Concrete pipes

Abstract

A pipe of concrete, cement mortar or other cementitious material is formed by an integrally cast cementitious mass which is reinforced with a glass fibre strand or roving forming a substantially helical winding extending around the pipe and incorporated in the cement matrix of the cementitious mass. Preferably there are two windings, one incorporated in the outer periphery of the mass and the other incorporated in the inner periphery of the mass. The pipe is preferably made by a centrifugal casting operation in which a centrifugal casting mould is rotated and the glass fibre strand or roving is fed from a feeding device within the mould and is caused to adhere to the internal peripheral face of the mould and then the feeding device is moved axially along the mould as the mould rotates so that the winding is formed from the roving around the internal peripheral face of the mould. The concrete or other cementitious material is introduced into the mould at the same time as the glass fibre roving or subsequently and the winding becomes incorporated in the cement matrix of the cementitious material as the mould continues to be rotated.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.