A weed that's a blooming success
Chiang Mai University researchers and the National Housing Authority have produced fibreboard from a common local weed.
They believe it will slash the cost of construction board used to repair and build houses. The giant shame weed, or Mimosa pudica, grows in abundance in the region. "Building homes ourselves brings us pride. I want the project to help others less fortunate who have no homes. We are happy and we want others to be happy too," said Phu Din villager Samran Muensai of Mae Taeng district. Samran repaired his ageing home using the board and it is now as good as new, he said. Neighbour Sawai Insi turned his makeshift hut into a small house with the same material. He said the project would allow poor people to repair their homes using locally-available materials. They will not have to pay others and, therefore, it will keep money in villages. Authority governor Pornsak Boonyodom said the project was "clever" and it employed the sufficiency economy theory. The idea to use the weed to manufacture building materials evolved from studies that employed rice for the same purpose. It is hoped by next year technology transfer will see 20 or more villages using the boards. By 2009 that number will have grown to 200 and to 2,000 a year later, Pornsak said. Architecture lecturer and project director assistant professor Vitul Lieorungruang said the idea had great potential. It has already proved successful in villages in Phrao, Hang Dong and Mae Taeng, he said. It was much cheaper for villagers to make the board out of cement and weeds than to purchase ready-made boards, he said. Boards made from giant shame weed were of a quality that was just short of that stipulated by Thai Industrial Standards. It failed to meet that only because they were not mass produced. Vitul recalled villagers were initially reluctant to build their homes from weeds, fearing they would collapse or be eaten by termites. But, after demonstrations, more and more villagers joined in, he said. The project took off and to date 23 families have joined. In a little more than two years the prototype factory in Mae Taeng will break even. Each board costs just Bt52 to make, he said Researchers will continue looking for more local materials to put to alternate uses.
Anan Paengnoy The Nation CHIANG MAI
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