Bamboo, cornstalk used in cement-bonded boards

MANILA, Philippines – The Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) of the Department of Science and Technology has developed a low-cost construction material from bamboo and cornstalk.

Dr. Dwight Eusebio, head of FPRDI’s Composite Products Section, said the alternative construction material called the cement-bonded board or CBB is made from locally available agro-forest waste materials.

Eusebio said two bamboo species — kauayan tinik (Bambusa blumeana) and bayog (Bambusa merrillianus), which thrive all over the country — were selected in making the boards.

The other material, cornstalk, also abounds in the countryside and has no use in most farms in Cagayan and the Ilocos provinces, including La Union.

Eusebio said the CBBs have shown good properties and met required standards in laboratory tests.

He said they based the standards on a previously developed wood wool cement board (WWCB) made of yemane (Gmelina arborea).

“The CBBs are generally known for their resistance to fire, water damage, fungal and termite attack. They also provide excellent sound and thermal insulation,” Eusebio said.

The CBBs passed tests on such properties as static bending, nail head pull-through, thickness swelling, and water absorption, he said.

He said these boards are commonly used as exterior panels, interior partition walls, and ceilings, and in cabinets.

Eusebio said he and a building product manufacturer in Bay, Laguna have already produced 24 2’ X 8’ boards, which are more than enough to use for a housing unit in Tandang Sora, Quezon City to test the serviceability of the CBBs.

The FPRDI is mandated to conduct basic and applied research and development to improve the utility and value of wood and non-wood products.