CHAPTER 2

METHODOLOGY

2.1 Research Design

Experimental research method is used by the researchers in this study. Experimental

research is a study that uses a scientific test design to the letter. It has a hypothesis, an attribute

the researcher can control, and variables that can be measured, calculated, estimated, and

compared. Overall, testing in a laboratory is done in a controlled setting. The analyst gathered

the data, and the results supported or rejected the hypothesis. 

In this study, laboratory testing is needed to determine the strength of the sample tested.

The researchers use experimental research because the results must be measurable, calculated,

and comparable to evaluate the effectiveness of water hyacinth fiber once it is mixed with

cement to make a fiber cement board.

2.2 Materials

Table 1: Mixtures

Portland Cement Water Hyacinth Fiber Water

 a. Cement - A cement (Portland) is a binder, a substance that sets, hardens, and adheres

to other materials to tie them together for building. Cement is seldom used but rather

to connect sand and gravel. For masonry, cement mixed with fine aggregate produces

mortar or produces concrete with sand and gravel.

b. Water Hyacinth Fiber - It's a natural fiber used as a new composition for making or

producing fiber cement boards.

c. Water - Water is responsible for the chemical reaction with the cement to produce the

desired properties for the cement board.

2.3 Equipment/Apparatus and Utensils

Table 2: Apparatus, Equipment and Utensil

Hand Saw Molder

Hammer Wide Blade Tape Measure

 Brush Electronic Digital Weighing Scale

Finishing Trowel Measuring Cup

Metal Wash Bowl Pointing Trowel

Compression Machine Fire Testing Equipment

 Stopwatch

Hand Saw - It is tempered, high-grade tool steel alloyed with certain other metals. Handles used

to be made solely of wood, but modern tools can also be made with molded plastics. The

researchers used this to cut the wood to make a wooden molder.

Molder - The molder is 12 in. by 6 in. by ¾ in. and 2 in. by 2 in. by 3/3 in. wooden molder to

mold desired shape for water hyacinth fiber cement board.

Hammer - It is a tool with a heavy metal head mounted at right angles at the end of a handle,

used for jobs such as breaking things and driving nails. The researchers used this to pound or

drive the pins to the wood to produce a molder for the cement board.

Wide Blade Tape Measure - It is used to measure something that needs to be measured. The

researchers used this to calculate how long the water hyacinth fiber will be used, as well as the

wooden molder.

Brush - It is designed for painting wall finishes. It can also remove dry, wet, and ingrained dust

and dirt from hard or soft surfaces. The researchers used it to remove excess cement mixed with

water from the metal basin/bowl.

Electronic Digital Weighing Scale - It is the most accurate and precise analog front-end (AFE)

instrument that uses force sensors to measure the load of an object. It also displays the weight as

a number, usually Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). The need for high accuracy and user-friendly

features in digital weighing scales has led to increased demand by industrial and nonindustrial

users. The researchers used this to weigh the fiber and cement used to make a fiber cement

board.

Finishing Trowel -It is usually rectangular and used to smooth, level, or texture the top layer of

hardening concrete. It is also an important tool for many types of construction. It smooths out

materials like mortar, plaster, and concrete. It has a very straight, angled blade designed to fit

precisely into right angles and smooth out the surface of the mixture in straight lines.

Measuring Cup- It is used primarily to measure the volume of liquid or bulk solid ingredients.

The cup will usually have a scale marked in cups and fractions of a cup, often with fluid measure

and weight of a selection of dry stuff. These can be made of plastic, glass, or metal. The

researchers used this to measure the volume or amount of water that would be mixed in cement.

Metal Wash Bowl- It is commonly used in commercial applications because it represents a good

trade-off between cost usability, durability, and ease of cleaning. The researchers used it to mix

the cement with water.

Pointing Trowel - It is a scaled-down version of bricklayer’s trowel, for small jobs and repair

work. It is also used for filling, shaping the mortar in between bricks, a process known as

pointing. The researchers used this tool as a spoon to mix the cement with water.

Compression Machine -This is used to measure compressive strength or flexural strength. It is

also a common method used to establish the compressive force or resistance of a material, and
the ability of the material to specify compressive is applied and even held over a defined period

by measuring fundamental variables such as strain, stress, and deformation.

Fire Testing Equipment - It is used as a standard instrument used in fire research to measure

time to ignition, heat release rate, and other key parameters of interest in testing performance of

materials.

Stopwatch - The stopwatch is used to measure or record the time set for the fire resistance test.