ABSTRACT
Radical Concrete Technology. Edited by R K Dhir and P C Hewlett. Published in 1996 by E & FN Spon, 2-6 Boundary Row, London SE1 8HN, UK. ISBN 0 419 21480 1. ABSTRACT. The use of controlled permeability formwork (CPF) systems is one of the options to improve the quality of the near surface concrete. The structural materials research group at Queen’s University of Belfast has investigated one such system, the Zemdrain formwork liner, in the past and results have been reported elsewhere. The main objective of the work reported in this paper was to compare the performance of Zemdrain formwork liner with two other types available in the market and study the effect of the reuse of these liners. Air permeability, water absorption, pull-off tensile strength and abrasion resistance were used to compare their performance. In general, the different systems resulted in a significant improvement in the near surface properties of concrete, however their relative benefits varied. Although the reuse of the fabric liners resulted in a reduction in their performance, there was still a significant enhancement in properties relative to a normal cast concrete surface. Keywords: Controlled permeability formwork, concrete durability, permeability, sorptivity, surface strength, abrasion resistance. Professor Adrian E.Long is the Director of the School of the Built Environment at the Queen’s University of Belfast. He has 33 years of research experience, mostly relating to structural concrete and concrete technology. He has more than 150 publications to his credit on concrete and concrete structures. Dr P.A.Muhammed Basheer is a lecturer at the Queen’s University of Belfast He has over 8 years research experience in the general area of concrete durability, particularly on inspection, assessment and protection of concrete and concrete structures. This has resulted in nearly 60 technical publications. Mr Pat Brady was a postgraduate student at the Queen’s University of Belfast The work reported in this paper was carried out by him for his MSc thesis. Mr Anthony McCauley was a postgraduate student at the Queen’s University of Belfast He has recently completed his Msc degree in Civil Engineering.
