Ferrocement : applications 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 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.