Reinforcement anchor

Abstract

There is provided a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be inserted into an opening of the construction or compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction.

Description

[0001] REINFORCEMENT ANCHOR

[0002] The present invention relates to an anchor reinforcement for a curing matrix, in particular concrete, for use in reinforcing a construction such as pre-existing concrete structures. The invention further relates to a method for producing the reinforcement, in particular for a curing matrix such as concrete. The invention further relates to a reinforced construction comprising such a reinforcement, and possible uses of the reinforcement to reinforce constructions.

[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. In this case, textile fibers are added to the concrete to absorb the tensile forces. The fibers are a I kali- resista nt and corrosion-resistant fibers, such as carbon or AR glass, for example, which must be incorporated into the concrete in such a way that it uniformly surrounds the fibers. 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. Furthermore, conventional manufacturing processes (laying, knitting, weaving) limit geometric possibilities to 0, 90 and 45 degrees, preventing the production 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 & shear forces. Current techniques are material-intensive and operate at relatively low production speeds. Additionally, when used for strengthening existing structures, conventional methods of attachment of areinforcement rely on external mechanical fasteners like screws and bolts which are exposed at the surface, and the limitations of current techniques means that attaching reinforcements to more complex structures is difficult. There is a need to provide a method of reinforcement that minimises the amount of material (textile and concrete) that is used yet still provides sufficient bonding and strength properties.

[0008] The present invention 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, comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be:

[0011] (a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or

[0012] (b) compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction.

[0013] In a second aspect, there is provided a method of producing a reinforcement of 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 reinforcement device comprising at least two reinforcements for reinforcing a construction, wherein the reinforcements are attached with an element that is configured to be attached to the construction, each reinforcement comprising:

[0019] a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings compressed by the element.

[0020] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a hardening matrix, comprising a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, wherein the reinforcement is according to the first aspect or obtainable by the second aspect.

[0021] In a fifth aspect, there is provided a reinforced construction, comprising:

[0022] a construction;

[0023] a reinforcement comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the threadlinking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings that are:

[0024] (a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or

[0025] (b) compressed by an element attached to the construction; and

[0026] a hardening matrix, wherein the reinforcement is substantially embedded within the matrix.

[0027] In a six aspect, there is provided a method of reinforcing a construction, comprising

[0028] fixing a reinforcement to the construction, wherein the reinforcement is according the first aspect or obtainable by the second aspect;

[0029] attaching the reinforcement to the construction by the anchor, and

[0030] applying a hardening matrix to the reinforcement such that the reinforcement is substantially embedded within the matrix.

[0031] The reinforcements described herein may provide a number of advantages, including but not limited to one or more of:

[0032] (a) significantly improving the shear force in concrete structures by up to 70% for renovation applications when compared with pure bonding via mortar;

[0033] (b) addressing the problem of delamination including when used in combination with other non- metallic reinforcements (e.g. grid textile-reinforcements);

[0034] (c) providing better bonding compared to conventional reinforcements, allowing for a smaller overall reinforcement using less material;

[0035] (d) allowing for a thinner layer of curing matrix to be used to cover the reinforcement, compared with conventional methods; and / or

[0036] (e) providing a reinforcement that can be completely covered with no exposed external fasteners, thereby ameliorating degradation issues associated with contamination by moisture and air.

[0037] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0038] Fig. 1 shows a plan view of an anchor reinforcement according to one illustrative embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a plan view of an anchor reinforcement according to one illustrative embodiment. Fig. 3 shows a device comprising two anchor reinforcements according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, connected by an element for fixing the device to a construction.

[0039] Fig. 4 shows a plan view of an anchor reinforcement according to one illustrative embodiment. Fig. 5 shows the anchor reinforcements according to the embodiments shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 in a fagade panel.

[0040] Fig. 6 shows the anchor reinforcements according to the embodiments shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 as part of a textile reinforced concrete layer in a bridge beam steel-reinforcement application. Fig. 7 shows the anchor reinforcements according to the embodiment shown in Figure 1 as part of a construction before the addition of a concrete layer.

[0041] Detailed Description of the InventionIn one aspect, there is provided a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be:

[0042] (a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or

[0043] (b) compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction.

[0044] 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 priorto 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.

[0045] According to the method of making the reinforcements herein, the material deposition of the rovings can be effected independently of direction. That is, the rovings need not be at right angles to one another. This provides the advantage for 2D reinforcements that the fiber materials used have anisotropic material properties. This means that only one reinforcement acting in the main direction of tension reaches the maximum material characteristics with regard to strength and rigidity. The saving potential of the reinforcement by the adaptation of the rovings to the main tension direction is estimated to be substantial. Material is fully used and only used where it is needed.

[0046] The anchor may be provided by a bundle of rovings in the form of a bar, the bar being configured to be inserted into the opening. The bar may be fixed to the construction by gluing the bar in the opening (e.g. using mortar, concrete, or thermoplastic material) as well as other methods known in the art. The bar may be straight or curved depending on the application and the construction to be reinforced. Having the anchor as a bar is advantageous as no additional components (e.g. fixing elements) are required to attach the reinforcement to the construction.

[0047] Alternatively, the anchor may be provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction. The anchor may be configured for use with any suitable element that is known in the art, including but not limited to a bolt, screw, nut, threaded rod, dowel, or a combination thereof. Preferably, the bundle of rovings are configured in a circular or semi-circular manner to receive the element. However, it will be appreciated that the bundle of rovings may be in any form depending on the element used. An illustrative example is shown in Figures 2 and 3. In this way, the element attaches the anchor to the construction, and allows for tensile forces within the construction to be distributed from the anchor to the ends of the reinforcement. This arrangement is particularly useful for reinforcing facade panels, as shown in Figure 5, for example.The reinforcement may further comprise a plurality of transverse rovings and / or a plurality of longitudinal rovings, wherein the transverse rovings and longitudinal rovings are crossing each other at crossing points and crossing the load-distributing rovings at one or more crossing points, wherein each of the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another. In other words, these additional rovings may provide a grid-like (or mesh-like) structure, that the load-distributing rovings are fixed to during the embroidery process. The longitudinal and transverse rovings advantageously provide support to the anchoring structure during the manufacture of the reinforcement. For example, the reinforcement may undergo a tensioning step after the embroidery process wherein the rovings are hardened (or cured) whilst in a stretched state. By including the plurality of transverse and longitudinal rovings crossing each other, this provides a supporting grid of rovings that are stretched and ensure the shape and form of the load-distributing rovings is maintained when under tension.

[0048] Preferably, the plurality of transverse rovings are each arranged substantially in parallel to each other and the plurality of 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.

[0049] The load-distributing rovings may be arranged in any shape or form that adequately provides a load distribution from the anchor to ends of the reinforcement such that tensile strength is optimised for the construction to be reinforced. In particular, the load-distributing rovings may comprise: a fan structure, a flower structure or flower-like structure, one or more loops, a spiral or spiral-like structure, or a combination thereof. The load-distributing rovings may substantially be in the form of: a fan structure, a flower structure or flower-like structure, one or more loops, a spiral or spiral-like structure, or a combination thereof. Examples of such shapes are shown in Figures 1 , 2 and 4. The above-mentioned shapes advantageously align the rovings with the direction of load distribution when the reinforcement is attached to the construction, thereby providing good bonding and tensile strength properties.

[0050] Preferably, the load-distributing rovings may be arranged in a fan structure extending in substantially one direction from the anchor. An illustrative example of this is shown in Figure 1 , which also includes illustrative proportions which could be adapted to the specific application. It will be appreciated that the reinforcement may be subsequently reformed such that the fan structure is three-dimensional (e.g. curved), if required by the application.

[0051] The load-distributing rovings may be arranged in the form of a spiral structure extending in every two-dimensional direction from the anchor. An example of this is shown in Figure 2. It will be appreciated that although the load-distributing rovings may be manufactured in a two-dimensional shape, then may subsequently be reformed into a three-dimensional shape depending on the intended application.The anchor may be provided by a bundle of rovings in the form of a bar, the bar being configured to be inserted into the opening, and wherein the load-distributing rovings are arranged to comprise a fan or fan-like structure, or are substantially in the form of a fan or fan-like structure. An example of this is shown in Figure 1. Preferably, the load-distributing rovings may have axial symmetry about a longitudinal axis formed by the bar.

[0052] Alternatively, the anchor may be provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction, and the anchor is located at substantially the centre of the reinforcement, and the load-distributing rovings may extend outward radially from the anchor. An example of this is shown in Figure 2. This arrangement may be advantageous for applications where the load progression of the reinforcement when in the construction radiates from a central point towards the outer circumference of the reinforcement. For instance, the reinforcement may have axial symmetry around an axis that is perpendicular to a two-dimensional plane that is defined by the plurality of load-distributing rovings. Preferably, the load distributing rovings are arranged comprising a spiral structure (as shown in Figure 2).

[0053] The anchor may be provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction, and the load-distributing rovings are arranged in the form of a fan or fan-like structure (e.g. as shown in Figure 1).

[0054] Type of rovings

[0055] 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.

[0056] The reinforcements herein may comprise rovings that comprise carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, stainless steel fiber, high performance synthetic fiber, or thermoplastic yarn, or any combination thereof. In some instances, the rovings may be a hybrid material comprising a combination of carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, stainless steel fiber, high performance synthetic fiber, or thermoplastic yarn.

[0057] The load-distributing rovings may be arranged comprising turns, each turn having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 100 mm, preferably of from about 27 mm to about 92 mm, more preferably of from about 27 mm to about 30 mm. The load-distributing rovings may be arranged comprising turns, each turn having a radius of from about 13.5 mm to about 50 mm, preferably of from about 13.5 mm to about 46 mm, more preferably of from about 13.5 mm to about 15 mm.

[0058] The rovings may have a yarn count of from about 800 tex to about 10,000 tex. The rovings may each have a 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.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.

[0059] Carbon fiber

[0060] The rovings may comprise carbon fiber. The rovings may be made of carbon fiber and the loaddistributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 92 mm.

[0061] 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.

[0062] The rovings may be made of carbon fiber, and:

[0063] (i) the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0064] (ii) have a yarn count of from about 1 ,600 tex to about 3,200 tex; and

[0065] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 0.90 mm2to about 1.80 mm2.

[0066] The rovings may be made of carbon fiber, and:

[0067] (i) the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 50 mm to about 70 mm;

[0068] (ii) have a yarn count of from about 3,200 tex to about 6,400 tex; and

[0069] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 1.80 mm2to about 3.60 mm2.

[0070] The rovings may be made of carbon fiber, and:

[0071] (i) the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 70 mm to about 90 mm;

[0072] (ii) have a yarn count of from about 6,400 tex to about 9,600 tex; and

[0073] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 3.60 mm2to about 5.40 mm2.

[0074] The rovings may be made of carbon fiber, and:

[0075] (i) the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 90 mm to about 120 mm;

[0076] (ii) have a yarn count of from about 9,600 tex to about 12,800 tex; and

[0077] (iii) have a bundle cross section of about 5.40 mm2to about 7.20 mm2.

[0078] Glass fiberThe rovings may comprise glass fiber. The rovings may be made of glass fiber and the load-distributing rovings arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 80 mm.

[0079] 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.

[0080] The rovings may be made of glass fiber, are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm,

[0081] (i) have a yarn count of from about 100 tex to about 2,000 tex; and

[0082] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 0.40 mm2to about 0.90 mm2.

[0083] The rovings may be made of glass fiber, and the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0084] (i) have a yarn count of from about 2,000 tex to about 4,000 tex; and

[0085] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 0.90 mm2to about 1.90 mm2.

[0086] The rovings may be made of glass fiber, and the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0087] (i) have a yarn count of from about 4,000 tex to about 7,000 tex; and

[0088] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 1.90 mm2to about 2.80 mm2.

[0089] The rovings may be made of glass fiber, and the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0090] (i) have a yarn count of from about 7,000 tex to about 9,500 tex; and

[0091] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 2.80 mm2to about 3.80 mm2.

[0092] The rovings may be made of glass fiber, and the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0093] (i) have a yarn count of from about 9,500 tex to about 10,000 tex; and

[0094] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 3.80 mm2to about 4.50 mm2.

[0095] Coatings and threads

[0096] 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.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.

[0097] 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.

[0098] Method of producing the anchor reinforcement

[0099] In a second aspect, there is provided a method of producing a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, the reinforcement comprising: a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be:

[0100] (a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or

[0101] (b) compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction,

[0102] the method comprising:

[0103] providing a flat carrier material,

[0104] applying rovings to the carrier material, the rovings forming crossing points,

[0105] fixing crossing points with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another as well as with the carrier material,

[0106] optionally substantially or partially removing the carrier material.

[0107] 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 load-distributing rovings laid in a direction that is optimised for the tensile strength properties of the reinforcement in e.g. a concrete component. In addition, any desired structures of an anchor reinforcement can be produced by this method.

[0108] 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. Afterthis 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 light weight 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.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 impregnating the plurality of rovings with a resin material, followed by curing of the resin material.

[0109] 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.

[0110] The stretched state may be achieved by applying tensile forces to the rovings in the longitudinal direction and / or the transverse direction.

[0111] 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.

[0112] Reinforcement device

[0113] In a third aspect, there is provided reinforcement device comprising at least two reinforcements for reinforcing a construction, wherein the reinforcements are attached with an element that is configured to be attached to the construction, each reinforcement comprising:

[0114] a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings compressed by the element.

[0115] The element may be a bolt, screw, nut, threaded rod, dowel, or a combination thereof, and may further include a spacer.

[0116] The reinforcement device thus comprises a plurality of the reinforcements as described hereinabove, preferably incorporated as required in several layers which are positioned with spacers. In this way, a three-dimensional reinforcement device is provided. An example of a reinforcement device comprising two reinforcements separated by a spacer is shown in Figure 3.

[0117] It will be appreciated that the reinforcement device of the third aspect may comprise reinforcements according to any embodiment in accordance with the first aspect, or that may be provided by a method according to the second aspect. Any feature of the third aspect may be combined with any feature of the first and second aspect, and vice versa.Hardening matrix

[0118] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a hardening matrix, comprising a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, the reinforcement comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be:

[0119] (a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or

[0120] (b) compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction.

[0121] The hardening matrix is preferably textile-reinforced concrete, wood, aluminium, gypsum, or clay.

[0122] The reinforcement may be according to any embodiment of the first aspect, or is a reinforcement obtainable by any embodiment according to the method of the second aspect.

[0123] Reinforced construction

[0124] In a fifth aspect, there is provided a reinforced construction, comprising:

[0125] a construction;

[0126] a reinforcement comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings that are:

[0127] (a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or

[0128] (b) compressed by an element attached to the construction; and

[0129] a hardening matrix, wherein the reinforcement is substantially embedded within the matrix.

[0130] The reinforced construction may comprise a reinforcement according to any embodiment of the first aspect, or is a reinforcement obtainable by the method according to any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0131] Method of reinforcing a construction

[0132] In a sixth aspect, there is provided a method of reinforcing a construction, comprising:

[0133] fixing a reinforcement to the construction, the reinforcement comprising:

[0134] a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be inserted into an opening of the construction or compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction,

[0135] attaching the reinforcement to the construction by the anchor, andapplying a hardening matrix to the reinforcement such that the reinforcement is substantially embedded within the matrix.

[0136] Fixing the reinforcement to the construction may comprise (i) forming an opening within the construction, and (ii) inserting the bundle of rovings into the opening, and optionally the anchor to the construction with an adhesive.

[0137] Alternatively, fixing the reinforcement to the construction may comprise compressing the bundle of rovings between an element and the construction. The element may be a bolt, screw, nut, threaded rod, dowel, or a combination thereof.

[0138] Applying the matrix may comprise spraying the matrix onto the reinforcement, laminating the matrix onto the reinforcement, or pouring the matrix onto the reinforcement, or a combination thereof.

[0139] 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.

[0140] The construction may comprise concrete, steel-reinforced concrete, wood, aluminium, gypsum, or clay, or a combination thereof.

[0141] The method of reinforcing a construction according to the sixth aspect, or the reinforced construction according to the fifth aspect, may comprise a reinforcement according to any embodiment of the first aspect, or a reinforcement obtainable by the method according to any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0142] The aspects provided herein are also described in the following clauses:

[0143] 1. A reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be:

[0144] (a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or

[0145] (b) compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction.

[0146] 2. A reinforcement according to clause 1 , wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of rovings in the form of a bar, the bar being configured to be inserted into the opening.

[0147] 3. A reinforcement according to clause 1 , wherein the element comprises a bolt, screw, nut, threaded rod, dowel, or a combination thereof.

[0148] 4. A reinforcement according to any one of clause 2 or clause 3, wherein the bundle of rovings are configured in a circular or semi-circular manner to receive the element.

[0149] 5. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, comprising a plurality of transverse rovings and a plurality of longitudinal rovings, wherein the transverse rovings andlongitudinal rovings are crossing each other at crossing points and crossing the load-distributing rovings at one or more crossing points, wherein each of the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another.

[0150] 6. A reinforcement according to clause 5, wherein the plurality of transverse rovings are each arranged substantially in parallel to each other and the plurality of 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.

[0151] 7. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the load-distributing rovings are arranged substantially in the form of: a fan structure, a flower structure or flower-like structure, one or more loops, a spiral or spiral-like structure, or a combination thereof.

[0152] 8. A reinforcement according to clause 7, wherein the load-distributing rovings are arranged in a fan structure extending in substantially one direction from the anchor.

[0153] 9. A reinforcement according to clause 7, wherein when the load-distributing rovings are arranged in the form of a spiral structure extending in every two-dimensional direction from the anchor.

[0154] 10. A reinforcement according to clause 7, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of rovings in the form of a bar, the bar being configured to be inserted into the opening, and wherein the rovings are arranged in a fan or fan-like structure.

[0155] 11. A reinforcement according to clause 10, wherein the load-distributing rovings have axial symmetry about a longitudinal axis formed by the bar.

[0156] 12. A reinforcement according to clause 7, wherein the anchor is located substantially at the centre of the reinforcement, and wherein the load-distributing rovings extend outward radially from the anchor.

[0157] 13. A reinforcement according to clause 12, wherein the reinforcement has axial symmetry around an axis that is perpendicular to a two-dimensional plane that is defined by the plurality of loaddistributing rovings.

[0158] 14. A reinforcement according to clause 12, wherein the rovings are arranged comprising a spiral structure.

[0159] 15. A reinforcement according to clause 7, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction, and the load-distributing rovings are arranged in the form of a fan or fan-like structure.

[0160] 16. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the rovings comprise carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, stainless steel fiber, synthetic fiber, or thermoplastic yarn, or any combination thereof.

[0161] 17. 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, synthetic fiber, or thermoplastic yarn.

[0162] 18. A reinforcement according to any preceding clause, wherein the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 100 mm.

[0163] 19. A reinforcement according to clause 18, wherein the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 92 mm.20. A reinforcement according to clause 19, wherein the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 30 mm.

[0164] 21. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the rovings have a yarn count of from about 800 tex to about 10,000 tex.

[0165] 22. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the rovings have a bundle cross section of about 0.45 mm2to about 5.50 mm2.

[0166] 23. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the rovings comprise carbon fiber.

[0167] 24. A reinforcement according to clause 23, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber and the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 92 mm.

[0168] 25. A reinforcement according to clause 23 or clause 24, wherein the rovings have a yarn count of from about 800 tex to about 9,600 tex.

[0169] 26. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 23-25, wherein the rovings have a bundle cross section of about 0.90 mm2to about 5.40 mm2.

[0170] 27. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 23-26, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber, and:

[0171] (iv) the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0172] (v) have a yarn count of from about 1 ,600 tex to about 3,200 tex; and

[0173] (vi) have a bundle cross section of about 0.90 mm2to about 1.80 mm2.

[0174] 28. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 23-26, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber, and:

[0175] (iv) the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 50 mm to about 70 mm;

[0176] (v) have a yarn count of from about 3,200 tex to about 6,400 tex; and

[0177] (vi) have a bundle cross section of about 1.80 mm2to about 3.60 mm2.

[0178] 29. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 23-26, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber, and:

[0179] (iv) the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 70 mm to about 90 mm;

[0180] (v) have a yarn count of from about 6,400 tex to about 9,600 tex; and

[0181] (vi) have a bundle cross section of about 3.50 mm2to about 5.40 mm2.

[0182] 30. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 23-26, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber, and:

[0183] (iv) the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 90 mm to about 120 mm;

[0184] (v) have a yarn count of from about 9,600 tex to about 12,800 tex; and

[0185] (vi) have a bundle cross section of about 5.40 mm2to about 6.40 mm2.

[0186] 31. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 1 -22, wherein the rovings comprise glass fiber.32. A reinforcement according to clause 31 , wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber and the load-distributing rovings arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 80 mm.

[0187] 33. A reinforcement according to clause 31 or 32, wherein the rovings have a yarn count of from about 600 tex to about 10,000 tex.

[0188] 34. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 31-33, wherein the rovings have a bundle cross section of from about 0.45 mm2to about 3.85 mm2.

[0189] 35. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 31-34, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber, are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm,

[0190] (i) have a yarn count of from about 100 tex to about 2,000 tex; and

[0191] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 0.40 mm2to about 0.90 mm2.

[0192] 36. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 31-34, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber, and the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0193] (i) have a yarn count of from about 2,000 tex to about 4,000 tex; and

[0194] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 0.90 mm2to about 1.90 mm2.

[0195] 37. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 31-34, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber, and the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0196] (i) have a yarn count of from about 4,000 tex to about 7,000 tex; and

[0197] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 1.90 mm2to about 2.80 mm2.

[0198] 38. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 31-34, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber, and the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0199] (i) have a yarn count of from about 7,000 tex to about 9,500 tex; and

[0200] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 2.80 mm2to about 3.80 mm2.

[0201] 39. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 31-34, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber, and the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 50 mm;

[0202] (i) have a yarn count of from about 9,500 tex to about 10,000 tex; and

[0203] (ii) have a bundle cross section of about 3.80 mm2to about 4.50 mm2.

[0204] 40. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the rovings are provided with a coating made of plastic or water glass.

[0205] 41. A reinforcement according to clause 40, wherein the plastic is a thermoplastic, elastomer or thermoset.

[0206] 42. A reinforcement according to clause 41 , wherein the plastic is based on epoxy or acrylic. 43. A reinforcement according to any one of clauses 40-42, wherein the rovings are at least partially impregnated with the coating.

[0207] 44. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the threads comprise plastic, cotton, or viscose.45. A reinforcement according to clause 44, wherein the plastic is a thermoplastically deformable plastic.

[0208] 46. A reinforcement according to clause 45, wherein the thermoplastically deformable plastic is polypropylene or polyethylene.

[0209] 47. A method of producing a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction,

[0210] the reinforcement comprising: a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be:

[0211] (a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or

[0212] (b) compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction,

[0213] the method comprising:

[0214] providing a flat carrier material,

[0215] applying rovings to the carrier material, the rovings forming crossing points,

[0216] fixing crossing points with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another as well as with the carrier material,

[0217] optionally substantially or partially removing the carrier material.

[0218] 48. A method of producing a reinforcement according to clause 47, comprising, after fixing the 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.

[0219] 49. A method of producing a reinforcement according to clause 47 or 48, wherein the plurality of rovings are in a stretched state during curing of the resin material.

[0220] 50. A method of producing a reinforcement according to clause 49, wherein the stretched state is achieved by applying tensile forces to the rovings in the longitudinal direction and / or the transverse direction.

[0221] 51. A method according to any one of clauses 47-50, wherein the reinforcement is according to any one of clauses 1 -46.

[0222] 52. A reinforcement device comprising at least two reinforcements for reinforcing a construction, wherein the reinforcements are attached with an element that is configured to be attached to the construction, each reinforcement comprising:

[0223] a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings compressed by the element.

[0224] 53. A reinforcement device according to clause 52, wherein at least one of the reinforcements 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.

[0225] 53. A hardening matrix, comprising a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, the reinforcement comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings withone another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be:

[0226] (a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or

[0227] (b) compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction.

[0228] 54. A hardening matrix according to clause 53, wherein the hardening matrix is textile-reinforced concrete, wood, aluminium, gypsum, or clay.

[0229] 55. A hardening matrix according to clause 53 or 54, wherein the 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.

[0230] 56. A reinforced construction, comprising:

[0231] a construction;

[0232] a reinforcement comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings that are:

[0233] (a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or

[0234] (b) compressed by an element attached to the construction; and

[0235] a hardening matrix, wherein the reinforcement is substantially embedded within the matrix. 57. A reinforced construction according to clause 56 wherein the 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.

[0236] 58. A method of reinforcing a construction, comprising:

[0237] fixing a reinforcement to the construction, the reinforcement comprising:

[0238] a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be inserted into an opening of the construction or compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction,

[0239] attaching the reinforcement to the construction by the anchor, and

[0240] applying a hardening matrix to the reinforcement such that the reinforcement is substantially embedded within the matrix.

[0241] 59. A method according to clause 58, wherein fixing the reinforcement to the construction comprises (i) forming an opening within the construction, and (ii) inserting the bundle of rovings into the opening, and optionally the anchor to the construction with an adhesive.

[0242] 60. A method according to clause 58, wherein fixing the reinforcement to the construction comprises compressing the bundle of rovings between an element and the construction.

[0243] 61. A method according to clause 60, wherein the element is a bolt, screw, nut, threaded rod, dowel, or a combination thereof.62. A method according to any one of clauses 58-61 , wherein applying the matrix comprises spraying the matrix onto the reinforcement, laminating the matrix onto the reinforcement, or pouring the matrix onto the reinforcement, or a combination thereof.

[0244] 63. A method of reinforcing a construction according to any one of clauses 58-62, or a reinforced construction according to any one of clauses 56-57, wherein the layer of the matrix is from about 10 mm to about 50 mm, preferably of from about 20 mm to about 30 mm.

[0245] 64. A method of reinforcing a construction according to any one of clauses 58-62, or a reinforced construction according to any one of clauses 56-57, wherein the construction comprises concrete, steel-reinforced concrete, wood, aluminium, gypsum, or clay, or a combination thereof.

[0246] 65. A method of reinforcing a construction according to any one of clauses 58-62, or a reinforced construction according to any one of clauses 56-57, wherein the matrix is screed, concrete, mortar, or any combination thereof.

[0247] 66. A method of reinforcing a construction according to any one of clauses 58-62, or a reinforced construction according to any one of clauses 56-57, wherein the reinforcement is according to any one of clauses 1-46, or is a reinforcement obtainable by the method according to any one of clauses 47-50.

[0248] Examples

[0249] 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.

[0250] Example 1 : Production of fan-shaped anchor reinforcements

[0251] 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. 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 between 40-100mm) and thus form a grid that is used as support structure. The rovings are laid overthe polyvinyl alcohol non-woven and support material (polyester woven fabric), so that the carbon rovings connect both textiles together.

[0252] After the support structure has been manufactured, the carbon fiber is laid parallel to the individual embroidery heads in accordance with the required anchor shape. Care is taken to ensure that the 3200 tex roving is laid in the turning areas as a loop (total length from the start of the bar to the end of the loops is 200 mm) with a diameter of 54mm, that the minimum diameter in curve areas is 54mm or as large as possible and that the roving bundles end in a common bar with a length of 120mm. The arrangement of a bundle of rovings into a bar allows for these rovings to be inserted into an opening of a construction for anchoring.The individual anchors are embroidered one after the other and are arranged on the carrier material in such a way that the space is used as best as possible and as many anchors as possible can be produced. For this purpose, the anchors are partially mirrored on the horizontal axis.

[0253] 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 in a rectangular shape.

[0254] After the carbon fiber has been laid down, the crossing points of the grid / anchorare 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.

[0255] 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.

[0256] 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 outer contour of the anchor is then finally cut. The hardened anchor can then be heated again to 130°C and formed according to the application. The anchor is then ready for use in renovation and precast concrete construction.

[0257] An example of a renovation application for bridges transition from horizontal to vertical surface or wall elements that meet in the joint area (e.g. 90°):

[0258] a. High-pressure water jets and thus removal of 10-20mm of concrete from the existing surface

[0259] b. Drilling two holes 10mm next to the joint area (one into direction wall 1 , another into direction wall 2)

[0260] c. Gluing the bar of the anchor into the hole with e.g. epoxy resin Hilti HIT

[0261] d. Application of 10mm sprayed concrete

[0262] e. Integration of the reinforcement mesh, taking into account the overlapping areas of the individual reinforcement grids

[0263] f. Application of 10mm sprayed concrete

[0264] g. Finish surface

[0265] Figure 1 shows a plan view of the anchor reinforcement prepared according to Example 1. Figure 6 shows an example of the use of the anchor reinforcement prepared according to Example 1 in a bridge beam.Example 2: Production of spiral-shaped anchor reinforcements

[0266] 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. 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 between 35-85mm) and thus form a grid that is used as support structure. The rovings are laid overthe polyvinyl alcohol non-woven and support material (polyester woven fabric), so that the carbon rovings connect both textiles together.

[0267] After the support structure has been manufactured, the carbon fiber is laid parallel to the individual embroidery heads in accordance with the required anchor shape. As shown in figure 2 the roving is laid in form of loops such that the reinforcement has a total diameter of 280mm, additionally the loops are connected with rovings laid in a spiral. Care is taken to ensure that the 3200 tex roving is laid in the turning areas as a loop with a diameter of 54mm, that the minimum diameter in curve areas is 54mm or as large as possible and that the rovings are arranged around the centre in such a way that a hole is formed for an element (e.g. a screw and nut) to be inserted later.

[0268] The individual anchors are embroidered one after the other and are arranged on the carrier material in such a way that the space is used as best as possible and as many anchors as possible can be produced.

[0269] 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 in a rectangular shape. This overlapping portion is cut / removed and does not form part of the reinforcement.

[0270] After the carbon fiber has been laid down, the crossing points of the grid / anchorare 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.

[0271] 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.

[0272] 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 outer contourof the anchor is then finally cut. The hardened anchor can then be heated again to 130°C and formed according to the application. After that a stainless steel sleeve with threaded rod is glued in the centre of the anchor Figure 3. The anchor is then ready for use in renovation and precast concrete construction.

[0273] An example of a renovation application for bridges anchor against delamination of the renovation layer:

[0274] 1. High-pressure waterjets and thus removal of 10-20mm of concrete from the existing surface 2. Drilling holes in the area for delamination protection

[0275] 3. Gluing the rod of the anchor into the hole with e.g. epoxy resin Hilti HIT

[0276] 4. Application of 10mm sprayed concrete

[0277] 5. Integration of the reinforcement mesh, taking into account the overlapping areas of the individual reinforcement grids

[0278] 6. Application of 10mm sprayed concrete

[0279] 7. Finish surface

[0280] If the anchor is designed with a threaded sleeve (figure 4), in step 3 only the threaded rod can be glued in, concrete sprayed on, the carbon mesh inserted and then the anchor screwed onto the threaded rod to further improve the delamination properties

[0281] Figure 2 shows a plan view of a spiral-shaped anchor reinforcement.

[0282] Figure 3 shows plan views and a side view of two reinforcements according to the spiral-shaped anchor reinforcements of Example 2, demonstrating how these can be used together by connecting via their respective anchoring regions using a screw and nut, thereby to provide an anchor reinforcement with two layers.

[0283] Figure 4 shows an alternative example of an anchor reinforcement that is for concrete slabs with vertical loading that can be manufactured according to an analogous process as in Example 2.

[0284] Figure 5 shows an example of the use of the anchor reinforcement prepared according to Example 2 in a fagade panel. Figure 6 shows an example of the use of the anchor reinforcement prepared according to Example 2 in a bridge beam.

[0285] Example 3: Application of anchor reinforcement in reinforcing an existing structure

[0286] Figure 5 shows an example of use of an anchor reinforcement according to Example 2 and of the anchor reinforcement as shown in Figure 4 in a fagade panel (concrete slab). The arrangement of the load-distributing rovings in the anchor reinforcement (Anchor B; Figure 4) is particularly useful because higher horizontal tension and compression loads can be transferred from the thin fagade panel into the support structure without punching through the anchor sleeve compared to conventional systems which need thicker fagade panels.The application provides that the thin concrete slab (e.g. 30mm) is reinforced with a layer of textile reinforcement. This layer is screwed between the two anchor elements (Figure 2) and the threaded rod protrudes from the concrete slab for attachment to a support structure. This arrangement improves both the maximum force for tension and compression.

[0287] Figure 6 shows an example of use of the anchor reinforcements according to Examples 1 and 2 in a bridge beam steel reinforcement application, wherein the choice of the anchor reinforcement is selected such that the arrangement of the load-distributing rovings are particularly useful.

[0288] Figure 7 shows the anchor reinforcements according to Example 1 and the embodiment shown in Figure 1 as part of a construction before the addition of a concrete layer.

Claims

Claims1. A reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be:(a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or(b) compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction.

2. A reinforcement according to claim 1 , wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of rovings in the form of a bar, the bar being configured to be inserted into the opening.

3. A reinforcement according to claim 1 , wherein the element comprises a bolt, screw, nut, threaded rod, dowel, or a combination thereof.

4. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of transverse rovings and a plurality of longitudinal rovings, wherein the transverse rovings and longitudinal rovings are crossing each other at crossing points and crossing the load-distributing rovings at one or more crossing points, wherein each of the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another.

5. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising a fan structure, a flower structure or flower-like structure, one or more loops, a spiral or spiral-like structure, or a combination thereof.

6. A reinforcement according to claim 5, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of rovings in the form of a bar, the bar being configured to be inserted into the opening, and wherein the rovings are arranged comprising a fan or fan-like structure and wherein the load-distributing rovings have axial symmetry about a longitudinal axis formed by the bar.

7. A reinforcement according to claim 5, wherein the anchor is located substantially at the centre of the reinforcement, and wherein the load-distributing rovings extend outward radially from the anchor, and wherein the load-distributing rovings have axial symmetry around an axis that is perpendicular to a two-dimensional plane that is defined by the plurality of load-distributing rovings, optionally wherein the rovings are arranged comprising a spiral structure.

8. A reinforcement according to claim 5, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction, and the loaddistributing rovings are arranged comprising a fan or fan-like structure.

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

10. A reinforcement according to any preceding claim, wherein the load-distributing rovings are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 92 mm.

11. A reinforcement according to claim 9, wherein the rovings are made of carbon fiber and arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 27 mm to about 92 mm, wherein the rovings have a yarn count of from about 800 tex to about 9,600 tex, and wherein the rovings have a bundle cross section of about 0.90 mm2to about 5.40 mm2.

12. A reinforcement according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the rovings are made of glass fiber, and are arranged comprising turns having a diameter of from about 25 mm to about 80 mm, wherein the rovings have a yarn count of from about 1 ,600 tex to about 10,000 tex, and wherein the rovings have a bundle cross section of from about 0.45 mm2to about 3.85 mm2.

13. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rovings are provided with a coating made of plastic or water glass, wherein the plastic is a thermoplastic, elastomer or thermoset, optionally wherein the plastic is based on epoxy or acrylate.

14. A reinforcement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the threads comprise plastic, wherein the plastic is a thermoplastically deformable plastic, wherein the thermoplastically deformable plastic is polypropylene or polyethylene.

15. A method of producing a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction,the reinforcement comprising: a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be:(a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or(b) compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction,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.

16. A method of producing a reinforcement according to claim 15, comprising, after fixing the 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, wherein the plurality of rovings are in a stretched state during curing of the resin material.

17. A reinforcement device comprising at least two reinforcements for reinforcing a construction according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the reinforcements are attached with an element that is configured to be attached to the construction, wherein the anchor of each reinforcement is provided by a bundle of the rovings compressed by the element.

18. A hardening matrix, comprising a reinforcement for reinforcing a construction, the reinforcement comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be:(a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or(b) compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction.

19. A reinforced construction, comprising:a construction;a reinforcement comprising a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings that are:(a) inserted into an opening of the construction; or(b) compressed by an element attached to the construction; anda hardening matrix, wherein the reinforcement is substantially embedded within the matrix.

20. A method of reinforcing a construction, comprising:fixing a reinforcement to the construction, the reinforcement comprising: a plurality of load-distributing rovings, wherein the rovings are arranged to form crossing points, wherein the crossing points are fixed with a thread, the thread linking at least two rovings with one another, wherein the reinforcement comprises an anchor, wherein the anchor is provided by a bundle of the rovings configured to be inserted into an opening of the construction or compressed by an element configured to be attached to the construction,attaching the reinforcement to the construction by the anchor, andapplying a hardening matrix to the reinforcement such that the reinforcement is substantially embedded within the matrix.

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