Bamboo Mat Corrugated Sheets

 

   

Roofing is an essential ingredient of any house and in India several roof cladding materials are in use including burnt clay / mangalore tiles, thatch, corrugated sheet of Galvanized Iron, aluminium and Asbestos Cement, etc. Of these, for semi permanent structures corrugated sheets are preferred. However, one of the major roofing materials, viz., ACCS are being replaced with other alternative materials in many countries.

 

Considering the need for developing alternate eco- friendly, energy efficient and cost effective roofing sheets, Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) and Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute (IPIRTI) have jointly developed a technology for manufacturing Bamboo Mat Corrugated Sheets (BMCSs). BMCS produced at pilot scale facility established at the IPIRTI have been used in several demonstration buildings. The sheets have been found to be resistant to water, fire, decay, termites, insects, etc. They are light but strong and possess high resilience and offer better thermal comforts. A comparison of properties of BMCS with other alternatives is shown in Table

   

The main raw material for the production of BMCS is bamboo, which is the fastest growing plant and occurs naturally in the forests and is also suitable for plantation even over degraded lands. For manufacturing BMCS, bamboo is to be converted into mats that are hand woven by rural/tribal people, particularly women. Thus, the product is both environment and people friendly

 

The technology for manufacture of. Bamboo Mat Corrugated Roofing Sheet has been transferred to an entrepreneur. A commercial plant has been set up at Burnihat, Meghalaya for production of 3000- 4000 sheets per month. A 6-day light hot press has been installed at Burnihat under the funding from Ministry of Enyironment & Forests and the cost of balance equipment has been met by the entrepreneur. Trial production has already been undertaken and products have been tested successfully.

 

Properties

 

MOR (Modulus of Rupture)

40-45 N/mm2
Internal bond strength(dry/wet*)

1.3 - 1.4 N/mm2 (* sample subjected to 3hrs boiling is dried to 12% moisture content and tested)
Load bearing capacity 4.8 N/mm of width (span length - 1000mm) (Graph showing comparative performance of BMCS and Asbestos Cement Corrugated Sheet (ACCS) is enclosed).
Water resistance test

Withstands 72 hours of boiling test prescribed for BWP grade Plywood in IS:808
Permeability No percolation of water observed after storing water for over 24 hours. However, considering the biological nature of the material, a protective water-proof / UV coating is recommended on the side exposed to sun/rain.
Fire resistance Conforms to flammability test as per IS:5509 Indian Standard Specification for Fire Retardant plywood.
Thermal conductivity   BMCS has low thermal conductivity compared to other roofing materials. Tests are in progress.

Application

Roofing, walling, structural

 
     
   

 

 

COMPARISON OF LOAD BEARING STRENGTH OF BMCS & OTHER SHEETS
TYPE THICKNESS
mm		 WIDTH
mm		 MAX.
LOAD
N		 LOAD BEARING
CAPACITY
N/mm		 WEIGHT OF SHEET
(1.05 M x 1.8 m) Kgs.

Bamboo Mat Corrugated Sheet
(4-Layers)

 3.7 400 1907 4.77

7.2
G.I. Sheet

0.6

 400 1937 4.84

7.7
Aluminium
Sheet		 0.6 405 669 1.67 2.9
ACCS

6

 330 1800 5.45

15.85

 

 

For further details please contact

Executive Director
Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council
Core 5A,First Floor,India Habitat Centre,Lodhi Road
New Delhi 110 003

Tel :91-11-2463 8097,2463 6747
Fax:91-11-2464 2849;

E-Mail: bmtpc@del2.vsnl.net.in  or info@bmtpc.org

Web Site :http://www.bmtpc.org