Ferrocement Applications in Developing Countries

Preface

The National Academy of Sciences, through its Board on Science and Technology for International Development (BOSTID), has been concerned for many years with the application of science and technology to international economic development. The activities of the board have been largely supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID).

Recently, at the request of AID, the Board established an Advisory Committee on Technological Innovation (ACTI) to oversee a continuing, systematic search for, and assessment of, developments in fields of science and technology that may bear particular relevance to the solution of specific problems of developing countries.

An early inquiry referred to ACTI concerned the replacement of the fishing fleet destroyed in the November, 1970, cyclone in what was then East Pakistan. AID wished to obtain information on innovations in boat-building techniques that would accelerate the reconstruction of this desperately needed resource. Preliminary investigations showed that ferrocement held substantial promise for boatbuilding and, indeed, for many other applications. To explore the broad potential of this material for both water and land uses, the board convened the Ad Hoc Panel on the Utilization of Ferrocement in Developing Countries.

This report is the result of the panel's deliberations during three 1-day meetings in Washington, D.C., and a 4-day session at Airlie House, Virginia, in the course of 1972.

During deliberations the panel often felt need of an analysis of the materials science and basic engineering of ferrocement. No such analysis exists, and the widespread fragmentation and scatter of data through the literature make conclusions and comparisons difficult. The panel recommends that a document on the materials science of ferrocement be prepared by a panel chosen for this purpose.

The panel's efforts have been greatly assisted by Mignon Cabanilla, Administrative Secretary to the Advisory Committee on Technological Innovation, and by Jane Lecht, the BOSTID editor.

National Academy Of Sciences, 2101i Constitution Avenue, Washington. D. C. 20418

Office of The Foreign Secretary, February 1973

Resumen en Español, Resume en Francais

Dr. Joel Bernstein, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Technical Assistance, Agency for International Development, Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20523

Dear Dr. Bernstein:

Ferrocement, a thin-shell concrete reinforced with wire mesh, is a high-quality construction material whose ingredients are widely available in developing countries. It can be used to build a wide range of structures, and can be worked mainly by unskilled, though supervised, labor. Throughout the world, highly satisfactory fishing boats, pleasure craft, storage tanks, housing components, and assorted agricultural and commercial facilities have been constructed of ferrocement, and its use is increasing rapidly.

With a view toward its future impact, the Ad Hoc Panel on the Utilization of Ferrocement in Developing Countries was convened by the Board on Science and Technology for International Development as part of its continuing study of technological innovations relevant to the problems of developing countries. The panel included some persons experienced in successful applications of ferrocement to land and water uses and others familiar with construction needs in developing countries. The panel concentrated on three specific tasks:

  • Evaluating the current state of the art of ferrocement as an engineering material in order to identify its known properties and characteristics
  • Evaluating the principal areas of application on both land and water
  • Developing specific recommendations for promoting the use of ferrocement in a logical, effective manner

The report considers the potential for further use of already discovered applications, such as boats and silos, and identifies promising new applications, such as roofs and food-processing equipment. The panel concludes that the potential of ferrocement in developing countries and its likely effect on their economies are much greater than previously thought.

Deliberately scant in technical language and brief in documentation, the report is detailed enough to provide a clear understanding of what ferrocement is and what it can do. In particular, this report seeks to convey a sense of ferrocement's wide-ranging potential to readers in developing countries- government officials, technical assistance representatives, and technical experts-who are becoming more curious about this increasingly discussed technology.

Sincerely yours, Harrison Brown, Foreign Secretary

In the final stages of the preparation of this report we were saddened to learn of the death of W. Morley Sutherland. During the past 15 years he had played a preeminent role in the development of ferrocement for boatbuilding. He brought intense personal dedication and wide practical experience to the deliberations of the panel.

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