1 / 19

Coconuts

Coconuts. Are coconut palms an alternate source of building material?. Background. Origin Found in warm regions Asia Cocos nucifera Class – Liliopsida (monocotyledons) Family -Arecaceae (Palm family) Genus – Cocos L. (coconut palm) Not a “tree” but a “tree of life”

jamal
Download Presentation

Coconuts

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Coconuts Are coconut palms an alternate source of building material?

  2. Background • Origin • Found in warm regions • Asia • Cocos nucifera • Class – Liliopsida (monocotyledons) • Family -Arecaceae (Palm family) • Genus – Cocos L. (coconut palm) • Not a “tree” but a “tree of life” • No branches, no cambium

  3. Background • Fruit • Coconut (also the seed) • Three layers: exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp

  4. Structure

  5. Structure

  6. Structure

  7. Usage • Named “tree of life” • Culinary • Copra (Oil) • Desiccated coconut • Coconut Milk • Coconut water (highly nutritious) • Wine • Commercial • Mats and ropes from the coir fibers • Baskets and brooms (from leaves) • Rituals; cultural significance • Roots used as toothbrushes

  8. Usage • Commercial • Buttons • Bikinis • Fragrance • World War II • Construction • Building material

  9. As Building Material • Trunk • Panels • Boards • Lumber • Leaves • Roofing • Thatched roofing • Insulation • Pots (water storage)

  10. As Building Material • Coconut Husks (cellulose and lignin) • Concrete • Usage of shell as coarse aggregates • Makes concrete more durable • Coir Fiber • Corrugated slabs • Natural fiber used with wire as reinforcement

  11. Comparison of Growth Data

  12. Economic Viability • “Tree of Life” • Lumber • 100 stems per hectare • Unviable trees (trees unable to produce copra) yield 5 million cubic meters of sawn coconut timber • In developing countries local coconut trees provide more than 14 % of domestic timber demand • Fruiting • Starts fruiting 6-10 years after the seed germinates • Annual production of fruits – 50-200 fruits per tree • These fruits are produced throughout the year.

  13. Economic Viability • Construction of houses (in developing countries) • Roofing • Advantages • Eco-friendly • Made from naturally available material • Durability • Lasts for 25-30 years and requires less renewal • Provides insulation • Cools the house in hot summers and warms the house in winter • Lighter in weight

  14. Economic Viability • Construction of houses • Concrete • Fibers and shells are abundant • Inexpensive materials • Enhance binding abilities of concrete

  15. Cultural Connection • Developing countries • Houses • Temporary Shelter • Tourism • Coastal areas • Resorts • Restaurants; “coconut huts” • Manila's Coconut Palace

  16. Conclusion • Are coconut palms an alternate to building materials? • Naturally available • Economically efficient • Relieves pressure off of tropical forests • Durable for construction • It is indeed a “tree of life”

  17. Future of Coconuts Palm? • Biofuel • Generators • Palm oil vs. diesel • Reduces exhaust gas emissions • Planes • Coconut and Babassu oil • Virgin Atlantic Flight (747)

  18. References “Airline in first biofuel flight.” BBC News UK. February 24, 2008. September 14, 2009.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7261214.stm Almeida, Silvio C.A. de, Carlos RodriguesBelchior, Marcos V.G. Nascimento, et. Al. “Performance of a diesel generator fuelled with palm oil.” Fuel. 81. (2002). 2097-2102. Coir Sri Lanka. All About the Coconut Fruit. September 16, 2009.http://www.coirsrilanka.info/Coconut.html. Durst, Patrick B., WulfKilmann, Chris Brown. “Asia’s new Woods.” Journal of Forestry Vol. 102. Issue 4 (2004). 49-52. Paramasivan, P., G.K. Nathan, N.C. Das Gupta. “Coconut fibre reinforced corrugated slabs.” International Journal of Cement Composites and Lightweight Concrete. 6.(1984). 19-27.

  19. References Simpson, Beryl Brinthall, Molly Connor Ogorzaly. Economic Botany. New York. McGraw-Hill,2001. Sivaraja, M. S. Kandasamy. “Characterisation of natural fibres as concrete composites for structural applications.” International Journal of Materials and Product Technology. 36. (2009). 385-95. United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. United States Department of Agriculture. September 16, 2009. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CONU Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation Inc. September 14, 2009.http://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/coconut. Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation Inc. September 14, 2009.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_Palace.

More Related