Applications
The system was first developed in 1970 to provide a solution to structural problems experienced whilst strengthening and securing fragile substrates without using unsuitable resin or mechanical fixings.
The systems main advantage is the amount of control that the specifying engineer/designer can make to substantially improve the effectiveness of the intervention.
Further applications have been developed and tested in specialist areas such as:
World heritage structures – Seismic protection -Blast mitigation- Stone and masonry arch bridge construction- Sea defences including being able to be used underwater- nuclear installation and main general civil applications.
A few of the many endless applications of the system are illustrated on the following pages as being typical but far from exhaustive. Cintec are always exploring new ideas and applications for this all-encompassing structural anchoring product.
Archtec.
The strengthening of masonry arch bridges following two full scale tests at the Transport Research Laboratory to increase the load capacity of understrength bridges. The product was a recipient of the Queens Award for innovation in 2002 including an Historic Bridge Infrastructure Award for Telpyn Bridge Ruthin.
Harbour Wall installations
Cintec anchors were also tested and used at St Aubin’s Fort breakwater Jersey
Cintec anchors were successfully installed and inflated in sea water at Zeebrugge in 1980 to retain the harbour wall.
Floor strengthening on Highrise construction.
Building Research Establishment full scale testing and assessment of Cintec anchors on Bison hollow pot construction floors at Basildon in 1993.
Paratec.
Two successful full-scale tests on a purpose built twenty-metre brick retaining wall strengthened to with-stand vehicle impact at University of TEESIDE on June 2001.
Dissipative Device for seismic protection.
Three-year knowledge transfer partnership with Bath University. Continued at University College London and Cardiff University to produce a dissipative device to limit seismic damage to historic structures when fitted to Cintec anchors.
Also, Pseudo- Dynamic and cyclic tests at ISPRA Italy and shaking table on walls constructed at University of Southampton Institute of Sound and Vibration Research.
Blastec
Structural strengthening of masonry and concrete walls to provide last point of defence against explosive forces. Tests carried out at Cotec Testing facility Salisbury plain with Cranfield University and large-scale tests at Advantic Spadeadam, Cumbria. Testing walls to with stand significate blast loading was achieved. Details of structures strengthened are not available due to security issues.
The reinforcing anchor body
The system is not just confined to typical reinforcing members but can be used in a many ways. Typically, nearly all applications stainless steel is the preferred medium. The quality of the stainless steel again will depend on the application and the substrate. Circular hollow section, square hollow section, solid bars, rolled steel channels and rolled steel joists have been used. The reinforcing members can also be extended with approved stainless-steel couplers providing both extended lengths up to 40 metres and where limited access is a consideration a suitable solution to the confined access.
The Grout
Presstec grout is a Portland Cement based grout made with calcium silicates and is a light grey in colour and not calcium aluminates alternative named aluminous cement (High Alumina) which is easily recognised by its very dark grey colour that must be painted if exposed to moisture to prevent loss of strength.
The grout is unique to Cintec being a proprietary pure mineral grout tested and certificated at CE/UKCA and controlled and does not contain any resin binders etc. That is considered suitable for heritage and construction use.
Standard – rapid hardening -sulphate resisting available.
BUILDING RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT
- Simulated accelerated age testing.
- Simulated testing of anchors installed in bricks for forty years without loss of strength.
- Remedial Wall-tie Test certificate 1998.
- Moisture /Temperature cycling tests November 1990.
- Fire Tests for Wall ties November 1993. No failure at 2 hours.
- ArconTEST, Incorporated. Toronto Canada.
- Uni-directional Freeze-thaw performance in extreme conditions September 2001.
The Sock
The sock is a specially woven polyester-based fabric sleeve that is knitted at Cintec’s Factory with sizes from 20 mm to 400mm in diameter. The thread size can also be controlled for special applications where necessary.
The knitting machines produce the desired sock diameter to match the drilled hole size to facilitate the anchor installation and allow grout to pass through the expanded mesh when the assembly is inflated by grout to bond the stainless-steel anchor body to the parent material.
A computer guided cutting machine cuts the sock to the exact length to fit the assembly thus eliminate any distortion during grout inflation of the anchor. Grout injection tubes within the assembly are also controlled by size and position to give maximum fill of the grout and mechanical taps are not required to prevent escape and loss of pressure of the grout from the assembly.