1. MEL203 MANUFACTURING with NON-METALLIC MATERIALS
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROPAR [INDIA]
PROJECT REPORT
TOPIC PAPERCRETE
BY
MANISH ANAND [P2009ME1103]
NARKHEDE SHRIDHAR WASUDEO [P2009ME1077]
2. Introduction
• Papercrete is a recently developed
construction material which consists of re-
pulped paper fibre with Portland cement or
clay .
• Paper + concrete=Papercrete
• Discovered by Eric Patterson and Mike McCain
in year 1928.
3. Make papercrete
• Making papercrete is simple and easy
• Use volatile sources
– Water + waste paper + portland cement[binder]
Tow mixture
Add water upto2/3rd height
4. Tow mixture contents sharp blade
• to chop paper and to mix
• Rate of rotation determine rate of
mixture production
Collect waste papers
5. Put in tank paper + portland cement
After running the tow mixture for
four to five minute at moderate
speed
Must look like
this
6. Pour into gang mold from bottom exit
of tow mixture
Level it equally
7. Wait for 20-30 minutes so that
excess water can drain out
After 3-4 four sunny day
Source : snapshots from “DIY How to
Make Papercrete in a Tow-Mixer –
YouTube”
8. • Sample data
6000 liters of water +35 kg paper + 40 kg Portland cement
Takes 3 days
To produce 40 block of size 12 in X 8 in X 5 in
Source: ” DIY How to Make Papercrete in a Tow-Mixer – YouTube”
10. Properties
Papercrete Concrete Wood
• Compressive Strength • Compressive • Compressive
– 0.1 MPa -1.2 MPa strength – 60MPa
– High but less than concrete – 50 MPa – Much higher
• Tensile strength – Much higher
• Tensile Strength
– Very low • Tensile Strength – 1.9 MPa
• R-value – 3 MPa
– Resistance to heat flow
• R-value
• R-value – 1.25/inch
– 2-3/inch
– 1 -2/inch
• Seven times lighter than
concrete
11. Other properties of Papercrete
• Sound absorption properties
• Papercrete blocks are lightweight, less than a
third of the weight of a comparably-sized adobe
brick.
• Mold Resistance
• Flame retardant
– does not catch fire easily but smoulders for hours.
• Fungus retardant
• Lighter than concrete
17. Impact Energy Test
Impact Tester MT 3016 machine Specimen Specifications
10mm x 10mm x 70mm
Height of release of Average fracture toughness of
hammer=450 mm Papercrete=1.12 J
Conventional Mortar=0.24J
18. Applications and limitations
• Large use in house building
• Used as sound and heat insulator
• Different shapes to decorate houses ,
flower pots
• Large number of shape which generate
large area of constructions.
• As it is lightweight it could be used in
various applications.
• Limitations
– Building made from this could be only of one story.
– Rainy or marshy area are not suited.
19.
20. Advantage of papercrete
• Environmentally friendly-one of the major
component is paper lading into the landfills. By
using paper in buildings we can significantly
decrease the amount of paper landing in the
landfills.
• Everyone can make with little knowledge
• Lightweight but strong.
• Easy to use
• Insulating
• Low cost
21. Disadvantages of papercrete
• As of 2007, papercrete lacks approval from
the International Code Council.
• Papercrete is not particularly ‘structural’, which
means it can’t be used over doors and windows
without some additional support – either wood
or traditional concrete.
• Another disadvantage is that it absorbs water.so
we have to protect it from water in the rainy
season.
• The cost of raw paper will increase as the number
of people using the papercrete will increase.
22. Future
• Trying to reduce the amount of concrete required
to prepare the papercrete with same strength
and also ultimately reduce CO2 amount.
• Decrease in the carbon footprint of the house.
• Use of different materials at the place of cement
such as gypsum and lime.
• sustainable construction materials, decorating
materials and etc.
• Large market in Africa , India , China [because
people has less money]
23. Conclusions
• Good choice to utilize waste paper.
• Big market India, China, Africa.
• Good choice for one story building.
• Inner walls of house can be made by
papercrete.
• No govt. approval-but can be used.
• Increase in demand may lead to deforestation.