Development of low-cost roofing from indigenous materials in developing nations; annual report, 1974/1975

THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO MAKE AVAILABLE, IN AT LEAST THREE COUNTRIES, ONE EACH IN LATIN AMERICA, ASIA, AND AFRICA, AN ECONOMICALLY AND TECHNICALLY ACCEPTABLE ROOFING SYSTEM THAT REQUIRES LESS FOREIGN EXCHANGE THAN EXISTING ALTERNATIVES. THE PROGRAM OBJECTIVE IS TO BE DEMONSTRATED WITHIN EACH OF THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES THROUGH CONSTRUCTION OF AT LEAST FOUR PROTOTYPE ROOFS AND TRANSFER OF THE NECESSARY TECHNOLOGY TO QUALIFIED ORGANIZATIONS. CURRENT COLLABORATING COUNTRIES ARE JAMAICA, THE PHILIPPINES, AND GHANA. THE PROJECT EMPHASIS DURING PHASE III WAS ON DEVELOPMENT OF ROOFING MATERIALS AND ESTABLISHING THE MECHANISM FOR THE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER. PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT INCLUDED ESTABLISHING A GENERALIZED SET OF CRITERIA FOR ROOFING; DEFINING COMPOSITE MATERIAL INGREDIENTS; DETERMINING THE MOST PROMISING SETS OF MATERIALS, PROCESSES, AND PRODUCTS; AND ANALYZING THE COST AND PRACTICALITY OF THE CANDIDATE SYSTEMS. FOUR CANDIDATE COMPOSITE ROOFING MATERIAL SYSTEMS WERE DEFINED THAT USE FROM 70 TO 100% INDIGENOUS MATERIAL. OUTSTANDING AS A FILLER IS THE SUGAR CANE RESIDUE, BAGASSE. THE PRIMARY CANDIDATE BINDERS INCLUDE NATURAL RUBBER, PHENOLIC, AND COMMERCIAL THERMOPLASTIC RESINS. ACCELERATED AND OUTDOOR AGING ARE DEMONSTRATING THE VIABILITY OF THE CANDIDATE SYSTEMS. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER ASPECTS INCLUDED DEFINING POTENTIAL COLLABORATIVE INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUALS IN JAMAICA THE PHILIPPINES, AND GHANA; FORMING ADVISORY AND TECHNICAL WORKING COMMITTEES IN EACH OF THESE COUNTRIES THAT WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE ROOFING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM; AND LOCATING QUALIFIED ORGANIZATIONS INTERESTED IN FUTURE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION OF THE ROOFING. THOSE INSTITUTIONS, COMMITTEES, AND WORKING GROUPS WERE DEFINED IN THE THREE COUNTRIES AND ARE FUNCTIONING TO VARIOUS DEGREES, WITH JAMAICA TAKING THE LEAD. PRIVATE INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY BECOME FUTURE MANUFACTURERS OF THE ROOFING HAVE BEEN LOCATED IN EACH OF THE THREE COUNTRIES. DURING PHASE III, OCTOBER 1975 THROUGH DECEMBER 1976, THE PROGRAM WILL BE BROUGHT TO COMPLETION THROUGH MATERIAL OPTIMIZATION, DESIGN, FABRICATION, TESTING, AND EVALUATION OF PROTOTYPE ROOFING; AND FIELD MANUFACTURE, INSTALLATION, AND EVALUATION OF FULL-SCALE ROOFING.