![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/11/dzn_Concrete-Cloth-by-Concrete-Canvas-05.jpg)
Concrete Cloth by Concrete Canvas
UK company Concrete Canvas have been awarded Material of the Year 2009 by materials consultancy Material ConneXion for their cement-impregnated fabric.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/11/dzn_Concrete-Cloth-by-Concrete-Canvas-08.jpg)
Called Concrete Cloth, the material consists of cement layered between fabric that can bond with water, backed with PVC.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/11/dzn_Concrete-Cloth-by-Concrete-Canvas-14.jpg)
The product can be formed into the required shape then allowed to absorb water, causing it to set after two hours.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/11/dzn_Concrete-Cloth-by-Concrete-Canvas-03.jpg)
The material can be used structurally and is fireproof and waterproof. The designers hope it will have applications in disaster relief, military and commercial environments.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/11/dzn_Concrete-Cloth-by-Concrete-Canvas-10.jpg)
Here's some text from Material ConneXion:
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New York, NY, November 23, 2009 - Global materials consultancy Material ConneXion announced today the launch of its first annual MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year, naming UK-based company Concrete Canvas's Concrete Cloth as the inaugural winner.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/11/dzn_Concrete-Cloth-by-Concrete-Canvas-11.jpg)
The award recognizes materials juried into the company's Materials Library within the past year that demonstrate outstanding technological innovation and the potential to make a significant contribution to the advancement of design, industry, society and economy.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/11/dzn_Concrete-Cloth-by-Concrete-Canvas-12.jpg)
“The MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year is an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary breadth and scope of materials innovation today,” says George M. Beylerian, Founder & CEO of Material ConneXion. “The winner is distinguished not only for its technical ability, but for its capacity to make a lasting impact on our lives.”
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/11/dzn_Concrete-Cloth-by-Concrete-Canvas-04.jpg)
Concrete Cloth's groundbreaking cement impregnated flexible fabric technology, which allows it to be quickly and easily molded and set into shapes, is a natural choice for 2009's winner. “With the simple addition of water, Concrete Cloth makes it possible to create safe, durable, non-combustible structures for a wide range of commercial, military and humanitarian uses,” says Dr. Andrew H. Dent, Vice President, Library & Materials Research at Material ConneXion. “This innovation is especially remarkable for enabling the construction of rapidly deployable shelter and food storage structures in disaster relief situations,” Dent adds.