FlexiTex©

FlexiTex® is a textile concrete shuttering for use at the water-side and underwater concrete work There has been a significant increase in the use of textile shuttering in concrete work, particularly at the water-side and underwater projects. The most important reason for this increased interest has been the introduction of woven fabrics made of high-strength multifilament synthetic fibre. Coupled with simplified installation working procedures, this results in reduced working times and attractive cost saving.


The most important applications for FlexiTex® are:
• Mattresses for erosion control stabilization of embankments and sleep slopes.
• Mattresses for constructing reservoirs
• Recasting and repairs of piles
• Sacks and other woven “containers” for underwater concrete works
• Various designs for supporting/covering pipes
• Other designs for carrying out repair work and sealing concrete walls

The quality of the concrete used in projects of this type is important. The principle applied to remove excess water is based on pressure excavation, whereby the pressure exerted by the concrete as it is pumped in, causes rapid evacuation through the fabric. The fabric acts like a sieve and is designed to prevent particles from getting through it.

Tele Textiles supplies four types of FlexiTex®:

• FlexiTex® filter mattress
This double-weave mattress has been woven together at regular points which act as filters to even out water pressure. This type of mattress is supplied in 5.30m width and standard roll sizes of 100m.

• FlexiTex® concrete mattress
This double-weave mattress has internal distance treads. The upper and lower sections are connected by means of spacing yarns to ensure that the concrete-filled mattress is of even thickness. These mattresses are supplied in 3.75m width as standard. We can supply thicknesses from 7 to 33 cm that corresponds to unit weights per m2 from 150 up to 750 kg/m2 as standard.

• FlexiTex® sacks/tubes
FlexiTex® can also be woven into sacks of different sizes for specific applications. Please consult us for more details.

• FlexiTex® with planting squares (FlexiGrow®)
FlexiGrow® presents squares of 30cm2 that will be open after concrete injection and give the possibility to be plant some small trees or grass for better integration in the environment. FlexiGrow® is woven in 530cm width and in several colours. Please consult us for more information.

Advantages
• Economical solution compared to traditional concrete-made reinforcements
• Easy installation following the geographical contours
• Short installation times up to 700 m2 per day
• FlexiTex® is very resistant during installation as high tenacity polyester yarns are used
• Roll widths from 3.75m up to 5.3m
• Tele Textiles has delivered numerous projects and has an experienced team


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Foundation


Foundations transfer the load of the walls of the building, or the road, to the soil. Two types of foundations exist: shallow foundations and deep foundations. Design load, soil bearing capacity or even site constraints are criteria which determine the type of foundation to employ.


Tele Textiles offers solutions to build shallow foundations with FlexiTex® and TeleBag®. The main advantage of using such woven geotextiles is that they remove the need for traditional shuttering. Thus, they offer a significant time-saving. They are both used on the first layers of the soil and filled with concrete to build a solid foundation capable of supporting a building.

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Reservoir construction


Reservoirs are built for water storage purposes. In the case of heavy rains or floods, they are used to act as an attenuating or balancing system which retains the excess of water to keep infrastructure and people safe. They can also be used to irrigate fields for agriculture.


They can be built by excavating the soil. In this case, Tele Textiles offers FlexiTex® as a second skin on the embankments. Concrete is contained within the geotextile and there is no need for concrete shuttering to build it.

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Waterfloods

When the problem is flood water in rivers and channels, the solution can be provided by TeleBags®, TeleTubes® or FlexiTex®.


In case of an emergency, secure the surroundings by using interlocked TeleTube® which can be easily filled with sand slurry or simply use TeleBags®. FlexiTex® can be installed at the toe of a bridge’s piles to fight against water erosion and the possible collapse of the bridge.

If a flood barrier is required, it can be built out of TeleTube®, covered with FlexiTex® and FlexiGrow®. The construction can later be covered with natural vegetation.

Eroded riverbanks and channels can be repaired by using FlexiTex which will withstand the next flood.

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Coastal erosion

Coastal erosion is increasing as climate change brings more extreme weather to our shores. Waves – generated by more windy conditions – destroy land areas every day.


Wave-breakers, using either TeleTube® or TeleBag®, are the solution. Once installed, the waves break and lose their energy before the shoreline. Sediments carried by the waves will accumulate on the other side of the tube/bag, raising the seabed up to the coast. In this case, this solution is generally used for land reclamation projects.

Tidal changes are also known to create coastal erosion. Here the solution is FlexiTex® installed below the normal water level and FlexiGrow® above.

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Slope erosion

Four things cause slope erosion: the amount and rate of rainfall, the steepness or gradient of the slope, the amount and nature of plant cover, and the type of soil and bedrock underneath.


When a raindrop falls it is usually absorbed into the pore spaces of the soil. However, when these pore spaces become saturated the raindrops will either stand on the surface as a puddle or flow downhill. As the water flows downhill it will carry with it soil particles and other material. This is the start of erosion. Tele Textiles a range of offers solutions to tackle the problem:

• TeleGrid® for reinforcing the slope
• TeleNet® for keeping the fine particles in place
• EroNet® for strengthening the vegetation

The less plant cover and leaf material on the ground, the more open the soil will be to the flowing run-off water.

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Pipe protection

Landfill A large number of pipes are installed on the seabed. Boat turbines erode the seabed and as a consequence erosion occurs around the pipes. One efficient means of protection is to cover them with a FlexiTex® layer, often a 10-13 cm thickness of concrete.


The installation of that concrete mattress needs to be done in the correct way so that it is not possible for any current to get beneath the mattress. Our engineers can advise on the impact of local conditions such as hydraulic currents, depths and types of seabed on the installations required.

Very often by using mattresses between the pipe and FlexiTex®, the pipe will also be protected against mechanical damage.

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Ballast on Pipes


Transportation of oil or fluids in sub-sea works is very common. In order to protect the pipes from boat traffic it is important to weigh them down, using ballast systems.


FlexiTex® is installed around the pipe at regular points. Then, filling the double weaved FlexiTex® with concrete can be done underwater easily. When the pipe is laid down the FlexiTex® mattresses fit the shape of the sea-bed and limit the stress on the pipe.

The possible weights offered by FlexiTex® are from 150 to 750 kg per m2 of textile. FlexiTex® can also be used for any material or diameter of tube.

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Underwater concrete works


Underwater reinforcements with concrete are easily achieved using FlexiTex® mattresses. It is easy and practical to fill FlexiTex® with concrete to protect the seabed or harbour structure.


Where a harbour has to be dredged to accommodate deeper boats, previous structures have to be protected and concrete mattresses offer a solution that is stable and will prevent future erosion.

Erosion is generally caused by boat traffic with high turbine velocities, as well as by strong hydraulic conditions (waves etc). Our engineers will assess the local conditions and advise on the type and thickness of FlexiTex® mattresses which need to be used. In most cases it is advisable to join panels with zips which facilitate very easy installation underwater by diving teams.

FlexiTex® mattresses provide a long-lasting solution.

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