Ironwood was commonly used as roof shingles in Indonesia. Ironwood is on the list of protected species and may no longer be used. In order to find a more sustainable alternative to the slow-growing hardwoods that are now being used, five fast-growing wood species are being tested for their suitability on site in Central Kalimantan as part of our DBU project.

The shingle test setup with the 5 different types of wood is monitored. For this purpose, the wood moisture is measured at regular intervals (once a month) and the behaviour of the shingles under local weather conditions is documented photographically. If it is possible to use fast-growing woods as roof shingles, this would be a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to hardwoods or even illegal logging of ironwood.

The substructure of the experimental set-up can also be used as a shelter or car park.

Click here for the project: Research project, Borneo Indonesia