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Protectiflex: Blast Protective Concrete [Flexiroc]
28 July 2021
Turning used tyres into fire and blast resistant concrete material
Protectiflex is an ingenious product using recycled rubber tyres to produce a spray-on concrete that is blast, ballistic and fire-resistant.
Through funding, Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) supports Flexiroc Australia in its research and development of this ground-breaking product.
Flexiroc managing director Gary Bullock says Protectiflex is a game changer: a one-stop solution that can be sprayed on buildings and structures to strengthen and protect them – and the people within them – from explosions, weapons and ballistics attacks, forced entry and fire.
“When subjected to extreme blasts, ballistics and impact, conventional concrete masonry materials can create deadly shrapnel,” says Mr Bullock. “We saw a need to create an innovative, eco-friendly and cost-effective concrete-like material to meet security and safety design.”
TSA partnered with Flexiroc and the University of Wollongong to conduct a series of simulation and field testing to demonstrate how the spray-on composite creates blast resistant walls.
Protectiflex is an ingenious product using recycled rubber tyres to produce a spray-on concrete that is blast, ballistic and fire-resistant. Through funding, Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) supports Flexiroc Australia in its research and development of this ground-breaking product.
ProtectiFlex has applications across a range of sectors including defence, government, power infrastructure, petrochemical and retail. It can be applied to both new and existing walls and buildings to develop or enhance their blast, ballistic and fire-resistance ratings.
And with an estimated 635 tonnes of tyre derived product (TDP) per year consumed, based on projections across multiple end markets, Flexiroc and TSA view the technology as highly promising, given the breadth of markets, performance results, and the absence of competitive alternatives.
TSA Chief Executive Lina Goodman says: “It is the role of TSA to work with organisations like Flexiroc and products like Protectiflex to see more rubber crumb being used in alternate markets.”
To view the full case study click here
Gary Bullock – Managing Director, Flexiroc Australia on incorporating recycled tyres in blast resistant concrete.
News Coverage of the Flexiroc Blast Test