Coconuts
Are coconut palms an alternate
source of building material?
Background
 Origin
Found in warm regions
 Asia

 Cocos



Class – Liliopsida (monocotyledons)
Family -Arecaceae (Palm family)
Genus – Cocos L. (coconut palm)
 Not

nucifera
a “tree” but a “tree of life”
No branches, no cambium
Background

Fruit

Coconut (also the seed)

Three layers: exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp
Structure
Structure
Structure
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
Usage

Commercial





Buttons
Bikinis
Fragrance
World War II
Construction

Building material
As Building Material
 Trunk
 Panels
 Boards
 Lumber
 Leaves
 Roofing
 Thatched
roofing
 Insulation
 Pots
(water storage)
As Building Material
 Coconut

Concrete


Usage of shell as coarse aggregates
Makes concrete more durable
 Coir

Husks (cellulose and lignin)
Fiber
Corrugated slabs

Natural fiber used with wire as reinforcement
Comparison of Growth Data
Planting
density
(plants/acre)
Height at
maturation
(ft.) about
20 years
Total Height
(ft.)
430-700
plants/acre
35 ft.
100-150 ft.
Eucalyptus 170-300
plants/acre
65 ft.
80 ft.
Bamboo
200-600
plants/acre
15 ft.
50 ft.
Coconut
300-500
plants/acre
65 ft.
80 ft.
Pine
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.
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
Economic Viability

Construction of houses

Concrete



Fibers and shells are abundant
Inexpensive materials
Enhance binding abilities of concrete
Cultural Connection

Developing countries



Houses
Temporary Shelter
Tourism

Coastal areas



Resorts
Restaurants; “coconut huts”
Manila's Coconut Palace
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”
Future of Coconuts Palm?

Biofuel

Generators



Palm oil vs. diesel
Reduces exhaust gas emissions
Planes


Coconut and Babassu oil
Virgin Atlantic Flight (747)
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 Rodrigues Belchior, 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., Wulf Kilmann, 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.
References
Simpson, Beryl Brinthall, Molly Connor Ogorzaly. Economic Botany. New York. McGrawHill,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.