The present invention provides thickened fabrics and reinforcements for
use as a spacer or reinforcement for a matrix system. The fabric includes
in a first embodiment a woven fabric comprising weft and warp yarns
containing glass fibers. A portion of the weft yarns are undulated,
resulting in an increased thickness for the fabric. The fabric is coated
with a polymeric resin or bonding agent, for substantially binding the
weft yarns in the undulated condition. This invention also includes
methods for making such fabric by increasing the thickness of a woven or
non-woven material by such methods as applying tension during weaving
operations, or using unbalanced yarns.