Using Tarp in an emergency

For those who did not know, Tarpaulin (commonly called tarp) is used in emergency and disaster relief situations all over the world: 

Due to its strong and flexible nature, tarp is an excellent temporary shelter and has been used in disaster situations ranging from earthquakes, floods, fires as well as tornadoes and hurricanes/typhoons. Relief agencies and disaster management organisations  have helped save thousands of lives the world over by using tarp material in the construction of emergency relief shelters in very many varying places including South east Asia after the 2004 Tsunami, The earthquakes in Haiti and Pakistan recently as well as the most recent typhoon in the Philippines. Tarp is used in conjunction with shelter kits as it is UV resistant, storm resistant, water proof (or water resistant). The tarp material is also cheap to manufacture and buy despite its many uses.

Tarp is especially used in cold weather situations: The tarp material is not very permeable. Meaning that particles do not move easily through the material (hence it being UV/water resistant). This also means that the tarp material is a great insulator of heat. 

In cold weather climates or certain times of the year, being trapped in cold weather can be life-threatening due to hypothermia. 

If you are in such a situation whether it is a camping trip gone wrong or you stuck in your car on a snow swept road, Tarp can literally save your life.

Poly-fabric welding in the production of Tarpaulin (tarp).

Tarpaulin (more commonly known as Tarp) is a specific sheet covering used in many outdoor recreation activities and industry. Manufactured from canvas or plastics it is waterproof/resistant and very tough.

People have wondered how this material is made so strong, especially the tarp’s designed for industrial applications such as: transporting goods such as chemicals or cars, sealing off hazardous areas (tarp does not ‘’breathe’’) or covering terraces from environmental damage whilst they are being built. 

Tarps due to the heavy wear and tear nature they will be exposed to, need to be designed to be both strong and flexible, but also be able to resist the effects of prolonged UV exposure to ensure a longer lifespan of the tarp material.

Below are some of the techniques used in the production of tarpaulin:

• Hot air welding is a technique used to raise the temperature of the tarp sections close to the weld point by the joint. Often this is used to join irregular shapes of poly-fabric. 
• Wedge Welding is used to seal thinner fabrics. With this technique, the speed, temperature and pressure of the welding process can be tightly controlled. Two pieces of tarp are placed on a heated wedge where the join is supposed to be, the fabric is pulled over the wedge, thus joining the two in an incredibly strong weld. 
• With Frequency Welding, high frequency electromagnetic waves raise the temperature of the tarp material. The plastic is softened, allowing for joining and then sealing of the materials. This is a quick process and can be localized easily for precision work.

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