Chatree Ngamsangiem Application of Foam Cement Filled PVC Tubes to Replace Bamboo Columns and Beams for Floating Oyster’s Farm

Abstract

This research used PVC tubes reinforced with foam cement as a substitute for bamboo poles and beams to support rope floating for growing oysters. The tubes with a dimeter of 100 mm and 2.6 mm. wall thickness. grey agricultural PVC tubes as an outer covering and foam-cement with a density of 250 kg/m³ and 500 kg/m³ for the poles and beams, respectively. The load of the structure was determined based on the weight of the oysters rope hanging and found to be able to support a maximum compressive stress of pole and bending stress of beam are 0.06 MPa and 7.36 MPa, respectively. The PVC tubes reinforced with foam cement were then tested for compressive and bending strength in a laboratory. The results showed that the average maximum compressive strength of the pole samples was 3.38 MPa, while the average maximum bending strength of the beam samples was 50.61 MPa. The PVC pipes reinforced with foam cement can be used as a substitute for bamboo poles and beams in raft aquaculture systems. The poles are anchored in the water and buried 1.5 meters in the ground under of water, while the beams are attached loosely to the poles using ropes to support the oyster’s raft. Data was collected every month for a period of 6 months, starting from the beginning of oyster cultivation until harvest. It was found that the PVC tubes reinforced with foam cement exhibited physical characteristics that demonstrated durability and resistance to environmental factors.