LOW COST TECHNIQUES

BYSONIKA AGARWAL PRIYANK JAUHARI SWATI VERMA GAURAV AGARWAL

 When a dwelling unit whose total cost is deemed to be affordable to a group of people within a specified range of income are termed as low cost dwellings or affordable dwellings. For such construction we need low cost or affordable materials. These can be broadly categorized under locally available materials as they reduce material cost without compromise in quality and strength. Then techniques play its role in compiling these materials in order to achieve its product. Building can be divided in broadly two parts- substructure and super structure. Techniques for achieving low cost structures include attention at some levels At Planning level itself In material selection and its implementation In type of construction and techniques At execution level at last SUPER STRUCTURE

FOUNDATION

While planning a low cost unit one must look forward for surrounding atmospheric conditions. Planning based in favor of microclimate and natural conditions results in human thermal comfort. It cut shorts other use of artificial means of comfort. It should be climate responsive architecture to achieve low cost conditions. Building orientation, room planning, opening planning etc.all these must be taken in consideration.

All these foundations are designed as per soil conditions..

But when soil has high bearing capacity then for G+1 brick foundation can be preferred rather then always going for RCC foundations. Brick or stone foundation at shallow depth can save cost of steel, cement, sand and aggregate but not compromise strength. Arch foundation It reduces the construction cost up to 40%. Advantage of this is in soft soils that the depth of foundation can be greatly reduced: disadvantage is that the end piers have to be specially strengthened by buttresses so as to avoid the thrust to arch action tending to rapture the piers junction.

It is recommended to adopt 1 ft. height above ground level for the plinth and may be constructed with a cement mortar of 1:6. The plinth slab of 4 to 6 which is normally adopted can be avoided and in its place brick on edge can be used for reducing the cost. By adopting this procedure the cost of plinth foundation can be reduced by about 35 to 50%

Brick Jali Can Be Used Instead Of Parapet Wall Or Boundary Walls.. Lets Watch Out For Some Examples

Ferro cement channel / shell unit

Jack arch roof / floor

For a simple house with G+1 storeys we can avoid framed structure concept of building houses, wherever possible . We can use load bearing wall concept using bricks/ fly ash bricks. RAT TRAP bond technique instead of conventional English bond technique. RAT TRAP wall is same as conventional wall in terms of strength and stability but also provides better protection against moisture ingress in to buildings ,they also offer thermal comfort and better protection against noise pollution .This type of Bond results in around 30 % savings in cost of bricks using conventional English Bond technique. If bricks and the mortar joints are laid properly we can avoid external plastering also as this type of bond gives better elevation.

This Technology Has About 25% Overall-saving On Cost Of A Building Of Traditional 9 Construction . With Conventional English Bond (9 Thk Wall) 350 Bricks Are Required Per Cu. M Where As In Rat Trap Bond Only 280 Bricks Are Required.

Outer wall can be cavity wall to provide insulation from exterior heat penetration wherever possible. It prevents building fromHeat penetration Dampness entry Sound penetration

Ashlar Stone Masonry. Rubble Stone Masonry

This Technique Is Suitable In Areas Where Stones And Aggregates For The Blocks Are Available Locally At Cheaper Rates.

 In Plane Area, Where Mud Is Easily Available , The Mud Blocks Are Used As Well As Sun Dried Brick.

Materials For Sun Dried

Mud (Type Of Mud) Lime Cement (Less Amount) Fly ash / Stone Durt

Bricks made by mixing lime and fly ash are therefore, chemically bonded bricks. The bricks are manufactured with the help of hydraulic press and are dried in the autoclave. These bricks have various advantages over the clay bricks, It possesses adequate crushing strength, uniform shape, smooth finish and does not require plastering and also are lighter in weight than ordinary clay bricks.

Making of pole working as columns

Making of skeleton of building

Straw filler working as wall

Plaster it with cement sand mixture

MAJOR BAMBOO GROWING REGIONS / STATES AREA (%) North East 28.0 Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra 9.9 Orissa 8.7 Andhra Pradesh 7.4 Karnataka 5.5 Other States 20.2 (Kerala, UP, Jharkhand, West Bengal) Characteristics affecting usefulness of bamboo as construction material Their strength Straightness Lightness with hardness Low shrinkage India is home to almost 45 % of world's bamboo forests. 66 20.3

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Bamboo Raw Material to Finished Product

Bamboo Natures Gift [A material for cost effective and disaster resistant housing] As a Raw Material Properties: 1. High tensile strength 2. Very good weight to strength ratio 3. Pressure tolerance upto 3656 kg/cm2 4. Easy to handle with simple tools 5. Renewable raw material Building Material 1. Environment friendly 2. Energy efficient 3. Cost effective

Treatment & Preservation Preservation (Traditional methods): Curing; Smoking; Soaking; Seasoning Chemical Treatment: Boric acid; Borax; Boron; (Dip diffusion or modified Boucherie processes)

Weaknesses 1. Has short durability compared to wood 2. High moisture and starch content 3. Prone to fungi and beetle attach 4. Service life of untreated bamboo 4-6 years in exposed conditions

Mechanical Process for Cutting, slicing, knot removing and slivering

Hot Processing and Binding

Mat weaving from Slivers

Composite Building Materials Bamboo roofing Bamboo Lumber Bamboo based shutters Bamboo flooring Bamboo House

Pre-fab Double walled technology

Material used are Bamboo Mat Board for walling, Bamboo Roofing with steel framed structure.

Salient features are ease in transportation, speedy erection at a reasonable cost.

Most suitable for emergency structures during post disaster events.

Material used are Bamboo columns, Bamboo grid walls, Bamboo Roofing, bamboo composite beams with steel and bamboo and bamboo composite slab. Development of this technology will enable construction of two storey houses in the bamboo growing regions.

Salient Features of the StructuresBamboo posts Bamboo grid ferrocement walls Bamboo trusses and purlins Bamboo Mat Corrugated Sheet Roofing

Prefabrication can also serve as low cost technique in mass construction.

Floor slab

Facade panel

Hollow planks

Prefab brick arch panel