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<br />Design Guideline 5 <br /> <br />Articulating Grout Filled Mattress <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />Articulating grout filled mattresses are a type of fabric formed concrete used as a flexible <br />armor for slope and channel bed protection. Fabric forms for concrete come in many <br />different designs, but all have the same general concept. A strong synthetic fabric is sewn <br />into a series of bags that are connected internally by ducts. These bags are then filled with <br />a cement rich concrete grout. When set, the concrete forms a mat made up of a grid of <br />connected blocks. The individual blocks can articulate within the mat while the mat remains <br />structurally sound. The advantage is that the mat can shift to fill voids caused by <br />undermining and piping. In addition, the mat provides a surface which is easy to walk on for <br />maintenance activities. <br /> <br />A particular design called 'articulating block mat" (ABM), used by the Oregon Department of <br />Transportation, has two features which make it distinctive among fabric formed concrete <br />mats. First, the horizontal seams within the mat are continuous, allowing the blocks to bend <br />downward by hinging along this seam line. Second, the individual blocks are connected <br />internally by a series of flexible polyester cables which keep the individual blocks firmly <br />connected while allowing them to bend (see Figure 5.1). Typical individual block sizes are <br />on the order of 0.2 m2to 0.37 m2 (2.25 ft2to 4.0 fl') and the mass is approximately 180 kg <br />(400 Ib) each. <br /> <br /> <br />Figure 5.1 Articulating block mat appearance after filling (OOOT) <br /> <br />5.3 <br />