Micro Concrete Roofing Tiles

Micro Concrete Roofing (MCR) tiles are made of a mixture of cement, sand, and water as an alternative roofing material.

Snapshot
Manufacturing & delivery
Performance & use
Research & standards
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Product description Brand name and product description

Micro Concrete Roofing (MCR) tiles are made of concrete (mixture of cement, sand and cement) as an alternative to traditional roofing materials such as thatch, iron sheeting, or asbestos.

Target region(s) Target region for distribution/implementation (listed by country if specified)

Worldwide

Distributors/implementing organizations Organization(s) distributing/deploying this product directly to communities/individuals?"

MCR tiles are marketed and distributed by different brand names such as TARAcrete and DURAcrete in India, or Tejacreto in Peru.

Market suggested retail price Price per unit or service price per usage/terms (USD). Subsidies noted.

5.33 USD per meter

Competitive landscape Similar products available on the market. May not be a comprehensive listing.

Any other roofing materials such as thatch, asbestos, corrugated metal sheeting, ModRoof

SDG targeted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted with this product/application/service

Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities

Target user(s) Target user/consumer base (country, income segment)

Any person looking for a roofing alternative. NGOs or any individual could start a production facility.

Manufacturing/building method(s) Detail regarding solution production or construction method (instructions, mass production capacity, custom made,etc...)

Tiles can be produced on the construction site, or made-to-order or mass-produced at a production facility and then transported to the site.

Product Intellectual Property Open source/IP protected (note patent)/trade secret/other?

Open source. There are patents on similar products but the technology is part of the public domain.

User Provision Model Where can the product be purchased/acquired by end users?

User can manufacture the tiles with the correct equipment, get them through a contractor, or directly from a manufacturer.

Distribution to date Number of units that have been deployed, downloads or users to date

Unknown

Fields marked are sourced values that have been evaluated by the manufacturer or a third party, all others are design specifications.

Unit dimensions (cm)

Size of the component

60 x 60 cm²

Primary materials

List of primary materials in the component

Cement, graded sand, and stone

Complimentary materials

List of secondary materials in the component

None

Fire Resistance (hr)

Measurement, calculated in hours, of the component’s resistance to fire

Unknown

Thermal Insulation Capacity

R value associated with material/product

Relatively low insulation, but much higher than a galvanized iron sheet

Compressive Strength (MPa)

The compressive strength of the component, measured in megapascals

0.012 MPa

Suitable Climates

List of suitable climates for use of this components

All climates

Design specifications Component and Operation overview including power, portability, facility requirements, preventative maintenance and user training requirements

To manufacture a micro concrete tile, it is necessary to have molds, a tile vibrator, plastic sheets, batching boxes, a tank for curing in water, and a table. The materials needed are sand, cement and water. Pigments are optional to produce colored tiles.

The dry materials are mixed first in the correct proportions. The water is added gradually, continually mixing, until it is workable.

Then the vibrator is placed on the table. A plastic sheet must be placed on top. The mix is then put on the plastic sheet, working it while the vibrator is on for 30 seconds. The tile nib is then attached to the tile. Take the whole tile, with the plastic sheet, and place it on the mold. Leave overnight.

The next day, the tiles would be removed from the molds and left inside a water tank to cure for at least 5 days. Then remove and leave to cure with air for 20 days. During this curing time they should be sprayed with water twice a day.

This process can also be viewed on online videos.

MCR tiles can vary in size, shape and color. There are different molds to create shapes such as ridges or corrugated shapes. If pigments are added to the mix, different colors can be achieved. Red is the most common color. MCR tiles are much lighter than standard concrete roofs and reduce noise when rain falls on them.

The roof structure is a group of purlins and rafters made of either timber or metal, and use triangular trusses if necessary. The spacing of these elements depends on the slope, climate, and tile weight. The pitch of the roof is at least 22°, and 30° in places where it rains heavily. To attach the tiles, it is necessary to place battens (made of wood or steel) with no more than 40 cm of spacing. These should be able to hold the tiles’ weight and the weight of a worker.

Product schematics Design and assembly illustrations

Installation of MCR tiles

Aligning MCR tiles

Boral in Australia offers guidelines for construction with their MCR product.

Technical support Technical support provided by

A general contractor could be able to provide assistance. The roof structure must be designed according to user’s needs. The MCR tiles are just placed on the structure and attached with a nail or a wire, so any worker can learn to install them.

Replacement components Availability of replacement components (in-country, by order,...)

A broken tile can be replaced with a new one of the same type

Lifecycle Disposal and warranty

20 years

Manufacturer specified performance targets Designer / Manufacturer specified targets

The MCR tiles should be lightweight, aesthetically pleasing, cost-effective, and durable. They offer security and comfort for the user, protecting from sun, heavy rain, and frost.

Vetted performance Findings of manufacturer evaluations or independent testing centers

A study conducted to test the strength and durability of MCR tiles found that they had comparable performance to conventional roofing materials.

Testing organizations Independent lab, academic research centers, etc.

Manufacturers can test the quality of a batch of tiles. Researchers at University of Moratuwa have characterized the tiles.

Safety Potential hazards / risks related to operation of this product

During installation, the user is exposed to the expected construction risks, such as heights and sharp tools

Complementary technical systems Performance of this product is improved with another technology (eg. Cookstoves and Wind-blocking skirts)

MCR can be paired with many other construction systems for walls such as Earthen Bags or Bottle Bricks

Academic research Academic research related to the product (e.g. published papers in peer-reviewed journals)

Jayasinghe, C., JDe. Silva, M., Dissanayake, D., Fernando, C., 2006., Engineering Properties of Micro Concrete Roofing Tiles, Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka 39(03):35-41.

Compliance with regulations Product certifications and standards referenced by designer/manufacturer

Codes and regulations differ by country. For example, Germany has a certification program, and the Bureau of Indian Standards and ASTM have published standards and specifications.

Evaluation methods Evaluation methods/protocols/guidelines referenced by designer or manufacturer.

Several methods are used to to test the quality of a MCR tile including ring, impact, load, water column, and water absorption tests.

Other information

No specialized infrastructure is needed to start a production facility. It is required to have access to the raw materials (sand, cement), water, storage room, electricity and a shed or roofed area to avoid harsh weather. The raw materials can usually be delivered by truck. Electricity is essential to have the vibration tables running. The storage room would be used to keep raw materials and finished tiles.

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Feedback from users, customers & distributors

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Snapshot

Product description Brand name and product description

Micro Concrete Roofing (MCR) tiles are made of concrete (mixture of cement, sand and cement) as an alternative to traditional roofing materials such as thatch, iron sheeting, or asbestos.

Target region(s) Target region for distribution/implementation (listed by country if specified)

Worldwide

Distributors/implementing organizations Organization(s) distributing/deploying this product directly to communities/individuals?"

MCR tiles are marketed and distributed by different brand names such as TARAcrete and DURAcrete in India, or Tejacreto in Peru.

Market suggested retail price Price per unit or service price per usage/terms (USD). Subsidies noted.

5.33 USD per meter

Competitive landscape Similar products available on the market. May not be a comprehensive listing.

Any other roofing materials such as thatch, asbestos, corrugated metal sheeting, ModRoof

SDG targeted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted with this product/application/service

Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities

Target user(s) Target user/consumer base (country, income segment)

Any person looking for a roofing alternative. NGOs or any individual could start a production facility.

Manufacturing & delivery

Manufacturing/building method(s) Detail regarding solution production or construction method (instructions, mass production capacity, custom made,etc...)

Tiles can be produced on the construction site, or made-to-order or mass-produced at a production facility and then transported to the site.

Product Intellectual Property Open source/IP protected (note patent)/trade secret/other?

Open source. There are patents on similar products but the technology is part of the public domain.

User Provision Model Where can the product be purchased/acquired by end users?

User can manufacture the tiles with the correct equipment, get them through a contractor, or directly from a manufacturer.

Distribution to date Number of units that have been deployed, downloads or users to date

Unknown

Performance & use