SimpleActionFortheEnvironment(SAFE)

Registeredunder:NiraporthBangladeshSongstha(SafeBangladeshOrganisation,SBO), SundarbanVillage,PO:Ramdubihat,Upuzila:SadarDinajpur.

HousingandHazards
www.housingandhazards.org

Casestudy:constructionoframmedearthhouse
13June2011 Introduction Thiscasestudydocumentstheconstructionofaruralhouse,usingrammedearth constructiontechnique,whichtookplaceduringJune2011.Ithasbeenundertakenwith supportfromtheAustralianHighCommission,BritishWomensAssociationandHousing andHazards.Itdetailsourparticipatoryapproachandprovidestechnicalinformationabout ourtechniquesandtheassociatedcosts. SAFEisasmallNGOworkingintheDinajpurdistrictofBangladeshto: Reducethevulnerabilityoflowincomehouseholdstoenvironmentalhazardssuchasflooding andstrongwinds. Wedothisthroughpromotingimprovedandappropriatehousebuildingtechniquesusing cheap,locallyavailablematerials,andenvironmentalinitiativessuchastreeplanting.With strongerhousesthatlastlonger,householdsinthelongrunsavetimeandmoneyandare lessvulnerabletoenvironmentalhazards. Weaimtoincreasecommunityselfreliancebycreatingskilledandinformedlocalbuilders, craftsmenandhouseowners.Wedothisthroughaprogrammeofworkshops,construction ofdemonstrationhousesandmaterialsubsidies.
SundarbanUnion

NorthernBangladesh

ParticipatoryApproach Werecognisetheimportanceofparticipationifournewtechniquesaregoingtobe acceptedandspreadwithinthelocalpopulation.Thishousehasbeenbuiltthrougha partnershipbetweenSAFEandthehousehold.Bothpartiescontributedlabourand materialsinanapproximately50/50split.Thissplitwasagreedattheoutsetandasimple handwrittencontactoutliningeachpartysresponsibilitieswassigned. Thesizeandtypeofhousewasdecidedbythehouseholdbasedonavailablematerialsand spacerequirements. Thehouseincludedsomenewtechniquesandwemadesurethatthehouseholdand buildersunderstoodthesefully.Aspartofthisweorganiseda1daybuildingforsafety workshopforhouseholdsinthelocalarea,studentsandlocalbuilders.Theseworkshops includedpracticaldemonstrationofthesenewtechniques. ImprovedConstructionTechniques ThehousehasbeenbuiltwiththehouseholdofUdoiandDoiyaRaniRoyinBaniarPara, Sundarbanvillage,Dinajpur.Thehousewasbuilttoreplaceanexistingsleepingroom whichwasinpoorcondition.Thehousecomprisesofoneroomofoutsidedimensions 17.5ftby8.5ft.Thehouseisbuiltonbrickfoundations.Thestructureismaderammedearth withbambooreinforcement.Theroofisofhipped(chochala)constructionandmadewith bambooframeandcorrugatediron(CI)sheet.SAFEhasusedaddedseverallowcost improvementstothistraditionalhouseandtheseareasfollows: RefertoconstructiondrawingsinAppendixA. Foundation Alayerofplasticsheethasbeenusedtoprovideadampprooflayerbetweenthetopofthe brickfoundationandthemudwalls. Walls
Casestudy:constructionofimprovedruralhouseinDinajpur,Bangladesh MapofSundarbanUnionshowinglocationof demonstrationhouse

Verticalandhorizontalbambooreinforcementused. Wallsaremadeusedrammedearthwithcementstabilisedmud,atechniqueswhichmake thewallmuchstrongerandmoreresistanttowater.Themudwasmixedwith5%cement 1,2 (refertofootnotesformoreinformationonthistechnique).Cementstabilisedearthwas usedonlyforthebottom6ft(bottomtwolayers)ofthewallabovethis,protectionfrom rainisgivenbytheroofoverhang. Theformswereconstructedonsiteofdimensions68x3withmadeusing1.5thktimber boards.Seepictures. Anoverhanginglayerofbrickshasbeenbuiltintothewallapproximatelyhalfwayup.Any waterwhichcomesintocontactwiththewallabovethesebrickswilldripclearofthelower sectionofthewallreducingdamage. Ventilation3windowsandventilationholeshavebeenusedtoprovideadequate ventilationwithinthehouse. Abambooringbeamhasbeenconsutructedatthetopofthewallsfixedtothevertical reinforcement. Roof Theroofissecuredtothewallsusingthebambooverticalreinforcement.Overhangof approx2isgiventogiveadequateprotectionfromrain.Nylonropehasbeenusedover juteropeforitslongevity. Costs Acostcomparisonhasbeencarriedoutbetweentherammedearthandbrickwalledhouse. Itisassumedthatthefoundationsandroof,andothercostssuchasthedoorandwindow
1Iftekar,K.A.HandbookonDesignandConstructionofHousingforFloodProneRuralAreasofBangladesh,

Formworkfixingdetail(takenfromBuildingwith Earth,ahandbookseefootnote1)

2Norton,J.BuildingwithEarth,AHandbook,PracticalAction,1997

ADPC2005.Availableatwww.sheltercentre.org

Casestudy:constructionofimprovedruralhouseinDinajpur,Bangladesh

Dampproofcoursebetweenbrickfoundationandearth wall

framestobeofsimilarconstructionandsohavebeendiscounted.Itisalsoassumedthatthe householdcanprovide34labourersduringconstructionatnocost,howeverskilledlabour forthesettingoftherammedearthformworkwillberequiredandisincluded. RefertothecostcomparisoninAppendixB.Thetotalcostoftherammedearthwallscomes Tk12,769or28Tkpersqft.Thebrickwallcostcomesto51Tk/sqftapprox55%ofthecost ofusingbrickwallconstruction. Formoreinformationcontact: AzitRoy,T:+880(0)1726007343,E:azit_sorkar@yahoo.com JohnArnold,T:+880(0)1753858660E:johnarnold700@yahoo.co.uk IntheUK: RobertHodgson(HousingandHazards),T:+44(0)1884821239 R.L.P.Hodgson@exeter.ac.uk

Archedwindowsformedusingbricks

Singlelayerofprotrudingbricksprovideextra protectiontoerosionfromrainwater.

Floorstructureforloftstorage+bambooringbeam

Casestudy:constructionofimprovedruralhouseinDinajpur,Bangladesh

Casestudy:constructionofimprovedruralhouseinDinajpur,Bangladesh

AppendixAconstructiondrawings

Casestudy:constructionofimprovedruralhouseinDinajpur,Bangladesh

AppendixBCostcomparisonofcementstabilisedrammedearthagainstbrickwall

Casestudy:constructionofimprovedruralhouseinDinajpur,Bangladesh

Budgetcostforstandardbrick/cementwall
Assumptions Foundationsareassumedtobesameasmudblockwallandarenotincluded RClintelisaddedforstability Plasterforonesideisincluded Lowestqualitybricksused Bricksize Standardbricksize=25x7.5x12cms inclmortarjoint=26x8.5x13cms Convert 25 9.8 in 7.5 3.0 in 12 4.7 in Volumeof1brickwithoutmortarcourse Volumeof1brickwithmortarcourse

26 8.5 13

10.2 in 3.3 in 5.1 in 0.079 cuft 0.10 cuft

Cement Costofcement50kgbag Converttovolume@1500kg/m3 converttocuft@1m3=35.32cuft Labour Skilledeg.mason Labourer

360 Tk 0.033223 m3 1.172757 cuftper50kgbag

200 Tk/day 120 Tk/day

SizeofWall Planarea Volumeofwall Calculateno.bricks Brickvolumeincl.mortarjointfromabove Totalbricks Costofbricks@Tk5/brick Mortar Sand 1traileratTk400/load Useruleofthumb0.3m3mortarper1000bricks Volumeofmortar Converttocuft@1m3=35.32cuft Volumeofcement@1:4 No.bagscement Costofcement(usingrateabove) Labourlayingbricks say3daysformason(Tk200/day)andlabourer(Tk120/d

10.63 sqft 95.63 cuft

0.10 cuft 942 no. 4712 Tk

100 Tk

0.28 10.0 2.0 1.7 613

m3 cuft cuft no. Tk

960 Tk

Plaster Cementsay1.5bags@360/bag Sand(useloadfrombefore) Laboursay1mason,1labourerfor2days Lintel MSReinforcement,8kg@Tk44/kg Tyingwire Cementsay1bag@Tk360/bag Brickchips(80no.bricks@Tk4/brick) Sand Laboursay y1mason, ,1labourerfor1day y Totalcost Totalwalllength Wallheight Area Costpersqft.

540 Tk 100 Tk 690 Tk

352 70 360 320 100 320

Tk Tk Tk Tk Tk Tk

8278 Tk 18 9 162 51 ft ft sqft Tk/sqft

CostofRammedEarthTechnique Unstabilisedmud
Assumptions Assumehousesizeof8.5ftx17.5ftwith9fthighwalls Shutteringcostnotincluded Scoffoldingcostnotincluded Assumeconstructionin3'layers Assumethatin3days,2menwillconstruct1layer Use1skilledlabourand1labourer Householdisrequiredtoprepareandcarryearthandassisstwith ramming2/3peoplefordurationofconstruction Earthisassumedtobeavaialblelocallywithnotransportcosts. Anyminorrepair/finishingtobedonebyhousehold Labour Skilled 200 Labourer 120 Totaldailycostoflabour 320 No.oflayers 3 No.ofdaysforconstruction* 11 *Assume2extradaysasworkslowsontoplayerandtoconstruct windows. Totallabourcost 3520 Bambooforreinforcement Costofconsumerbleseg.ropeforshutters Totalcost Unitcost Totallenthofwall Heigthofwall Areaofwall Costperftofwall

Extracostofcementstabilisation
Assumptions Onlybottom2layersarestabilisedastoplayerwillbeprotectedby roofoverhang Wallis10"thick 12extralabourersrequiredduringconstructionassume1ispaid @120Tk/dayandoneisprovidedbyhousehold Cementcost volumeofwalls= assumecompactionof volumeofearth volumeofcement@5% volumeof50kgbagcement totalcementrequired Costperbag Totalcostofcement Extralabour No.daysofconstruction Labourcost Totalcost 1500 Tk 500 Tk 5520 Tk Unitcost Totallenthofwall Heithofwall Areaofwall Costperftofwall Totalcostrammedearth+stabilisation UnitCost Totallenthofwall Heightofwall Areaofwall Costperftofwall

Tk/day Tk/day Tk no. days

250 1.5 375 18.75 1.17 16 370 5929

cuft. cuft. cuft. cuft/bag bags Tk Tk

11 days 1320 Tk 7249 Tk

Tk

50 9 450 16

ft ft sqft Tk/ft

50 9 450 12

ft ft sqft Tk/ft

12769 Tk

50 9 450 28

ft ft sqft Tk/sqft