reinforcement

Abstract

There is provided a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, the reinforcement comprising a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another The mesh comprises a first region at an end of the reinforcement, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of: the first area is larger than the second area, and the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions.

Description

[0001] REINFORCEMENT

[0002] The present invention relates to an embroidered reinforcement for a curing matrix, in particular concrete, comprising a mesh of rovings which are arranged to form crossing points. The invention further relates to a method for producing the reinforcement. The invention further relates to a textile-reinforced construction comprising such a reinforcement, the production of a textile-reinforced construction and possible uses of the reinforcement.

[0003] Background of the Invention

[0004] Reinforced concrete has been a fundamental building material for many years, traditionally using steel reinforcement to absorb tensile forces while concrete handles compressive loads. However, steel reinforcement's susceptibility to corrosion requires significant concrete coverage for protection and accounts for substantial structural degradation overtime.

[0005] Concrete is the construction material most frequently used in construction and is distinguished by a high compressive strength. Concrete has a tensile strength that is only about 10% of its compressive strength. Therefore, the majority of the concrete components must be supplemented with a reinforcement. Traditionally, steel reinforcement is used in concrete to absorb tensile forces while the concrete handles compressive loads, this is however disadvantageous. Steel corrosion, which is the most common cause of damage in reinforced concrete components, leads to a limited service life. To prevent steel corrosion, sufficient concrete coverage is required, which leads to greater component thicknesses and additional structural weight.

[0006] Non-metallic reinforcements have emerged as alternatives, offering superior corrosion resistance and high tensile strengths. For some time, textiles with formation of textile reinforced concrete (TRC) have been used as an alternative reinforcing material. Current non-metallic reinforcements are manufactured and used in various forms, from individual rovings to bars and reinforcement grids. While offering advantages such as corrosion resistance, which enables less bulky concrete structures, existing non-metallic reinforcements suffer from several drawbacks.

[0007] A limitation of current techniques is poor form fit between reinforcement and concrete compared to traditional steel reinforcement. Contemporary grid reinforcements have cut-off outer contours and ends, resulting in poor form fit of the roving ends to the concrete. This necessitates large overlapping areas during installation to prevent slippage, leading to increased material consumption and manual effort. Furthermore, conventional manufacturing processes (laying, knitting, weaving) limit geometric possibilities to 0, 90 and 45 degrees, limiting the fabrication of more complex shapes and meshes tailored to the desired application. Current solutions require multiple reinforcement layers with different orientations or excessive material usage to manage tensile and shear forces. Another drawback is that conventional reinforcement grids can only be pre-stressed using relatively complex, expensive bondingprocesses. Current production techniques are also material-intensive and operate at relatively low production speeds.

[0008] The present application seeks to address one or more of the above-mentioned limitations.

[0009] Brief Summary of the Invention

[0010] In a first aspect, there is provided a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, the reinforcement comprising a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region at an end of the reinforcement, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0011] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0012] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions.

[0013] In a second aspect, there is provided a method of producing a reinforcement according to the first aspect, the method comprising:

[0014] providing a flat carrier material,

[0015] applying rovings to the carrier material, the rovings forming crossing points,

[0016] fixing crossing points with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another as well as with the carrier material,

[0017] optionally substantially or partially removing the carrier material.

[0018] In a third aspect, there is provided a kit for forming a joint assembly, comprising:

[0019] a first and second reinforcement, each comprising:

[0020] a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0021] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0022] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions;

[0023] wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement, and wherein the first and second reinforcements are configured to be arranged such that a portion of their first regions overlap when assembled.In a fourth aspect, there is provided a hardening matrix, comprising a first and second reinforcement, each comprising: a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0024] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0025] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions; and

[0026] wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement, and wherein the first and second reinforcements are arranged such that a portion of their first regions overlap.

[0027] In a fifth aspect, there is provided a reinforced construction, comprising:

[0028] a construction;

[0029] a first and second reinforcement, each reinforcement comprising a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and

[0030] wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0031] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0032] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions,

[0033] wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement; and

[0034] a hardening matrix, wherein the first and second reinforcement are substantially embedded within the matrix such that at least a portion of their respective first regions are overlapping.

[0035] In a sixth aspect, there is provided a method of reinforcing a construction, comprising:

[0036] disposing a first and second reinforcement adjacent to the construction, wherein each reinforcement comprises a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and

[0037] wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:(a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0038] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions,

[0039] wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement; and wherein at least a portion of the first region of the first and second reinforcement are overlapping; and

[0040] applying a hardening matrix to the reinforcements such that the reinforcements are substantially embedded within the matrix.

[0041] The reinforcements described herein may provide a number of advantages, including but not limited to one or more of:

[0042] a) allowing an overlapping first region of the reinforcement to have a reduced amount of reinforcement content, thus allowing for an increased mesh opening area in the overlapping first region compared with outside the overlapping first region, thus reducing material consumption and cost;

[0043] b) designing an overlapping first region of the reinforcement with a roving path such that the performance of overlapping reinforcements in the reinforced construction is improved, in turn allowing for a reduced size of the overlapping first region, thus providing a simpler installation and reducing manual effort;

[0044] c) reduced material consumption and therefore costs; and / or

[0045] d) allowing for more homogeneous stress distribution across the construction to be reinforced.

[0046] Brief Description of the Figures

[0047] Fig .1 shows a plan view of a reinforcement having an overlap section with a mesh opening area twice as large as the standard mesh opening area.

[0048] Fig. 2 shows a plan view of a reinforcement having an overlap section that includes a set of rovings with a curved path at the end.

[0049] Fig. 3 shows a plan view of a reinforcement having an overlap section with both an increased mesh opening area, and a set of rovings with a curved path at the end.

[0050] Fig. 4 shows a plan view of a reinforcement having an overlap section extending around its outer perimeter and having an increased mesh opening area.

[0051] Fig. 5 shows a plan view of a reinforcement having an overlap section that includes a set of rovings with a curved path at the end that can be attached to a pre-tensioning structure by bolts. Fig. 6 shows a photograph of two overlapping reinforcements that include an overlap section having an increased mesh opening area and a set of rovings with a curved path at the end, applied to a construction.

[0052] Fig. 7 shows a graph of tensile strength vs. elongation for each of the samples tested in Example 8.

[0053] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0054] In a first aspect there is provided a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, the reinforcement comprising a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and aplurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and

[0055] wherein the mesh comprises a first region at an end of the reinforcement, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0056] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0057] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions.

[0058] It will be appreciated that the reinforcement according to the invention can be provided as a flat reinforcement, or can be provided as a shaped ( / .e. three-dimensional) reinforcement. Due to the flexibility of the rovings prior to curing, the reinforcement can be formed into any desired shape. Shaped reinforcements can therefore be provided by coating and / or impregnating the plurality of rovings with a resin material (e.g. epoxy resin or acrylic) and curing / hardening in the desired shape (e.g. bent, curved, etc. depending on the application requirements). In contrast to flat, plate-shaped components, tensile stresses in different spatial directions can be accommodated in contoured reinforcements. Figure 6 illustrates shaped overlapping reinforcements in a construction prior to the addition of a concrete layer.

[0059] The first region of the reinforcement is for overlapping with an adjacent reinforcement when in use for reinforcing a construction, e.g. textile-reinforced concrete. For overlapping reinforcements in a construction, there will be at least one reinforcement having a first region for overlapping, and a second reinforcement that overlaps with the first region either at its end or possibly in a central portion, depending on the specific contours of the construction to be reinforced. Figure 6 shows an example of reinforcements overlapping in a construction prior to the addition of a concrete layer, wherein the overlapping regions have mesh openings of an increased area and including rovings with 180° loops at the ends.

[0060] It will be appreciated that more than two reinforcements may be overlapping in a reinforced construction. Accordingly, the first region may be for overlapping with a plurality of other adjacent reinforcements, e.g. providing a total of three or four adjacent reinforcements that are overlapping.

[0061] As defined herein, the “area” of the mesh openings is measured starting from the centre of the rovings (i.e. not from the edge of the rovings, which would vary according to cross sectional area of the rovings). The first area may be larger than the second area and the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions. However, preferably the first region comprises a plurality of rovings that have a path between two crossing points that deviate from the first and second directions.The first region may form a band that extends across an end of the reinforcement. The first region may form a band extending around an outer perimeter of the reinforcement. An example is shown in Figure 4 which shows an embodiment having a band that extends around the outer perimeter of the reinforcement with a width of 250 mm (top) and 500 mm (bottom).

[0062] Several transverse rovings may each be arranged substantially in parallel to each other and several longitudinal rovings may each be arranged substantially in parallel to each other, with transverse rovings and longitudinal rovings being arranged at an angle relative to each other, preferably substantially at right angles, e.g. as shown in Figures 1-5.

[0063] The mesh openings (formed by arrangement of the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings) may have any suitable shape, including but not limited to a regular or irregular: square, rectangle, trapezoid, rhombus, parallelogram, triangle, hexagon, octagon, or any combination thereof.

[0064] The ratio of the second area to the first area may be from about 0.1 :1 to about 0.9:1. Preferably, the ratio of the second area to the first area is from about 0.4:1 to about 0.6:1. The first area may be larger than the second area and the first and second area may each be independently be a value of from about 100 to about 40,000 mm2, or of from about 100 to about 900 mm2. For example, the second area may be provided by a 13.5 x 13.5 mm mesh opening size, and the first area may be provided by a 13.5 x 27 mm mesh opening.

[0065] The second area may be a value of from about 100 to about 225 mm2, and the first area may be a value of from about 300 to about 900 mm2. The second area may be a value of from about 225 to about 900 mm2, and the first area may be a value of from about 900 to about 3,600 mm2. The second area may be a value of from about 625 to about 1 ,600 mm2, and the first area may be a value of from about 2,500 to about 6,400 mm2. The second area may be a value of from about 1 ,600 to about 3,600 mm2, and the first area may be a value of from about 6,400 to about 14,400 mm2.

[0066] It will be appreciated that the selected ratio of the second area to the first area may be selected according to how many reinforcements are intended to be overlapping with the reinforcement in the first region. For instance, if there are two reinforcements that overlap in the first region, then the ratio of the second area to the first area may preferably be of from about 0.4:1 to about 0.6:1 , preferably 0.5:1. If there are four reinforcements that overlap in the first region, then the ratio of the second area to the first area may be of from about 0.15:1 to about 0.35:1.

[0067] The above ratios of the second area to the first area allow for the concentration of roving material within the first region (the overlapping region) to be approximate to, or substantially the same as, the concentration of roving material outside of the first region (i.e. the second region). This provides a more homogeneous stress distribution across the construction to be reinforced. Accordingly, this provides fora reduced amount of overall reinforcement content, thus reducing material consumption and cost, reducing environmental impact, and providing a simpler installation with less manual effort.

[0068] Roving path that deviates from the first and second directions

[0069] The first region may comprise at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions. The path may comprise a straight or a curved path.

[0070] The curved path may comprise a truncated or untruncated arc, a quasi-parabolic arc, parabolic arc, hyperbolic arc, or truncated hyperbolic arc.

[0071] The first region may comprise at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions wherein the path may preferably comprise a curved segment between two endpoints, wherein the curved segment has a maximum perpendicular deviation from a straight reference line connecting the endpoints of from about 5 mm to about 100 mm, preferably from about 10 mm to about 75 mm, more preferably from about 15 mm to about 50 mm, wherein the maximum perpendicular deviation is measured as the greatest perpendicular distance between any point on the curved segment and the straight reference line.

[0072] Preferably, the at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is located in the first region at an end of the reinforcement. In other words, one of the crossing points may be at an end of the reinforcement in the first region.

[0073] The first region may comprise at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions and the path comprises a turn having a diameter of from about 13 mm to about 200 mm. Preferably, the path may comprise a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 135 mm. More preferably, the path may comprise a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm.

[0074] The first region may comprise at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions and the path comprises a turn having a radius of from about 6.5 mm to about 100 mm. Preferably, the path may comprise a turn having a radius of from about 13.5 mm to about 46 mm. More preferably, the path may comprise a turn having a radius of from about 13.5 mm to about 25 mm.

[0075] The curved path and turn described herein follows a substantially circular arc. References to 'diameter' and 'radius' therefore relate to measurements taken from the centre point to any point along the arc, wherein minor deviations from a mathematically perfect circular arc are encompassed within the scope of these terms. For instance, the approximately circular arc may have a radius of curvature that varies by no more than 15% from the mean radius of curvature measured along the arc.The first region may comprise a plurality of rovings with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions.

[0076] A curved path may be formed during laying of the longitudinal rovings by laying a roving in a 180° turn at the edge of the reinforcement such that it continues to be laid in the opposite direction once the turn has completed. In this way, the process to form the edge portion of the reinforcement may be optimised for the embroidery process. Alternatively or in addition, the curved path may be formed for the transverse rovings in a similar way. See, for example, Figure 3 which shows rovings laid at the end of the reinforcement in overlapping 180° turns.

[0077] In Figure 3, the reinforcement has an overlapping area (first region) with mesh openings of a first area, and a regular mesh area with mesh openings of a second area, wherein the first area is approximately twice as large as the second area. The embodiment of Figure 3 further includes overlapping 180° roving loops at the end of the reinforcement. Also shown is an additional support textile and rectangle / trapezoide rovings, which may be used as part of the manufacturing process before being subsequently cut off and removed.

[0078] The first region may comprise a plurality of rovings with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, and the first region may have a width of from about 10 cm to about 15 cm extending from the end of the reinforcement to the second region.

[0079] The inclusion of a first region that comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions as described herein is believed to improve the performance of a reinforcement in a reinforced construction where said reinforcement is overlapping in the first region with another, adjacent reinforcement. Accordingly, this allows for a reduced overlapping area of the reinforcements in a reinforced construction, whilst still providing good tensile strength properties.

[0080] The first region may be located at least at two opposing ends of the reinforcement and comprise a plurality of rovings with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, and wherein the path may be configured such that the rovings of the first region are attachable to a pre-tensioning structure by a temporary fixing means. This advantageously allows for the reinforcement to be easily attached to a pre-stressing equipment without the need for additional components which could be used for the further textile processing or during the manufacturing of concrete elements.. Conventional pre-stressing methods in the art involve difficult methods of attaching a mesh to the pre-stressing equipment, typically involving complex solutions at the end of mesh such as an epoxy resin block that is clamped. The present invention obviates the need for an epoxy resin block or complicated clamps. Pre-tensioning allows for the reinforcement to be provided with a reduced elongation which in turn improves behaviour in a hardening matrix, e.g. concrete.An illustration of an embodiment is shown in Figure 5, which includes loops suitable for attaching to bolts for a pre-tensioning or pre-stressing step which could be used for the further textile processing or during the manufacturing of concrete elements. In Figure 5, an additional support textile and rectangle / trapezoid rovings are shown. These may be used as part of the manufacturing process, before being subsequently cut off and removed.

[0081] Type of rovings

[0082] The rovings are bundles of continuous fiber strands. Each roving may comprise a plurality of individual filaments, which are typically arranged in a unidirectional manner, meaning they run parallel to each other.

[0083] The rovings may comprise carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, stainless steel fiber, high performance synthetic fiber, thermoplastic fiber, or any combination thereof. The rovings may be a hybrid material comprising any combination of carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, stainless steel fiber, high performance synthetic fiber, or thermoplastic fiber.

[0084] The rovings may have a yarn count of from about 800 tex to about 12,800 tex. The rovings may have a bundle cross section of about 0.45 mm2to about 5.50 mm2. The cross section a roving refers to the total cross sectional area of the bundle of fibers.

[0085] The rovings may have a cross section that is circular or oval shaped. Preferably, the rovings may have a cross section that is substantially circular. The shape of the cross section may be influenced by the tension of the threads used to fix the rovings to each other and the carrier material. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the use of rovings with a circular cross section provides better performance.

[0086] Carbon fiber

[0087] The rovings may comprise carbon fiber, or be made of carbon fiber. The first region may comprise at least one carbon fiber roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions that is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 13 mm to about 200 mm.

[0088] The carbon fiber rovings may have a yarn count of from about 800 tex to about 9,600 tex. The carbon fiber rovings may have a bundle cross section of about 0.90 mm2to about 5.50 mm2. The rovings may comprise carbon fiber and the first region may comprise at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions that is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 135 mm.

[0089] The rovings may be made of carbon fiber, and:(i) the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 20 mm to about 54 mm;

[0090] (ii) have a yarn count of from about 800 tex to about 3,200 tex; and

[0091] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 0.45 mm2to about 1.80 mm2.

[0092] The rovings may be made of carbon fiber, and:

[0093] (i) the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 50 mm to about 70 mm;

[0094] (ii) have a yarn count of from about 3,200 tex to about 6,400 tex; and

[0095] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 1.80 mm2to about 3.60 mm2.

[0096] The rovings may be made of carbon fiber, and:

[0097] (i) the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 70 mm to about 90 mm;

[0098] (ii) have a yarn count of from about 6,400 tex to about 9,600 tex; and

[0099] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 3.60 mm2to about 5.40 mm2.

[0100] The rovings may be made of carbon fiber, and:

[0101] (i) the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 90 mm to about 120 mm;

[0102] (ii) have a yarn count of from about 9,600 tex to about 12,800 tex; and

[0103] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 5.40 mm2to about 7.20 mm2.

[0104] The rovings may be made of carbon fiber and have a yarn count of about 3,200 tex; and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of about 54 mm to about 60 mm.

[0105] The rovings may be made of carbon fiber and have a yarn count of about 6,400 tex; and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of about 75 mm to about 85 mm.

[0106] Glass fibers

[0107] The rovings may comprise glass fiber or be made of glass fiber.

[0108] The glass fiber rovings have a yarn count of from about 600 tex to about 10,000 tex. The glass fiber rovings have a bundle cross section of from about 0.45 mm2to about 3.85 mm2. The rovings may bemade of glass fiber and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm.

[0109] The glass fiber rovings have a yarn count of from about 600 tex to about 10,000 tex. The rovings may be made of glass fiber having a bundle cross section of from about 0.45 mm2to about 3.85 mm2.

[0110] The rovings may be made of glass fiber, and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm,

[0111] (i) have a yarn count of from about 600 tex to about 2,000 tex; and

[0112] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 0.40 mm2to about 0.90 mm2.

[0113] The rovings may be made of glass fiber, and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm;

[0114] (i) have a yarn count of from about 2,000 tex to about 4,000 tex; and

[0115] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 0.90 mm2to about 1.90 mm2.

[0116] The rovings may be made of glass fiber, and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm;

[0117] (i) have a yarn count of from about 4,000 tex to about 7,000 tex; and

[0118] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 1.90 mm2to about 2.80 mm2.

[0119] The rovings may be made of glass fiber, and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm;

[0120] (i) have a yarn count of from about 7,000 tex to about 9,500 tex; and

[0121] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 2.80 mm2to about 3.80 mm2.

[0122] The rovings may be made of glass fiber, and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0123] (i) have a yarn count of from about 9,500 tex to about 10,000 tex; and

[0124] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 3.80 mm2to about 4.50 mm2.

[0125] The rovings may be made of glass fiber and have a yarn count of about 4,800 tex; and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of about 20 mm to about 30 mm.The first region may comprise at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber and have a yarn count of about 3,200 tex, the first and second area is about 729mm2, and wherein the first region has a width of from about 8 cm to about 15 cm extending from the end of the reinforcement to the second region.

[0126] The first region may comprise at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber and have a yarn count of about 6,400 tex, the first and second area is about 729mm2, and wherein the first region has a width of from about 18 cm to about 35 cm extending from the end of the reinforcement to the second region.

[0127] Coatings / threads

[0128] The rovings may be provided with a coating. The coating may be made of plastic. This coating advantageously activates the inner filaments of the roving and provides strength and rigidity to the rovings, reducing contact between the rovings and the concrete, in turn reducing damage to the filaments of the rovings. The coating also provides higher performance in terms of bonding to the concrete compared to uncoated rovings. The coating may be a thermoplastic, elastomer or thermoset. The coating may be based on epoxy or acrylic, preferably acrylic. The coating may also be a mineral based matrix, such as a mixture of cement and water, or water glass. The rovings may be at least partially impregnated with the coating.

[0129] The rovings may be made of glass fiber and the coating may be water glass. An advantage of this combination is that a fully recyclable reinforcement can be provided.

[0130] The threads are for fixing the rovings at their crossing points, and for fixing the rovings to the carrier material. The threads may comprise plastic, cotton, or viscose, or be made of plastic, cotton, or viscose. The plastic may be a thermoplastically deformable plastic, e.g. polypropylene or polyethylene. The threads may be synthetic fibers (e.g. dtex 120 / 2 front yarn or Ne 76 / 2 back yarn).

[0131] Method of producing a reinforcement

[0132] In a second aspect there is provided a method of producing a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, the reinforcement comprising a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region at an end of the reinforcement, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:(a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0133] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions,

[0134] the method comprising:

[0135] providing a flat carrier material,

[0136] applying rovings to the carrier material, the rovings forming crossing points,

[0137] fixing crossing points with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another as well as with the carrier material,

[0138] optionally substantially or partially removing the carrier material.

[0139] In the method according to the invention, a reinforcement is provided by applying rovings to a carrier material by means of embroidering technology, wherein the carrier material may optionally be subsequently at least partially removed. As a result of the positioning and the connection of the rovings by means of a thread which is possible as a result, very stable yet complex structures can be produced in a simple manner, which are significantly more stable than the positions according to the prior art and therefore allowing rovings to be laid in a direction that is optimised for the tensile strength properties of the reinforcement in e.g. a concrete component.

[0140] It will be appreciated that the carrier material serves to provide support to the rovings during the embroidery process. Hence, the carrier material may be entirely or partially removable, e.g. by dissolving chemically orthermally, e.g. with water. After this step, some or all of the carrier material may be coated on or at least partially distributed within the rovings. However, the carrier material may also be provided in the form of a mesh structure, such as pre fabricated lightweight glass, carbon, or basalt mesh (having e.g. a mesh opening size of from about 5 to about 20 mm, when measured from the centre of each roving), such that it need not be removed after the embroidery process. If the carrier material is a grid or mesh then it may also be used to put the rovings in a stretched state during the tensioning step wherein the rovings are coated and hardened.

[0141] Following the step of fixing the crossing points with a thread, there may be a step of coating and / or impregnating the plurality of rovings with a resin material, followed by curing of the resin material. If the carrier material is removed, then after removal of the carrier material there may be a step of coating and / or impregnating the plurality of rovings with a resin material, followed by curing of the resin material.

[0142] The plurality of rovings may be in a stretched state during curing of the resin material. This advantageously ensures the rovings are uniformly straight and the shape / form of the reinforcement is maintained after the embroidery step and during the coating step. In this way, the reinforcement is hardened in the desired shape. The coating, once cured, provides good tensile strength and elongation to the rovings, in turn reducing delamination during pre-stressing when reinforcing a construction. The stretched state may be achieved by applying tensile forces to the rovings in the longitudinal direction and / or the transverse direction.The first region may be located at least at two opposing ends of the reinforcement and comprise a plurality of rovings with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, the method comprising attaching the plurality of rovings of the first region at each opposing end to a pre-tensioning structure by a temporary fixing means.

[0143] It will be appreciated that the method of the second aspect may be to provide a reinforcement according to any embodiment in accordance with the first aspect. Any feature of the first aspect may be combined with any feature of the second aspect, and vice versa.

[0144] A kit for a joint assembly

[0145] In a third aspect there is provided a kit for forming a joint assembly, comprising:

[0146] a first and second reinforcement, each comprising:

[0147] a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0148] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0149] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions;

[0150] wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement, and wherein the first and second reinforcements are configured to be arranged such that a portion of their first regions overlap when assembled.

[0151] Preferably, substantially the entire first regions of the first and second reinforcements overlap when assembled.

[0152] The kit may also optionally comprise instructions for use. It will be appreciated that more than two reinforcements may be used as part of the kit, such that the kit comprises three or four reinforcements that are configured to overlap when assembled as a joint assembly. Accordingly, the first region of the plurality of reinforcements may each be configured to have a first region that overlaps with a plurality of other adjacent reinforcements. If there are three reinforcements that are to be arranged to overlap, then the ratio of the second area to the first area may be of from about 0.25:1 to about 0.40:1 , preferably about 0.33:1. If there are four reinforcements that are arranged to overlap, then the ratio of the second area to the first area may be of from about 0.15:1 to about 0.35:1 , preferably about 0.25:1.

[0153] It will be appreciated that the kit of the third aspect may comprise a first and / or second reinforcement according to any embodiment in accordance with the first aspect or obtainable by any embodimentaccording to the method of the second aspect. Any feature of the third aspect may be combined with any feature of the first and second aspect, and vice versa.

[0154] Hardening matrix

[0155] In a fourth aspect there is provided a hardening matrix, comprising a first and second reinforcement, each comprising: a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0156] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0157] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions; and

[0158] wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement, and wherein the first and second reinforcements are arranged such that a portion of their first regions overlap.

[0159] Preferably, the first and second reinforcements are arranged such that substantially all of their respective first regions overlap. The hardening matrix may be textile-reinforced concrete, wood, aluminium, gypsum, or clay.

[0160] It will be appreciated that more than two reinforcements may be comprised as part of the hardening matrix, as required. For example, the hardening matrix may comprise three or four reinforcements that are arranged to overlap in their respective first region. If there are three reinforcements that are arranged to overlap, then the ratio of the second area to the first area may be of from about 0.25:1 to about 0.40:1 , preferably about 0.33:1. If there are four reinforcements that are arranged to overlap, then the ratio of the second area to the first area may be of from about 0.15:1 to about 0.35:1 , preferably about 0.25:1.

[0161] The first and / or second reinforcement may each be according to any embodiment of the first aspect, or is each a reinforcement obtainable by the method according to any embodiment of the second aspect. Any feature of the fourth aspect may be combined with any feature of the first, second or third aspect, and vice versa.

[0162] Reinforced construction

[0163] In a fifth aspect, there is provided a reinforced construction, comprising:

[0164] a construction;

[0165] a first and second reinforcement, each reinforcement comprising a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in asecond direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and

[0166] wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0167] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0168] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions,

[0169] wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement; and

[0170] a hardening matrix, wherein the first and second reinforcement are substantially embedded within the matrix such that at least a portion of their respective first regions are overlapping.

[0171] Preferably, the first and second reinforcements are substantially embedded such that substantially all of their respective first regions overlap. It will be appreciated that more than two reinforcements may be comprised as part of the reinforced construction, as required. For example, the reinforced construction may comprise three or four reinforcements that are arranged to overlap in their respective first region.

[0172] If there are three reinforcements that are arranged to overlap, then the ratio of the second area to the first area may be of from about 0.25:1 to about 0.40:1 , preferably about 0.33:1. If there are four reinforcements that are arranged to overlap, then the ratio of the second area to the first area may be of from about 0.15:1 to about 0.35:1 , preferably about 0.25:1.

[0173] The first and / or second reinforcement may each be according to any embodiment of the first aspect, or is each a reinforcement obtainable by the method according to any embodiment of the second aspect. Any feature of the fifth aspect may be combined with any feature of the first, second, third or fourth aspect, and vice versa.

[0174] Method of reinforcing a construction

[0175] In a sixth aspect, there is a method of reinforcing a construction, comprising:

[0176] disposing a first and second reinforcement adjacent to the construction, wherein each reinforcement comprises a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0177] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0178] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions,wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement; and

[0179] wherein at least a portion of the first region of the first and second reinforcement are overlapping; and applying a hardening matrix to the reinforcements such that the reinforcements are substantially embedded within the matrix.

[0180] Preferably, substantially all of the first region of the first and second reinforcements are overlapping.

[0181] It will be appreciated that more than two reinforcements may be comprised as part of the reinforced construction, as required. For example, the reinforced construction may comprise three or four reinforcements that are arranged to overlap in their respective first region. If there are three reinforcements that are arranged to overlap, then the ratio of the second area to the first area may be of from about 0.25:1 to about 0.40:1 , preferably about 0.33:1. If there are four reinforcements that are arranged to overlap, then the ratio of the second area to the first area may be of from about 0.15:1 to about 0.35:1 , preferably about 0.25:1.

[0182] Applying the matrix may comprise a step of spraying the matrix onto the reinforcements, laminating the matrix onto the reinforcement, or pouring the matrix onto the reinforcement, or a combination thereof.

[0183] The first region may be located at least at two opposing ends of the reinforcement and comprises a plurality of rovings with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, the method comprising attaching the plurality of rovings of the first region at each opposing end to a pre-tensioning structure by a temporary fixing means, such that the plurality of rovings are in a stretched state during hardening of the matrix. This advantageously allows for the reinforcement to be easily attached to a pre-stressing equipment without the need for additional components. Conventional pre-stressing (pre-tensioning) methods in the art involve difficult methods of attaching a mesh to the pre-stressing equipment, typically involving complex solutions at the end of mesh such as an epoxy resin block that is clamped. The present invention obviates the need for an epoxy resin block or complicated clamps. Pre-tensioning allows for the reinforcement to be provided with a reduced elongation which in turn improves behaviour in concrete.

[0184] The layer of the hardening matrix may be from about 10 mm to about 50 mm, preferably of from about 20 mm to about 30 mm. Preferably, the hardening matrix is screed, concrete, mortar, or any combination thereof.

[0185] The construction may comprises concrete, steel-reinforced concrete, wood, aluminium, gypsum, or clay.

[0186] The first and / or second reinforcement may each be according to any embodiment of the first aspect, or is each a reinforcement obtainable by the method according to any embodiment of the second aspect.Any feature of the sixth aspect may be combined with any feature of the first, second, third, fourth or fifth aspect, and vice versa.

[0187] The aspects provided herein are also described in the following clauses:

[0188] 1. A reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, the reinforcement comprising a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and

[0189] wherein the mesh comprises a first region at an end of the reinforcement, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0190] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0191] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions.

[0192] 2. A reinforcement according to clause 1 , wherein the first area is larger than the second area, and the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions.

[0193] 3. A reinforcement according to clause 1 , wherein the first area is larger than the second area, and the first region comprises a plurality of rovings that have a path between two crossing points that deviate from the first and second directions.

[0194] 4. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the first region is a band extending across an end of the reinforcement.

[0195] 5. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the first region is a band extending around an outer perimeter of the reinforcement.

[0196] 6. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein several transverse rovings are each arranged substantially in parallel to each other and several longitudinal rovings are each arranged substantially in parallel to each other, with transverse rovings and longitudinal rovings being arranged at an angle relative to each other, preferably substantially at right angles.

[0197] 7. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the mesh openings have a shape selected from a regular or irregular: square, rectangle, trapezoid, rhombus, parallelogram, triangle, hexagon, octagon, or a combination thereof.

[0198] 8. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the ratio of the second area to the first area is from about 0.25:1 to about 0.6:1 .

[0199] 9. A reinforcement according to clause 8, wherein the ratio of the second area to the first area is from about 0.4:1 to about 0.6:1.

[0200] 10. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the first area is larger than the second area, and the first and second area are independently from about 100 to about 40,000 mm2.11. A reinforcement according to clause 10, wherein the first and second area are independently from about 100 to about 900 mm2.

[0201] 12. A reinforcement according to clause 10, wherein the second area is from about 100 to about 225 mm2, and the first area is from about 400 to about 900 mm2.

[0202] 13. A reinforcement according to clause 10, wherein the second area is from about 225 to about 900 mm2, and the first area is from about 900 to about 3,600 mm2.

[0203] 14. A reinforcement according to clause 10, wherein the second area is from about 625 to about 1.600 mm2, and the first area is from about 2,500 to about 6,400 mm2.

[0204] 15. A reinforcement according to clause 10, wherein the second area is from about 1 ,600 to about 3.600 mm2, and the first area is from about 6,400 to about 14,400 mm2.

[0205] 16. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, and the path comprises a curved path.

[0206] 17. A reinforcement according to clause 16, wherein the curved path comprises a truncated or untruncated arc, a quasi-parabolic arc, parabolic arc, hyperbolic arc, or truncated hyperbolic arc. 17a. A reinforcement according to clause 17, wherein the path comprises a curved segment between two endpoints, wherein the curved segment has a maximum perpendicular deviation from a straight reference line connecting the endpoints of from about 5 mm to about 100 mm, preferably from about 10 mm to about 75 mm, more preferably from about 15 mm to about 54 mm, wherein the maximum perpendicular deviation is measured as the greatest perpendicular distance between any point on the curved segment and the straight reference line.

[0207] 18. A reinforcement according to clause 16, wherein the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions and the path comprises a turn having a diameter of from about 13 mm to about 200 mm.

[0208] 19. A reinforcement according to clause 18, wherein the path comprises a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 135 mm.

[0209] 20. A reinforcement according to clause 19, wherein the path comprises a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm.

[0210] 21. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the first region comprises a plurality of rovings with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions.

[0211] 22. A reinforcement according to clause 21 , wherein the first region comprises a plurality of rovings with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, and wherein the first region has a width of from about 10 cm to about 15 cm extending from the end of the reinforcement to the second region.

[0212] 23. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the first region is located at least at two opposing ends of the reinforcement and comprises a plurality of rovings with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, and wherein the path is configured such that the rovings of the first region are attachable to a pre-tensioning structure by a temporary fixing means.24. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the rovings comprise carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, stainless steel fiber, high performance synthetic fiber, thermoplastic fiber, or any combination thereof.

[0213] 25. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the rovings are a hybrid material comprising any combination of carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, stainless steel fiber, high performance synthetic fiber, or thermoplastic fiber.

[0214] 26. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the rovings have a yarn count of from about 800 tex to about 12,800 tex.

[0215] 27. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the rovings have a bundle cross section of about 0.45 mm2to about 5.50 mm2.

[0216] 28. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 24-27, wherein the rovings comprise carbon fiber.

[0217] 29. A reinforcement according to clause 28, wherein the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions that is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 13 mm to about 200 mm.

[0218] 30. A reinforcement according to clause 29, wherein the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions that is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 135 mm.

[0219] 31. A reinforcement according to clause 28, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber, and: (i) the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 20 mm to about 54 mm;

[0220] (ii) have a yarn count of from about 800 tex to about 3,200 tex; and

[0221] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 0.45 mm2to about 1.80 mm2.

[0222] 32. A reinforcement according to clause 28, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber, and: (i) the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 54 mm to about 70 mm;

[0223] (ii) have a yarn count of from about 3,200 tex to about 6,400 tex; and

[0224] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 1.80 mm2to about 3.60 mm2.

[0225] 33. A reinforcement according to clause 28, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber, and: (i) the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 70 mm to about 90 mm;

[0226] (ii) have a yarn count of from about 6,400 tex to about 9,600 tex; and

[0227] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 3.60 mm2to about 5.40 mm2.

[0228] 34. A reinforcement according to clause 28, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber, and: (i) the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 90 mm to about(ii) have a yarn count of from about 9,600 tex to about 12,800 tex; and

[0229] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 5.40 mm2to about 7.20 mm2.

[0230] 35. A reinforcement according to clause 28, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber and have a yarn count of about 3,200 tex; and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of about 50 mm to about 60 mm.

[0231] 36. A reinforcement according to clause 28, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber and have a yarn count of about 6,400 tex; and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of about 75 mm to about 85 mm.

[0232] 37. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 24-27, wherein the rovings comprise glass fiber.

[0233] 38. A reinforcement according to clause 37, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm. 39. A reinforcement according to clause 37 or clause 38, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber having a bundle cross section of from about 0.45 mm2to about 3.85 mm2.

[0234] 40. A reinforcement according to clause 37, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber, and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm, (i) have a yarn count of from about 600 tex to about 2,000 tex; and

[0235] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 0.40 mm2to about 0.90 mm2.

[0236] 41. A reinforcement according to clause 37, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber, and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0237] (i) have a yarn count of from about 2,000 tex to about 4,000 tex; and

[0238] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 0.90 mm2to about 1.90 mm2.

[0239] 42. A reinforcement according to clause 37, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber, and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm;

[0240] (i) have a yarn count of from about 4,000 tex to about 7,000 tex; and

[0241] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 1.90 mm2to about 2.80 mm2.

[0242] 43. A reinforcement according to clause 37, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber, and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm;

[0243] (i) have a yarn count of from about 7,000 tex to about 9,500 tex; and

[0244] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 2.80 mm2to about 3.80 mm2.

[0245] 44. A reinforcement according to clause 37, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber, and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm;(i) have a yarn count of from about 9,500 tex to about 10,000 tex; and

[0246] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 3.80 mm2to about 4.50 mm2.

[0247] 45. A reinforcement according to clause 37, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber and have a yarn count of about 4,800 tex; and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of about 20 mm to about 30 mm.

[0248] 46. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber and have a yarn count of about 3,200 tex, the first and second area is about 729mm2, and wherein the first region has a width of from about 8 cm to about 20 cm extending from the end of the reinforcement to the second region.

[0249] 47. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber and have a yarn count of about 6,400 tex, the first and second area is about 729mm2, and wherein the first region has a width of from about 18 cm to about 35 cm extending from the end of the reinforcement to the second region.

[0250] 48. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the rovings are provided with a coating comprising plastic or a mineral based matrix.

[0251] 48a. A reinforcement according to clause 48, wherein the mineral based matrix is a mixture of cement and water, or water glass

[0252] 49. A reinforcement according to clause 48, wherein the plastic is a thermoplastic, elastomer or thermoset.

[0253] 50. A reinforcement according to clause 49, wherein the plastic is based on acrylic, or epoxy. 51. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 48 to 50, wherein the rovings are impregnated with the coating.

[0254] 52. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the threads comprise plastic or synthetic fiber.

[0255] 53. A reinforcement according to clause 52, wherein the plastic is a thermoplastically deformable plastic, cotton, or viscose.

[0256] 54. A reinforcement according to clause 53, wherein the thermoplastically deformable plastic is polypropylene or polyethylene.

[0257] 55. A method of producing a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, the reinforcement comprising a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and

[0258] wherein the mesh comprises a first region at an end of the reinforcement, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0259] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and(b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions,

[0260] the method comprising:

[0261] providing a flat carrier material,

[0262] applying rovings to the carrier material, the rovings forming crossing points,

[0263] fixing crossing points with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another as well as with the carrier material,

[0264] optionally substantially or partially removing the carrier material.

[0265] 56. A method accord, to clause 55, wherein the reinforcement is according to one of clauses 1-54.

[0266] 57. A method of producing a reinforcement according to clause 55 or clause 56, comprising, after fixing crossing points with the thread, a step of coating and / or impregnating the plurality of rovings with a resin material, followed by curing of the resin material.

[0267] 58. A method of producing a reinforcement according to any one of clauses 55-57, wherein the plurality of rovings are in a stretched state during curing of the resin material.

[0268] 59. A method of producing a reinforcement according to clause 58, wherein the stretched state is achieved by applying tensile forces to the longitudinal rovings in the second direction and / or the transverse rovings in the first direction.

[0269] 60. A method of producing a reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the first region is located at least at two opposing ends of the reinforcement and comprises a plurality of rovings with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, the method comprising attaching the plurality of rovings of the first region at each opposing end to a pre-tensioning structure by a temporary fixing means.

[0270] 61. A kit for forming a joint assembly, comprising:

[0271] a first and second reinforcement, each comprising:

[0272] a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0273] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0274] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions;

[0275] wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement, and wherein the first and second reinforcements are configured to be arranged such that a portion of their first regions overlap when assembled.

[0276] 61a. A kit according to clause 61 , wherein the first and / or second reinforcement is according to any one of clauses 1-46 or is a reinforcement obtainable by the method according to any one of claims 47-50.62. A hardening matrix, comprising a first and second reinforcement, each comprising: a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0277] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0278] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions; and

[0279] wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement, and wherein the first and second reinforcements are arranged such that a portion of their first regions overlap.

[0280] 63. A hardening matrix according to clause 62, wherein the hardening matrix is textile-reinforced concrete, wood, aluminium, gypsum, or clay.

[0281] 64. A hardening matrix according to clause 62 or 63, wherein the first and / or second reinforcement is each according to any one of clauses 1-54, or is each a reinforcement obtainable by the method according to any one of clauses 55-60.

[0282] 65. A reinforced construction, comprising:

[0283] a construction;

[0284] a first and second reinforcement, each reinforcement comprising a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and

[0285] wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0286] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0287] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions,

[0288] wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement; and

[0289] a hardening matrix, wherein the first and second reinforcement are substantially embedded within the matrix such that at least a portion of their respective first regions are overlapping.

[0290] 66. A reinforced construction according to clause 65 wherein the first and / or second reinforcement is according to any one of clauses 1-46 or is a reinforcement obtainable by the method according to any one of claims 47-50.

[0291] 67. A method of reinforcing a construction, comprising:

[0292] disposing a first and second reinforcement adjacent to the construction, wherein each reinforcement comprises a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and aplurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:

[0293] (a) the first area is larger than the second area; and

[0294] (b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions,

[0295] wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement; and

[0296] wherein at least a portion of the first region of the first and second reinforcement are overlapping; and applying a hardening matrix to the reinforcements such that the reinforcements are substantially embedded within the matrix.

[0297] 68. A method according to clause 67, wherein applying the matrix comprises a step of spraying the matrix onto the reinforcements, laminating the matrix onto the reinforcement, or pouring the matrix onto the reinforcement, or a combination thereof.

[0298] 68a. A method of reinforcing a construction according to clause 67 or 68, wherein the first region is located at least at two opposing ends of the reinforcement and comprises a plurality of rovings with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, the method comprising attaching the plurality of rovings of the first region at each opposing end to a pre-tensioning structure by a temporary fixing means, such that the plurality of rovings are in a stretched state during hardening of the matrix.

[0299] 69. A method of reinforcing a construction according to any one of clauses 67-68 or 68a, or a reinforced construction according to any one of clauses 65-66, wherein the layer of the matrix is from about 10 mm to about 50mm, preferably of from about 20 mm to about 30 mm.

[0300] 70. A method of reinforcing a construction according to any one of clauses 67-68, or a reinforced construction according to any one of clauses 65-66, wherein the construction comprises concrete, steel-reinforced concrete, wood, aluminium, gypsum, or clay.

[0301] 71. A method of reinforcing a construction according to any one of clauses 67-68, or a reinforced construction according to any one of clauses 65-66, wherein the reinforcement is according to any one of clauses 1-54, or is a reinforcement obtainable by the method according to any one of clauses 55-60.

[0302] Examples

[0303] The present invention will now be described by way of reference to the following examples. These examples are not to be construed as being limiting on the invention.

[0304] Example 1 : Production of reinforcement with increased mesh opening area in overlap region

[0305] A carrier material made of polyvinyl alcohol non-woven is placed and stretched on the embroidery machine. In addition, another support material made of polyester woven fabric (cotton, viscose, polyamide or polypropylene), width 15cm, is applied to the edge of the carrier material and attached tothe non-woven with a polyester thread using the embroidery machine. According to the application specification, carbon fiber rovings are placed on a carrier material made of polyvinyl alcohol non-woven using soutache (or tailored fiber placement) embroidery technology. The rovings are attached to the carrier material with a thread made of polyester (cotton, viscose, polyamide or polypropylene) on several embroidery heads in parallel. The rovings (e.g. 3200 tex) are laid down first lengthwise and then crosswise (with a spacing of 27mm) and thus form a grid that corresponds to the specification. The rovings are laid over the polyvinyl alcohol non-woven and support material (polyester woven fabric), so that the carbon rovings connect both textiles together. In the edge area of the reinforcement (250mm from the outer edge), the spacing of the lengthwise rovings and crosswise rovings doubled to a distance of 54mm so that the mesh opening size in the edge area is larger than in the inner area of the reinforcement. This edge area represents the overlap area for applications in concrete (hereinafter simply referred to as the “overlap area”).

[0306] The parallel production of the embroidery heads creates an area in the pattern where the laid carbon overlaps from one embroidery head to the next. This overlap is designed as a radius with a diameter of 54mm and an overlap length of 66mm.

[0307] After the carbon fiber has been laid down, the crossing points of the grid are fixed with additional polyester threads. To do this, a zigzag pattern is used along the longitudinal and transverse rovings in order to fix the rovings together at the crossing point in a star pattern.

[0308] After the embroidery process, the carrier material made of polyvinyl alcohol non-woven is washed out with warm water (50°C) and the still wet carbon grid is stretched lengthwise and crosswise using the additional support material (polyester woven fabric) and dried and fixed at 180°C.

[0309] As a final step, the carbon grid is soaked in an acrylate dispersion and dried in a tensioned state at 160°C for 5 minutes and the acrylate matrix is melted and cooled down afterwards. The additional support material and loop ends is then cut off and the overlap area with the increased mesh opening size remains. The hardened grid can then be heated again to 130°C and formed according to the application. The grid with the overlap area is then ready for use in renovation and precast concrete construction. An example of a renovation application for bridges:

[0310] • High-pressure water jets and thus removal of 10-20mm of concrete from the existing surface • Application of 10mm sprayed concrete

[0311] • Integration of the reinforcement mesh, taking into account the overlapping areas of the individual reinforcement grids

[0312] • Application of 10mm sprayed concrete

[0313] • Finish surface

[0314] An example reinforcement prepared according to Example 1 is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows a mesh having a first region 101 having mesh openings of a first area and a second region 102 havingmesh openings of a second area, wherein the first area is approximately twice as large as the second area.

[0315] Example 2: Production of reinforcement with increased mesh opening area and turns in overlap region

[0316] A carrier material made of polyvinyl alcohol non-woven is placed and stretched on the embroidery machine. In addition, another support material made of polyester woven fabric (cotton, viscose, polyamide or polypropylene), width 15cm, is applied to the edge of the carrier material and attached to the non-woven with a polyester thread using the embroidery machine.

[0317] After that, the carbon fiber rovings (e.g. 3.200 tex) are placed on the carrier and the support material using soutache (or tailored fiber placement) embroidery technology. The rovings are attached to the carrier material with a thread made of polyester (cotton, viscose, polyamide or polypropylene) on several embroidery heads in parallel.

[0318] In a first step embroidered rovings are laid in a 60mm width structure with a rectangle / trapezoid shape to connect both textiles with each other.

[0319] In a second step, according to the application specification, the rovings are laid down first lengthwise and then crosswise (with a spacing of 27 mm) and thus form a grid that corresponds to the specification. The rovings are laid over the carrier material made of polyvinyl alcohol non-woven. The rovings only connect with the structure of rectangle / trapezoid shape and are not connected with the support material (polyester woven fabric). The rovings are laid in this edge area so that they form a turn with a diameter of 54 mm.

[0320] In the edge area of the reinforcement (outer 120 mm), the spacing of the lengthwise rovings and crosswise rovings is doubled to a distance of 54 mm so that the mesh opening size in the edge area is larger than in the inner area. This edge area represents the overlapping area of the reinforcement for applications in concrete (hereinafter simply referred to as the “overlap area”).

[0321] The parallel production of the embroidery heads creates an area in the pattern where the laid carbon overlaps from one embroidery head to the next. This overlap is designed as a radius with a diameter of 54mm and an overlap length of 66mm.

[0322] After the carbon fiber has been laid down, the crossing points of the grid are fixed with additional polyester threads. To do this, a zigzag pattern is used along the longitudinal and transverse rovings in order to fix the rovings together at the crossing point in a star pattern.After the embroidery process, the polyvinyl alcohol non-woven is washed out with warm water (50°C) and the still wet carbon grid is stretched lengthwise and crosswise using the support material (polyester woven fabric) and dried and fixed at 180°C.

[0323] As a final step, the carbon grid is soaked in an acrylate dispersion and dried in a tensioned state at 160°C for 5 minutes and the acrylate matrix is melted and cooled down afterwards. The edge area with the additional support material is then cut off and the overlap area with roving turns remains. The hardened grid can then be heated again to 130°C and formed according to the application. The grid with the overlap area is then ready for use in renovation and precast concrete construction.

[0324] An example reinforcement prepared according to Example 2 is shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows a mesh having a first region 201 at an end of the reinforcement, wherein the first region 201 comprises rovings that have a path 205 between two crossing points 203, 204 that deviates from the first and second directions defined by the transverse and longitudinal rovings.

[0325] Example 3:

[0326] Procedure according to Example 1 or 2, wherein rovings of AR glass basalt or a mixture of all materials are used as reinforcing material instead of the carbon rovings.

[0327] Example 4:

[0328] Procedure according to Example 1 or 2, wherein the carrier material is made out of a cotton fabric instead of polyvinyl alcohol non-woven and destroyed with a chemical and thermal process with solution of aluminum chloride and tartaric acid.

[0329] Example 5:

[0330] Procedure according to Example 1 or 2, wherein the carrier material is made out of

[0331] pre fabricated light weight glass, carbon, basalt mesh (mesh size 5-20mm) instead of polyvinyl alcohol non-woven and therefore the carrier material is not destroyed or dissolved afterwards.

[0332] Example 6:

[0333] Procedure according to Example 1 or 2, wherein the final matrix is another material as styrene butadiene rubber or epoxy resin instead of acrylate dispersion. Therefore, hardening and curing process is with different temperatures.

[0334] Example 7:

[0335] Procedure according to Example 1 or 2, wherein lengthwise rovings are laid with a separate shuttle over the whole length of the machine and connected to the carrier material by embroidery and not laid with the parallel embroidery heads of the embroidery machine.Example 8: Tensile strength tests showing comparison of joint performance of overlapping reinforcements with and without edge turns

[0336] Uni-axial expansion body tests mesh-concrete (Fig. 7)

[0337] The uniaxial tensile behaviour of the grids in combination with the fine concrete is determined based on the expansion body tests. The test procedure is used to determine the tensile strength, the elongation at break and the stress-strain curve of the composite material.

[0338] Sample preparation:

[0339] The individual mesh samples for the expansion body tests are cut out of large-format mesh. The panels are manufactured by hand laminating, spraying or casting on non-absorbent formwork. For the used 3.200 tex carbon mesh (mesh size 27mm) the panels are manufactured with a thickness of 10 mm. The pattern is cut to a width of approx. 110 mm and care must be taken to ensure that 4 rovings are included in the pattern. The length of the test samples is 1000 mm. At least 10 samples are made.

[0340] The samples are tested no earlier than 28 days after concreting. The samples are removed from the formwork after 3 days at the latest and stored in a water bath until three days before the test.

[0341] The sample strips are tested under uniaxial tensile loading. The load application is distance-controlled using a universal testing machine with a testing speed of 1.0 mm / min until failure.

[0342] The tensile force of the testing machine is introduced into the concrete body via friction. The concrete specimens to be tested are clamped between two steel plates, which are then compressed together using hydraulic cylinders. In order to increase the friction grip between the concrete and the steel plates, on the one hand the surface of the concrete are roughened by milling and, on the other hand, sandpaper is inserted between the concrete specimens and the two steel plates.

[0343] Evaluation

[0344] • Failure 1 : Reinforcement breaks within the free length

[0345]

[0346] valid test

[0347] • Failure 2: Reinforcement fracture within the clamping length

[0348]

[0349] invalid

[0350] • Failure 3: Roving slip / extract invalid

[0351] The samples with overlap do not have a continuous textile in the sample but two short reinforcement grids that meet in the middle area with different overlap lengths.

[0352] Figure 7 shows a graph of tensile strength versus elongation for the following samples:

[0353] • Full line: reference sample without overlapping (general performance of this mesh series) • Dashed line: with overlap 17,5cm• Dashed dotted line: with overlap 10cm

[0354] • Dashed line (bold): with loop and overlap 15cm

[0355] • Dashed dotted line (bold): with loop and overlap 10cm

[0356] The results show that the maximum tensile strength of the reinforcements having an overlap region with loops (mean value 1991 N / mm2for 10cm overlap) is significantly improved compared to reinforcements without loops (mean value 1448 N / mm2for 10cm overlap). In turn, this allows for a smaller overlapping area, thus reducing the overall content of material needed for the construction.

Claims

Claims1. A reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, the reinforcement comprising a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, andwherein the mesh comprises a first region at an end of the reinforcement, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:(a) the first area is larger than the second area; and(b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions.

2. A reinforcement according to clause 1 , wherein the first area is larger than the second area, and the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions.

3. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the first region is a band extending across the end of the reinforcement.

4. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the first region is a band extending around the outer perimeter of the reinforcement.

5. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the mesh openings have a shape selected from a regular or irregular: square, rectangle, trapezoid, rhombus, parallelogram, triangle, hexagon, octagon, or a combination thereof.

6. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ratio of the second area to the first area is of from about 0.4:1 to about 0.6:1.

7. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the first area is larger than the second area, and the first and second area are independently of from about 100 mm2to about 40,000 mm2.

8. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, and the path is a curved path that is a truncated or untruncated arc, a quasiparabolic arc, parabolic arc, hyperbolic arc, or truncated hyperbolic arc.

9. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the path comprises a turn having a diameter of from about 25 mm to about 135 mm.

10. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the first region is located at least at two opposing ends of the reinforcement and comprises a plurality of rovings with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions, and wherein the path is configured such that the rovings of the first region are attachable to a pre-tensioning structure by a temporary fixing means.

11. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the rovings comprise carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, stainless steel fiber, high performance synthetic fiber, thermoplastic fiber, or any combination thereof; or wherein the rovings are a hybrid material comprising any combination of carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, stainless steel fiber, high performance synthetic fiber, or thermoplastic fiber.

12. A reinforcement according to claim 11 , wherein the rovings comprise carbon fiber, and wherein the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions that is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 135 mm.

13. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 11 , wherein the rovings comprise glass fiber, and the at least one roving with a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions is arranged comprising a turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 54 mm.

14. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the rovings are provided with a coating comprising plastic, wherein the plastic is a thermoplastic, elastomer or thermoset, optionally based on epoxy.

15. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the threads comprise plastic, wherein the plastic is a thermoplastically deformable plastic.

16. A method of producing a reinforcement according to any one of the preceding claims, the method comprising:providing a flat carrier material,applying rovings to the carrier material, the rovings forming crossing points,fixing crossing points with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another as well as with the carrier material,optionally substantially or partially removing the carrier material.

17. A kit for forming a joint assembly, comprising:a first and second reinforcement, each comprising:a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:(a) the first area is larger than the second area; and(b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions;wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement, and wherein the first and second reinforcements are configured to be arranged such that a portion of their first regions overlap when assembled.

18. A hardening matrix, comprising a first and second reinforcement, each comprising: a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:(a) the first area is larger than the second area; and(b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions; andwherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement, and wherein the first and second reinforcements are arranged such that a portion of their first regions overlap.

19. A reinforced construction, comprising:a construction;a first and second reinforcement, each reinforcement comprising a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:(a) the first area is larger than the second area; and(b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions,wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement; anda hardening matrix, wherein the first and second reinforcement are substantially embedded within the matrix such that at least a portion of their respective first regions are overlapping.

20. A method of reinforcing a construction, comprising:disposing a first and second reinforcement adjacent to the construction, wherein each reinforcement comprises a mesh comprising a plurality of transverse rovings extending in a first direction, and a plurality of longitudinal rovings extending in a second direction, with the transverse rovings and the longitudinal rovings crossing each other at crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, and wherein the mesh comprises a first region, the first region having mesh openings of a first area, and a second region having mesh openings of a second area, wherein one or both of:(a) the first area is larger than the second area; and(b) the first region comprises at least one roving that has a path between two crossing points that deviates from the first and second directions,wherein the first region of at least one of the first and second reinforcements is at an end of the reinforcement; and wherein at least a portion of the first region of the first and second reinforcement are overlapping; andapplying a hardening matrix to the reinforcements such that the reinforcements are substantially embedded within the matrix.

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