The New Straits Times
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
GEORGE TOWN: A Universiti Sains Malaysia researcher has turned palm oil waste into Malaysia’s first fibre-based soil protective layer to prevent landslides.
USM associate professor Dr Fauziah Ahmad, who spent more than two years to perfect the invention, said the product would be used for erosion control and slope protection.
Fauziah said the fibre product would help to strengthen earth surfaces and enhance groundwater flow.
“Shrubbery and plants are able to grow through the bio-degradable layer unlike with concrete materials, making it an environment-friendly age-nt,” Fauziah said at USM recently.
Instead of paying up to RM200 per sq metre for conventional synthetic materials, Fauziah said the fibre-based layer only cost a fraction of that, at RM5 per metre. The fibre product has a lifespan of 20 years.
Fauziah said the multi-layered product could be custom-made for specific needs.
She said the material could be used in the construction of retention walls at all landslide-prone areas.
She said it could also be used to improve the surface of untarred roads in rural areas.
“Once we obtain the patent for the product, we will find a commercial partner to promote its use on slopes on major highways, especially along the North-South Expressway,” said Fauziah, who sits on the advisory panel of the government’s slope management committee.
She added that negotiations were ongoing with Malaysian Technology Development Corporation to commercialise her product by next year.
Fauziah has been a lecturer in geotechnical engineering since 1997.
