Micro Concrete Roofing Tiles
A view from Sierra Leone
Allie Sesay


Mr. Allie Sesay was on a study visit to India for three months for an appraisal and evaluation of Micro-Concrete Roofing Tile technology and the possibility of technology transfer to Sierra Leone - his home country.  He is pursuing an MSc course in Appropriate Rural Technology and Extension Skills (ARTES), University of Flensburg, Germany.  He holds a diploma in Mechanical & Electrical Engineering and is also a graduate in Agricultural Education.  He has worked as an Agricultural Science Teacher and a Project Co-ordinator in a Community Development project.

In Sierra Leone, like in many other developing countries, housing problems are interwoven with and exacerbated by other socio-economic factors such as land acquisition, poor salaries and wages, unemployment, inaccessibility to loans, and high interest rates.  Apart from that, cost of building materials is also prohibitively high, especially when some of the materials have to be imported.

Materials represent 60-80% of total building costs.  Roofing alone accounts for 30-40%.  This is largely due to the overwhelming dependence on corrugated galvanized iron sheet (GGI), which is seen on about 85-90% of houses in urban areas.  They are preferred due to their light weight and large sizes.  They are not only highly expensive because they have to be imported, they are also very much uncomfortable — poor thermal and acoustic characteristics and susceptibility to leakage after few years.  In the rural areas, traditional materials are commonly used such as thatch, clay tiles and more rarely, wood or bamboo.  These are also unsuitable as they have to be replaced after every rainy season and clay tiles leak due to poor quality.

It is thus apparently clear that an innovative technology is needed to ameliorate the housing condition in Sierra Leone just as in other developing countries.  After reading through several publication of the monthly newsletter published by Development Alternatives about MCR Technology,  I was highly motivated to carry out an in-depth study on this technology which I believe will be a suitable alternative in the current roofing technologies existing in Sierra Leone.

Objectives of the Study

Several housing programmes have worked arduously over the past decade to surmount the housing problem in Sierra Leone.  Research findings have indicated that Land acquisition and building costs are, inter alia, the most serious problems to be tackled.  It is apparent that when building costs, as mentioned above are as high, an alternative to currently used roofing materials will lead to a major breakthrough.  The establishment of the UNCHS Centre in Sierra Leone heralded the introduction of MCR technology, but MCR tiles are not widely used possibly due to lack of adequate information, poor quality products or may be costs.  The objective of my study therefore include:

a)  A case study of the Micro-Concrete Roofing tile technology in India and the possibility of technology transfer to Sierra Leone.

b)  To improve the housing situation in Sierra Leone by facilitating the use of locally available building materials, thereby reducing the overall building costs, and induce a change-over from other roofing materials.

c)  To establish micro-industries on MCR tiles in rural and peri-urban areas which will concomitantly create job opportunities, reduce rural-urban drift, and on the whole augment the effort-of the poor to improve their living conditions.

Focus

The focus of my study was centred on four main aspects:

Methodology/Approach

The study covered five major areas in India namely:  New Delhi, Jhansi, Etawah, Fatehpur and Bangalore. Library research was done at Development Alternatives Headquarters in Delhi and practical training on tile production was done at Tara Nirman Kendra (TNK), a sister branch of Development Alternatives also in Delhi.  Quality Control experiments, training on roof construction and tile laying technique were done at Jhansi (Central India).  Field visits were made to Etawah and Fatehpur (North India), to reach out to entrepreneurs and consumers of MCR tiles for an assessment of the economic viability and social implications of the technology.

I must also acknowledge the visit made to Auroville Building Centre, Auroville (South India), where information on Appropriate Building Technology was also sought.

Participatory and non-participatory observation, interview through questionnaire and discussions were used as tools of my research.

Summary of Findings

To consider a technology to be appropriate, the following indicators are pre-requisites:

Based on the above criteria, it is an inescapable fact that MCR technology is appropriate, especially for developing countries.  The raw materials required for the production of MCR tiles (sand, aggregate and cement) are readily available in every country, except probably cement which may have to be imported.  Even that, a comparison of the raw materials needed for the production of other roofing materials like corrugated galvanized (CGI) sheet, asbestos cement concrete (ACC) tiles and the simplicity of its manufacturing process, lends credibility to this technology.  In India, 90% of producers of MCR tiles are unskilled labour including women.  The machine is very simple to operate, although it requires a little training for production of good quality tiles.  The other advantages are:

a)  Roof Construction and tile laying and fixing can be done with little supervision.

b)  Both manually and electrically operated machines are available to suit any locality.

The technology also owes credibility due to its cost effectiveness.  MCR tiles are relatively cheaper and at the same time durable.  An analysis of the economic viability of an MCR enterprise shows that as a business it can be made to pay - there is very high profitability in terms of return on labour and capital investment.  A similar study done at MSU - Illigan Institute of Technology, Philippines also revealed similar results.  A minimum of 3 persons (2 unskilled and 1 semi-skilled) can run an enterprise which can also be a reliable source of livelihood.

MCR tiles have a wide range of application which does not come in conflict with the socio-cultural behaviour of the users.  It can be used to roof main houses, extensions (verandahs), hospitals, schools, restaurants, cattle sheds, workshops etc.  An impressive display of MCR tiles was seen at Fatehpur on a school building with floor dimension of approximately 7mX40m using eucalyptus logs as understructure.  Its design and excellent qualities can suit the needs of people at different socio-economic strata.  Its light-weight permits the use of different materials for understructure like  sawn timber (from primary or secondary wood), steel pole, or bamboo.

MCR technology is environmentally innoxious.  There is no known emission from direct production or utilization of MCR tiles.  Surveys on energy requirement for different building materials clearly shows that very little amount of energy is needed for production, application and use of MCR tiles.  MCR tiles have 100% reuse potential without change in its quality.  Another advantage of this technology is its ability to utilize waste.  In some parts of India, like Jhansi, where stone crushers are concentrated, it contributes to environmental purification by utilizing quarry dust (a waste product from stone crushers) in place of sand, which would otherwise have been an environmental nuisance.  Incredibly, the use of quarry dust increases the strength of the tiles.  In the same region, waste steel pipes from boilers were used as understructure for a poultry farm!

Inspite of its inherent good qualities, MCR technology is greeted at some quarters by an avalanche of criticism.  MCR tiles can only be used on sloping roofs.  The poor such as squatters cannot afford an MCR roof. Some people view the technology with scepticism probably due to lack of adequate information or as a new product, they are awaiting performance results from the early adopters. 

Conclusion

With the ever increasing demand for housing in developing countries, it is imperative that a redefinition of previous strategies should be adopted.  Unless an integrated approach involving land use policies, proper financial schemes along with low cost and appropriate building technologies is adopted, any effort to solve this universal problem will only be pouring water on a duck’s back.

In Sierra Leone for instance, there is urgent need for rehabilitation of devastated areas following the aftermath of a civil war in the country.  Millions of houses were burnt down or destroyed  in the southern and eastern parts, with millions of people displaced.  CGI sheets which were found in 90-95% of houses in those areas were removed to construct make-shift refugee camps.  It is evident that when the situation is brought to normalcy, there will be heavy demand on the government to provide houses  to settle the displaced.

It is no doubt clear that the utilization of cost effective building materials will expedite the resettlement process.  For roofing materials, CGI sheet which has been the age long reliable material will not only be prohibitively expensive, it will also be scarce because it must be imported.  Thatch or clay tiles cannot be recommended because of annual replacement requirement and their relative scarcity in some parts of the country.  MCR tiles can therefore be a suitable substitute with stabilized compressed earth blocks as superstructure.

Based on my experience in India, I am firmly convinced that Micro-Concrete Roofing tile technology is adequately appropriate.  It is technically acceptable, cost effective, can be economically viable as a business, socio-culturally compatible with its users and environmentally friendly.  Its adoption can be a major breakthrough in ameliorating the housing situation not in only Sierra Leone, but also other developing countries, searching for solution to housing problems.  As a small scale enterprise, it can also contribute to sustainable development.

Since the publication of this article, there has been widespread dissemination of technology.  MCR tiles are being used in Karnataka and Bundelkhand regions to provide highly aesthetic, cost-effective roof forms.  These are also being extensively used in Indira Awas Yojana projects.  To ensure achievement of stringent quality assurance, great emphasis is being laid on training. A multi-media programme on CD-ROM is under production and proposed to be made available by end-1997.
Other interesting articles on MCR can be found under the following references:

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