Current Volume 9
Design and Evaluation of a Mobile Study Shelter Using Natural Bio-Composite Banana Fiber Roof Insulation
Abstract
This study designed, fabricated, and empirically evaluated a mobile outdoor study shelter integrating passive natural ventilation with banana fiber bio-composite roof insulation as a sustainable, energy-independent, and cost-effective supplementary learning space solution for the Philippine tropical educational environment. A mixed-method quantitative design was employed. Thermal monitoring used calibrated digital thermometers and hygrometers at four interior corner sensors at 1.0 m above floor level and a simultaneous outdoor reference sensor, recording hourly data from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM under two sequential conditions: without insulation and with 2% NaOH alkali-treated banana fiber bio-composite panels installed on the roof assembly. Occupancy trials were conducted for 1–10 students to characterize the heat build-up effect of occupant metabolic loads. A 29-item Likert-scale survey instrument (Content Validity Index = 0.99) was administered to a Slovin’s formula-derived sample of 85 Mechanical Engineering students (N = 533, e = 0.10) using stratified random sampling. Results showed that banana fiber insulation achieved a peak absolute temperature reduction of 6.4°C at maximum solar radiation, with an overall mean indoor-to-outdoor heat reduction of 11.874%. The shelter maintained interior Heat Index classification one tier below the outdoor Danger-level. The student perception survey yielded a grand mean of 4.164 (Agree) and an overall CSAT score of 85.88% (Excellent). The total construction cost was ₱151,000, representing approximately 6–8% of a standard DepEd concrete classroom, with a 10-year total cost of ownership 89.2% lower than conventional alternatives.
Keywords
Banana Fiber, Bio-Composite, Mobile Study Shelter, Natural Ventilation, Passive Cooling, Philippines, Sustainable Materials, Thermal Insulation
Citations
IRE Journals:
Qin Joseph Maranan, Jeremiah Rebong "Design and Evaluation of a Mobile Study Shelter Using Natural Bio-Composite Banana Fiber Roof Insulation" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 12 2026 Page 1039-1045 https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1718795
IEEE:
Qin Joseph Maranan, Jeremiah Rebong
"Design and Evaluation of a Mobile Study Shelter Using Natural Bio-Composite Banana Fiber Roof Insulation" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(12) https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1718795
About IRE Journals
IRE Journals is an open access online journals established with an aim to publish high quality of research work in various diciplines. We have more than 6 years in publications. Over 2500+ papers already published.
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