Author(s)

Fakhri H. Ibraheem, Roza Muhsin Fathi Shaweas & Safa Mustafa Shakir Mahmood

Abstract

The rate of construction in the Kurdistan region (KRG) has increased through the recent decade due to a wide scope of investments in different projects and especially for residential projects, infrastructure and others. Thermostone block has a good marketing demand in KRG due to its preferable specification low unit weight and exceptional thermal insulation; it is known as light weight concrete. It is used for the inner sections and in conjunction with the various insulation materials. The manufacturing technology of thermostone is not complicated, but there are limited thermostone factories in the Kurdistan region, and mainly all the thermostone construction materials are imported from outside Iraq. So the manufacturing of thermostone locally would have a positive additional value as a result of substituting imported material, providing jobs and the availability of raw materials around Koya city. The idea of this paper is to promote local and foreign investors for the establishment of thermostone factories in Koya city to produce standard blocks and panels. It is found from the study that a 10 ton/day factory capacity is a good startup to produce thermostone. It has a positive economic effect; with a total investment cost: 4404, production cost: 1356, total revenue: 1699, annual profit : 343 and investment payback period: two years and five months. Keywords: thermostone, lightweight concrete, lime, Koya.

Keywords

thermostone, lightweight concrete, lime, Koya