PRODUCTION OF A NOVEL FLEXIBLE CONCRETE ARCH

This paper describes the further development of a novel flexible concrete arch system which requires no centring in the construction phase nor steel reinforcement in the long-term. The arch is constructed from a ‘flat pack’ system by use of a polymer reinforcement for carrying the dead load but behaves as a masonry arch once in place. The paper outlines the construction of a 1m prototype arch and load testing of the backfilled arch system and some comparison to results from ARCHIE. The arch had a load carrying capacity far in excess of the current design loads.