition of injection mortar and concrete

MORTAR
Cement/Sand
ratio C : S		 Water/Cement
ratio W/C
(％)		 Cement
unitquantity
（kg/m3）		 flow.
(sec.)		 note
1 : 2 55～65 600 18土3 ・chemical admixture
・AE agent
・water reducing agent

【Reference】

Cement/Sand
ratio C : S		 Water/Cement
ratio W/C
(％)		 unitquantity（kg/m3） flow.
(sec.)		 note
cement sand water
C S W
1:2 60 600 1,200 360 18土3 ・chemical admixture
・AE agent
・water reducing agent
＊This composition is an example, please consider by each site condition.

CONCRETE

max. size of
coarse
aggregate
(mm)		 water/ cement
ratio W/C
(%)		 percentage
of sand s/a
(%)		 Cement unit
quantity
(kg/m3)		 range
of slump
(cm)		 note
20～25 55～65 50～60 370 22土3 ・chemical admixture
・AE agent
・water reducing agent

【Reference】

max. size of
coarse
aggregate
(mm)		 water/ cement
ratio W/C
(%)		 percentage
of sand s/a
(%)		 unit quantity（kg/m3） range
of slump
(cm)		 note
cement sand coarse
aggregate		 water
C S G W
25 65 50 370 775 785 240 22土3 ・chemical admixture
・AE agent
・water reducing agent

Standard Installation Procedure

1. Slope preparation

Check the dimension of the mattresses assembled to be sure that they conform to the surveyed drawing. Remove the obstacles which may damage the mattress such as sharp stones,vegetation and stumps etc.
Finish the surface to be even.

  • Maximum gradient 45°
    If the toe of the slope is 50 cm or more underwater, velocity flow should be reduced to less than 1.5m/sec.

  • Upper anchor trench: Excavate a trench (depth about 50 cm)at a point 50 cm away from the top of the slope.

  • Lower toe trench: For river bank protection,excavate a trench(depth 1.0 to 1.5m) at the toe of the slope.

  • Flank trenches at both sides: Excavate flank trenches(depth about 1.0m)at both upstream and downstream ends of the installation,whether or not extension of the revetment is anticipated. The design of anchor,toe and flank trenches are determined according to the nature of the soil, hydraulic considerations and site conditions.

2. Placement of the mat

  • For installation in-the-dry, start by placing the mat over the lower part of the slope at the downstream end of the structure. For underwater installation, start mattress placement from the upstream end of the installation.

  • Starting from the toe of the slope,spread the mattress over the entire slope,taking up slack at the top of the slope where the mat is positioned with chain hoists and pipes.

3. Injection of mortar or concrete

Start injection of mortar or concrete through the injection mouth at the lowest point of the mat.
After starting injection,please handle the chain hoist to adjust the slack of the mattress in accordance with the progress of injection. When the mortar or concrete is sufficiently injected into the top of the mattress,stop the injection work and bind the rope at the injection mouth.
Capacity of mortar or concrete injection pump: 10m3/hr. or more
Pressure at the nozzle: about2kg/cm2.
Piping hose(swing type):about diam.:50mm,about length: 20m.
(Position the pumping truck to assure minimum hose length for maximum operating efficiency.) Choke(taper)tube: about diam.:10cm-5cm,length: about 2m with joint at both ends.

4. Completion

  • Finishing
    Sprinkling(washing,curing)the surface with water. Filling the space between mat and existing structure with stiff consistency concrete.
    Back-filling with sand,soil,cobble stone, toe protection block,etc.

  • Curing

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