Hi Creters,
Long time lurker here…. I have been thinking to try ceiling panels from PC for an office drop ceiling (the kind suspended from the roof by wires). We plan to make molds about 2 ft X 4 ft and about 1.5 inches thick. We were thinking to get a roll of woven split bamboo, cut it into pieces and place it in the mold for the lower (interior) surface and pour the PC on top with some bamboo ribs of some sort placed at intervals for strength (either small round bamboo or split bamboo staves). We are hoping to get a nice clean, flat surface and some insulation from the attic heat.
This is all just theory for the moment, we haven’t tried anything yet…. Few questions for the group:
1. Any suggestions for mixes for thinnish panels?
2. Will shrinkage or cracking be an issue?
3. Are the bamboo ribs or staves necessary? Are they problematic for cracking?
4. Is weighting or compacting the mix necessary or desirable?
5. Can we make em in layers, sort of stacking the molds like pancakes?
6. Is there any advantage to steam curing PC (I have a friend there with a steam box for curing concrete sewer pipes)?
This project is in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for a nonprofit group that promotes recycling, so there is a nice tie-in with their work.
Very best regards, Robert
(In California for the moment)
__._,_.___
