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Eco Friendly Building Materials
Eco Friendly Building Materials
The materials that are obtained from Nature are the ones which do not harm the environment when they
degrade, and they are designed in such a way that the temperature is maintained within the building made out of
them.
Such materials are earth, wood, stone, thatch etc.
These materials are abundantly available on the face of the earth. They are all renewable sources. They do not
cause any harm to the earth and their construction techniques are easy.
The main cause for not using materials like glass, cement, concrete, P.V.C, plastic etc is that they
increase the surrounding temperature and when their debris is dumped in the earth they cause harm
to Her. We could use materials which are climatically viable that do not cause rise in temperature in
hot and dry climates of countries like India. Such materials are used in cold countries help in
trapping heat and keeping the interiors warm.
On 11th September 2001, when world trade centre collapsed due to the terrorist plane attack, the
major problem of the bodies helping in cleaning up was where to dump the debris.
Cement concrete roads which Surat boasts of today is surprisingly hotter than the interior parts despite of
being on the seashore and a river flowing through its heart. Cement concrete roads become harder as timepasses.
They have a smooth surface so the friction is also less. Hence the chances of vehicle skidding is more on cement
roads than the tar roads. Tar roads, which are nothing but burnt rubber and of elastic nature provide more friction.
In Surat all the old buildings which have tarnished walls, have been replaced with glass panels today. These
panels reflect light on the roads and increase the surrounding temperature.
As far as architecture is concerned, ancient Indian Architecture which used eco friendly materials and
techniques and these techniques are used by other countries to improve their style of architecture today.
The techniques of using eco friendly materials like earth and wood(bamboo) are discussed below
The transfer of loads always takes the shape of catenary curves, and
assumes, and assumes the most direct way.
The vault being built with horizontal courses, rises like a corbel
inclined as the radius of the curve.
Temperature reinforcement using 4 or 6 mm steel is used for the screed concrete over the bricks. Care should be taken to provide negative
reinforcement.
Can be precast. (Steel rods are placed inside the hollow Hurdi Tile and the gap is filled with
concrete).
In Mysore, mud centering is a common practice. This is ideal for filler slab. It is not possible to
insure a perfect plane with any other centering.
BAMBOO
Roofing is an essential ingredient of any house and in India several roof cladding materials are in use including burnt clay mangalore
tiles, thatch, corrugated sheet of Galvanized Iron, aluminium and Asbestos Cement, etc. Of
these, for semi permanent structures corrugated sheets are preferred. However, one of the
major roofing materials, viz., ACS are being replaced with other alternative materials in
many countries.
The main raw material for the production of Bamboo Mat Corrugated Sheet (BMCS) is
bamboo, which is the fastest growing plant and occurs naturally in the forests and is also
suitable for plantation even over degraded lands. For manufacturing BMCS, bamboo is to be
converted into mats that are hand woven by rural/tribal people, particularly women. Thus, the
product is both environment and people friendly. The technology for manufacture of. has been transferred to an entrepreneur. A
commercial plant has been set up at Burnihat, Meghalaya for production of 3000- 4000 sheets per month. A 6-day light hot press has
been installed at Burnihat under the funding from Ministry of Enyironment & Forests and the cost of balance equipment has been met
by the entrepreneur. Trial production has already been undertaken and products have been tested successfully.
THICKNESS
mm
WIDTH
mm
MAX.
LOAD
N
LOAD BEARING
CAPACITY
N/mm
Bamboo Mat
Corrugated
Sheet
(4-Layers)
3.7
400
1907
4.77
WEIGHT OF
SHEET
(1.05 M x 1.8 m)
Kgs.
7.2
G.I. Sheet
0.6
400
1937
4.84
7.7
Aluminium
Sheet
0.6
405
669
1.67
2.9
ACCS
330
1800
5.45
15.85
BAMBOO
DETAIL OF
BAMBOO ROOFING
FLOORING
PRODUCTS
Why bamboo?
Bamboo is a premium, pre-finished, engineered hardwood flooring product. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, bamboo
strips are processed into multi-layered, tongue-and-groove floor planks. Bamboo flooring meets or exceeds the performance of traditional
hardwood flooring, and can be specified as a direct replacement. The product is of the highest quality and hardest available on the market.
Bamboo flooring is hardwood flooring made from bamboo stalks. It is an engineered product that utilizes state-of-the-art manufacturing
equipment to process bamboo strips into multi-layered, tongue-and-groove pre-finished bamboo floor planks.
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The premium quality pre-finished product arrives to your job site directly from the factory in China, the recognized worldwide leader in
bamboo flooring. This benefits the environment as there is less transportation and warehousing involved. The mission is to help preserve
the environment by encouraging eco-friendly harvesting, processing, and finishing that are non-toxic and waste-free.
Why bamboo flooring?
Bamboo is an affordable, attractive, eco-friendly, and durable alternative to traditional hardwood flooring. According to the National
Hardwood Flooring Association, natural bamboo flooring is 10% harder than red oak hardwood flooring.
Why is bamboo flooring "eco-friendly"?
The Moso bamboo utilized is actually a quick growing grass species (Phyllostachys Heterocycla Pubescens Ohwi). Harvested from
government authorized locations within Hunan Province, China, the bamboo plants take only 5 - 6 years to reach maturity. Because it is a
harvested grass that continually regenerates, bamboo is considered a renewable and sustainable resource. Bamboo is an environmentally
responsible alternative to traditional hardwoods.
SIZES
Code
Type
Length
Width
Thick
PF-HG-A
Horizontal Grain
36-1/2"
4-3/4"
5/8"
PF-HG-B
Horizontal Grain
36"
3-5/8"
5/8"
PF-VG-B
Vertical Grain
36"
3-5/8"
5/8"
COLOURS
Bamboo is produced in a range of attractive colours. A natural darkening process known as "carbonization" is used, where steam is
applied during manufacturing. The resulting heat carbonizes the sugar components of the bamboo stalks, altering their colour as desired.
The quality of pre-finished flooring is available in 3 unique colours; Natural Blonde, Tahitian Tan, and Gingersnap Brown.
What type of adhesive is used during the lamination process?
The unique proprietary non-toxic adhesive has been officially certified* by the National Research Center of Testing Techniques for
Building Materials in China. The independent examination concluded that the practically formaldehyde-free adhesive is six times better
than the strict European Building Standard, for chemical off-gassing. According to the stringent standard, the maximum allowable
formaldehyde off-gas component is 1.50 milligrams/liter. The N.R.C. independent test indicated that the adhesive off-gassed less than
0.25 milligrams/liter.
The adhesive has an extremely high tolerance to climatic and humidity changes.
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* (ref: National Research Center of Testing Techniques for Building Materials - File #200251526, Jan-2003)
How is bamboo flooring installed?
Bamboo flooring installs just like traditional tongue-and-groove solid hardwood flooring. Any professional flooring installer can easily
install with excellent results.
Horizontal Grain Construction - features a distinct traditional bamboo "knuckle" characteristic that
repeats naturally throughout the planks.
Horizontal Grain
Vertical Grain Construction - features a clean, contemporary characteristic with the appearance of
long, flowing, linear hardwood grain.
Vertical Grain
What type of floor finish (pre-finish) is used?
The solid planks are pre-finished with a 6 stage, water-based, UV-cured acrylic urethane. Manufactured in Germany by Treffert, this is a
high quality product that will perform well for many years.
Is it possible to re-finish bamboo?
Yes, the bamboo flooring can be refinished at some time in the future. Solid bamboo flooring planks can typically be re-finished up to 3
times.
Can bamboo flooring be installed over "in-floor" radiant heating?
Yes, because of its natural dimensional stability, it is perfectly suited for installation over "in-floor" radiant heating.
FINISH
Bamboo solid flooring planks are pre-finished with a 6 stage UV-cured, water-based, German-manufactured aluminum oxide coating.
This premium product is extremely durable, non-off-gassing, and features a contemporary matte finish.
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ACCESSORIES
In addition to standard tongue-and-groove floor planks, colour-matched, pre-finished accessories are available including:
stair treads
risers
nosing
reducers
t-mold
quarter rounds
CONCLUSION
Hence we can see here how the different techniques that are used to save energy should become mandatory for our future generations to
survive. Ultimately the more sustainable approach we have towards the creation of buildings, the more we will be able to sustain
ourselves. We can also use all the other eco friendly or renewable sources of energy. Other renewable sources are solar energy, greenery,
wind energy, water. Countries like Germany get 2 months of sunlight and can make th3e maximum use of it then think of how much we
could utilize the solar energy and progress. We could use the non renewable sources of energy optimally so that they sustain for a longer
period of time and also cause less pollution to the Mother Nature.
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