Corrugated cardboard is a cellulosic fibre
made from recycled materials. Other materials that are often put into the mix
are sawdust and bark pulp. Cardboard is a cheap and easily sourced
product, it is traditionally used for packaging but now is being sourced for
construction purposes.
Other uses are also in furniture manufacture, there
are particular lacquers that you can apply to the card to prevent scratches or
marks.
Frank O. Gehry’s corrugated cardboard, Wiggle Side Chair.
http://www.archithings.com/
It is often used to construct temporary structures as it is quick
and easy to use and can be used as a form of insulation as it is good
for retaining heat. In Christchurch the Anglican Church is looking at building
a $4.1 million building from cardboard as temporary structure while they are
design the plan for their new church.
One of the limitations of using card, if it gets wet it will
get lose all rigidity and become soggy. Cardboard is a very absorbent material
and can soak up moisture or toxins in the atmosphere. Another restriction is if
it gets too hot it can potentially burst into flames, it is flammable and will
spread extremely fast. There are ways to treat the cardboard to make it weatherproof
and fire-resistant, including SafeCoat® Latex which is a sustainable coating
so that when the cardboard is finished being used it can still be recycled. http://www.materialproject.org/
Corrugated cardboard is a great absorber
of sounds and has high acoustic values. It has been used here as a sculptural
sound box, a space to listen to music. The properties of the card make it an
excellent atmosphere to enjoy the music.
When choosing the right kind of card for construction you need
to take into consideration that there are many different thicknesses and sizes
of corrugated cardboard. Cardboard comes in many different forms, it can be
flat packed or in rolls. To keep cardboard protected on a building site it
needs to be wrapped in plastic to keep it from absorbing moisture and off the
ground to keep clean.
Cardboard is really only a temporary option unless it is
treated to be weatherproof and fire resistant. It can be easily cut or marked
and if bent wrong, it can lose its strength. It cannot be cleaned with liquid
products, the only way would be to brush any dirt marks off. The most effective
method would be to replace the damaged or dirty area.
Cardboard can be installed in many different ways, you can
use the traditional construction methods, such as nails or screws, though less conventionally
cardboard can also be joint using adhesives like glue or sticking tape.
A shop interior in Athens
By Alice Perry
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