IMPREGNATED CLOTH

A KNITTED SPACER FABRIC HAS A TIGHTLY KNITTED BOTTOM LAYER (10), A MORE LOOSELY KNITTED UPPER LAYER (12) AND LINKING FIBRES (14) EXTENDING ACROSS THE SPACE (16) BETWEEN THE LOWER AND UPPER FACES (10, 12). SETTABLE MATERIAL, E.G. CEMENT, IS INTRODUCED INTO THE SPACE (16) BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER FACES (12, 10) AND CAN BE CAUSED TO SET BY THE ADDITION OF A LIQUID, E.G. WATER. UNTIL SET, THE FABRIC IS FLEXIBLE AND CAN BE SHAPED BUT AFTER THE MATERIAL IN SPACE (16) HAS SET, THE FABRIC IS RIGID AND CAN BE USED AS A STRUCTURAL ELEMENT IN A WIDE RANGE OF SITUATIONS. THE BOTTOM LAYER (10) HAS AN EXTENSION (24) THAT EXTENDS BEYOND THE UPPER FACE (12) AND IS CONNECTED TO THE UPPER FACE (12) BY ELASTIC CONNECTING FIBRES (26) THAT DRAW THE EXTENSION TOWARDS THE OTHER FACE, THEREBY AT LEAST PARTLY CLOSING THE SPACE (16) AT THE EDGE OF THE CLOTH AND PREVENTING THE SETTABLE MATERIAL FROM SPILLING OUT. IN ADDITION, THE PACKING OF THE SETTABLE MATERIAL AND MAXIMUM SPACE (16) BETWEEN THE FACES ARE SUCH THAT ONLY A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF LIQUID CAN BE ACCOMMODATED WITHIN THE SPACE (16) AND THAT AMOUNT IS MATCHED TO THE WATER REQUIRED TO SET THE CEMENT.