Flexstren technology for concrete products
Flexstren introduces a new way to give flexural behavior to concrete products, overcoming steel reinforcing limitations (cover requirements, and steel corrosion). Concrete products manufacturers can produce new cost effective products, and increase competitiveness versus non-concrete competitors.
Concrete pipes become cost competitive versus plastic, GRP pipes, and traditional RCP pipes; they no longer need to be reinforced with steel reinforcing cages, so they are corrosion free. The external post tensioned composite wrapping ensures impermeability even for pressure applications, and the pipe can also be buried on aggressive soil environments. The elimination of a minimum depth of covers makes it possible to do pipes with a thickness 1/20 of the diameter. So thin concrete pipes have semi-rigid behavior, with easier soil compaction vs fiber / plastic pipes. It becomes possible and cost effective to do concrete pipes with diameter from 200 mm.
This technology will open up new markets such as irrigation, and the pressure part of the sewage applications (concrete pipe producers can now supply also the sections with pressure), along with thermal / hydroelectric plants.