| dc.description.abstract | Current economic situation, material price hike and shortage of materials have
directly and indirectly caused an unprecedented price increment in finishing
materials and total cost of construction, specially in finishing stages. Therefore,
finding alternative materials that are cost effective without sacrificing quality and
appearance has become a vital need. With the popularisation of an open kitchen and
open pantry concepts, countertop construction has gained more attention in terms
of the aesthetics and appearance as well as function. Thus, a research series was
initiated with the aim of investigating the feasibility of the ferrocement as an
alternative material for countertop construction while maintaining the intended
appearance and functional requirements. The paper presents the findings of the
initial stage of the research conducted to assess the cost effectiveness of the
proposed alternative material prior to further experimentation on material
development. An onsite experiment was carried out to construct a prototype
countertop and check the feasibility of construction. Ferrocement panel with a
dimensions of 1200mm X 600mm X 20 mm was cast for the study. Epoxy coating
was applied on ferrocement body to achieve desired water absorption rate and
aesthetic appearance of the final product. Since the prototype construction was
successful, a cost comparison was conducted. The total production cost was
calculated and compared with same size conventional granite countertop
construction. Accordingly, sq.ft rate of ferrocement countertop was calculated to be
Rs. 1536.08. Results showed that 41.7% cost saving could be achieved while keeping
the desired aesthetical qualities and water absorption limits. This could be a feasible
alternative for countertop construction in Sri Lanka. | en_US |
