Ecological and inexpensive building materials proved again this year how strong they are in withstanding hurricanes, according to a survey conducted in this city, 268 km from Havana. “We found that none of the more than 200 roofs constructed with microcement tiles along the north coast suffered damage from Hurricane Dennis last July,” professor Fernando Martirena, assistant director of the Central University of Las Villas's materials and structural research, CIDEM, told Tierramérica.

The roofing tiles are made from sand, conventional cement, water and galvanized wire in small workshops dedicated to producing environmentally friendly building materials, part of an international cooperation project led by CIDEM.

Martirena said the eco-materials withstood several hurricanes, unlike asbestos cement in the wavy sheets of roofing commonly used in this area.