Bituminous felt for rural water supply and drainage applications
Description
Bituminous roof felt reinforced with asbestos, was a product used throughout the 20th Century for weatherproofing flat roofs, usually on high rise or industrial structures or as a waterproof membrane in flooring.
The depicted application shows Malthoid strips being used for water courses in the 1950s.
Images 1 and 2 show a drainage channel (1953) and what appears to be bitumen being applied over the top of the Malthoid strips to reinforce the channel.
Image 3 is construction of a section of the Wimmera Mallee channel system (1955) used for supply into the Mallee in Western Victoria. Following excavation Malthoid strips were laid into the channel and reinforced with Gunite (sprayed concrete).
The Wimmera channel has now been decommissioned and replaced by piping. Some sections containing Malthoid may still exist in rural locations.
Brands/products
- Malthoid
- Ormonoid
Years of production/use
While these images are dated, how much and for how long this application was used has not been determined.
Residential uses
–
Industrial uses
Drainage and water supply reinforcement
Be aware
Asbestos felt will deteriorate under weathering.
