Roofing Sheets Produced from Cassava Stalks and Corn Cobs: Evaluation of Physical and Mechanical Properties

Abstract. In this study, roofing sheets were produced from agricultural wastes such as corn cobs and cassava stalks using animal and PVC glue as binders. The sheets were produced using different combinations of the agro- wastes and adhesives. Physical properties of the sheets produced such as percentage water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS) as well as mechanical properties such as modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) were evaluated. The roofing sheets produced from a mixture of agro- wastes using a combination of animal and PVC glue gave the best results in terms of the least mean values of WA (2.44%) and TS (0.10%), as well as the highest values of MOR (4.59×106 N/m2) and MOE (793.7×106 N/m2). These results indicate that the sheets produced from a mixture of the agro- wastes using a combination of animal and PVC glue were more dimensionally stable as well as possessing higher mechanical strength. The same set of sheets satisfied the ANSI/A208.1-1999 standard. The results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) carried out showed that the type of agro- waste and adhesive used had a significant influence on the physical and mechanical properties of the sheets (p < 0.05).