Self-Building Manual For Sustainable Housing

Self-building Manual
for Sustainable Housing

Luís F. Ramos, Thomas Sturm, Diogo Gomes, Paulo Mendonça, Rute Eires, Aires Camões, Paulo B. Lourenço
The University of Minho is current-
ly among the most prestigious Self-building Manual
institutions of higher education in
Portugal, and it has also gradually for Sustainable Housing
come to assert itself on the inter-
national scene. Founded in 1973, the Authors
University's mission is focused on Luís F. Ramos, Thomas Sturm, Diogo Gomes,
the creation, dissemination and Paulo Mendonça, Rute Eires, Aires Camões,
application of knowledge, under the Paulo B. Lourenço
spirit of freedom of thought and
plural critical judgments, through
the promotion of higher education Simple, economical and sustainable
and the construction of a society
paradigm based on humanistic earth technology solution to build
principles, and having knowledge,
creativity and innovation as corner- your own house
stones for growth, sustainable de-
velopment, welfare and solidarity.
Institute for Sustainability

isise and Innovation
in Structural Engineering
The ISISE Institute for Sustainabil-

ity and Innovation in Structural
Engineering and the C-TAC Cen-tre
of Territory Environment and
Construction, are two research
centers of the Civil Engineering De-
partment at the University of Mi-
nho. These centers aim at promot-
ing innovation and sustainability,
with a close link to the con-struction
sector industry. One com-mon field
of work is the study of sustainability
of the built and natu-ral
environment, including sustain-able
housing. In the HiLoTec pro-ject,
which resulted in the present self-
construction manual, the goal was
to combine knowledge and innov- isise
and Innovation
ation as the key ingredients for in Structural Engineering
wealth generation for developing

countries.
Contents
1 | Introduction 5 | Building Walls

1.5 | Introduction 5.2 | Objectives
5.2 | Materials and Tools
2 | Soil Selection 5.3 | Damaged Blocks
2.2 | Objectives 5.4 | 1st Row
2.2 | Materials and Tools 5.5 | 2nd Row
2.3 | Construction Place 5.6 | Construct the Walls
2.4 | Collecting Soil 5.6 | Corners
2.4 | Hand Test of the Soil 5.7 | Meeting of Walls
2.5 | Ball Test of the Soil 5.7 | Corners
2.6 | Cigar Test of the Soil 5.8 | Reinforcement
2.7 | Bottle Test of the Soil 5.9 | Horizontal Course
2.7 | Further Technical Information 5.10 | Construction of Windows
5.11 | Last Row before concrete
5.11 | Reinforcement of Ring Beam
3 | Manufacturing Blocks
5.12 | Concrete Mixture and Formwork
3.2 | Objectives
5.13 | Concrete Formwork
3.3 | Blocks
3.4 | Producing the Blocks 6 | Construction of the Roof
3.5 | Collecting the Soil 6.2 | Objectives
Publisher 6.2 | Materials and Tools
University of Minho Department of Civil Engineering 3.5 | Sieving
3.6 | Mixing Soil, Cement and Water 6.3 | Placement of Purlins
Authors 3.7 | Pressing the Block 6.3 | Construct Wedges
Luís F. Ramos, Thomas Sturm, Diogo Gomes, Paulo Mendonça, 6.4 | Placing the Purlins
Rute Eires, Aires Camões, Paulo B. Lourenço 3.8 | Storing
3.8 | Curing and Drying 6.5 | Roof Structure
Graphic Design 3.9 | Testing the Block 6.6 | Roof Cover
Typeface Design
3.9 | Blocks Results
© 2014 Authors and Publishers
4 | Construction of Foundations
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, 4.2 | Objectives
in any form or by any means without the prior written 4.2 | Materials and Tools
permission of the publisher. 4.3 | Construction Working Plataform
4.4 | First Marking Steps
ISBN 978-972-8692-88-9
4.5 | Second Marking Steps
DL 381778/14 4.6 | Digging
4.7 | Foundation
The Editors, the Authors and the publisher are not responsible 4.7 | Type of Foundation
for the use, which might be made of the following 4.8 | Type of Foundation
information.
4.9 | Location of Reinforcements
September 2014, 90 copies 4.9 | Ground Floor
4.10 | 1st Row
Printed in PORTUGAL 4.11 | Reinforcement
University of Minho Mota-Engil
Introduction | 1.5
The HiLoTec project

Development of a Sustainable Self-Construction System for Developing Countries
The future of the construction industry will require changes at many levels. One is
the ability of companies to adapt to new challenges, converting needs to
opportunities and simultaneously contributing to the solving of social and
environmental problems. In the coming decades we will see a change in attitude
in the industry, with a strong tendency to adopt natural and recycled materials, as
well as bet on green technology and social innovation oriented to emerging
countries.
KITCHEN GARDEN
On the other hand, emerging countries have a high demand for housing
construction on a large scale, but the current techniques in the developed
countries for building requires a large amount of natural resources and skilled
labor. This contextualization brings sustainability problems for the construction
sector in emerging countries, often with scarce natural resources and with the
KITCHEN
construction sector underdeveloped.

WC
Through a cooperative action between the construction company Mota-Engil
Engineering and the University of Minho in Portugal, a construction technology
BEDROOM MAIN ELEVATION was developed based on the use of Compressed Earth Blocks as part of a social
concept for innovative small houses, favoring the adoption of local and natural
materials and with the main premise of being dedicated to self-construction.
The HiLoTec project - Development of a Sustainable Self-Construction System for

Developing Countries was based on this idea. One of the several results of this
BEDROOM project is this construction manual.
To Mota-Engil the project was a platform for incubation of knowledge about earth
TERRACE ROOM construction and to obtain a constructive solution validated technically and
scientifically, suitable to be implemented in the markets where it operates.
ISOLATED HOUSE REAR ELEVATION For the University of Minho the project was an opportunity to strengthen skills in
research, laboratory and scientific development, through the development of
engineering studies, architecture and sustainability, as well as supporting the
doctoral scholarships and dissemination of scientific publications.
May the knowledge of this project be of benefit, in the future, for the welfare of
KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN
those who build a HiLoTec house.

KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
KITCHEN
WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC
BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM
BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM
TERRACE ROOM ROOM TERRACE TERRACE ROOM ROOM TERRACE TERRACE ROOM ROOM TERRACE TERRACE ROOM ROOM TERRACE TERRACE ROOM ROOM TERRACE TERRACE ROOM ROOM TERRACE TERRACE ROOM ROOM TERRACE TERRACE ROOM ROOM TERRACE
ROW-HOUSES
University of Minho Mota-Engil University of Minho Mota-Engil

1 | Introduction
2 | Soil Selection
2.2 | Objectives
2.3 | Construction Place
2.4 | Collecting Soil
2.4 | Hand Test of the Soil
2.5 | Ball Test of the Soil
2.6 | Cigar Test
2.7 | Bottle Test
2.7 | Further Technical Information
5 | Building Walls
6 | Construction of the Roof

info: www.civil.uminho.pt/hilotec
2.2 | Soil Selection Soil Selection | 2.3
Objectives Construction Place

In this Chapter you will learn To construct the house you
how to select the right soil must choose the right place!
for your house!
?
OK!
Materials and Tools
These are the materials and
tools that you will need in
this phase: one bottle, a
shovel, and a hoe.
one bootle shovel hoe

Collecting the soil Ball Test of the Soil

(recommended)
You must collect the soil
below 50 cm of the surface.
1
Generally, the surface soil is 1 Take a portion of soil and
not good for construction. put it in your hand.
2 Add a little bit of water.
3 Make a ball with your
50 cm Bad soil hands.
4 Cut the ball into two parts
with your hands.
Good soil Result

Can you make the ball?
When you cut the ball with
your hands, if it doesn't
Bad soil crumble it is OK (you can use
2 this soil).
Hand Test of the Soil

1 Take some soil and put it in
your hand.
2 Add a little bit of water. 1 2
3 Mix it very well.
4 Smell the soil
5 Clean your hand. 3 4
Result Does it smell like an
organic material or is it hard
to wash your hand? If yes,
the soil is not OK!
(you can t use this soil)
3 4 5
OK!

Cigar test Bottle Test

1 Take some soil and put it in 1 1 2 1 With a bottle of 1.5 L, fill 1/4
your hand. of the bottle with soil
2 Add a little bit of water. without gravel and 3/4
3 Mix all very well. with water.
4 With your hands, make a 2 Shake the bottle very well.
30 cm long "cigar" with 3 Let the bottle rest for 30
2.5 cm of thickness. minutes vertically.
5 Put the "cigar" on a table. 4 Measure the thickness of
6 Push the "cigar" gently with the soil layers.
your hand over the edge
until it breaks off. Results If the sand and gravel
7 Measure the part that is left part is around 3/4 of the soil
on the table. 2 portion the soil is good for
CEB production.
Result Is the part left on the
table between 15 to 25 cm in
length? OK (you can use this
soil)
Note You must repeat this

test a few times 3 4
OK!
1/4
Fines
3 4
3/4
Gravel
and
Sand
100
Sand Gravel
Further Technical
90
80
Information
Percent Finer (%)

5 70
60 The percentage of each
50 material that the soil
40 must have is explained
30
20
in the table.
10 The ideal particle size
0 of the soil is localized
0,001 0,01 0,1 1 10 100
in the orange band of
Particle Size (mm)
the granulometric curve.
cm
OK!
15
Use Clay % Silt % Sand % Gravel %

to
5
Pressed soil blocks 5 - 25 15 - 35 40 - 80 0 - 20

1 | Introduction
2 | Soil Selection
3.2 | Objectives
3.3 | Blocks
3.4 | Producing the Blocks
3.5 | Collecting the Soil
3.5 | Sieving
3.6 | Mixing Soil, Cement and Water
3.7 | Pressing the Block
3.8 | Storing
3.8 | Curing and Drying
3.9 | Testing the Block
3.9 | Blocks Results
5 | Building Walls

3.2 | Manufacturing Blocks Manufacturing Blocks | 3.3
Objectives Blocks
In this Chapter you will learn These are the blocks that you
how to make the blocks for will produce to build your
your house! house!
You will need to make
standard blocks and some
half blocks.
Pay attention to the block
dimensions.
It is very important that you
respect them.
Standard Block Half Block
Materials and Tools

this phase: machine to
produce the blocks, shovel,
hoe, bucket, water, cement,
sieve and plastic sheets to
cover the blocks.
10 mm
10 mm
90 mm
90 mm
280 mm 140 mm 140 mm
140 mm
water bucket plastic to cover the blocks sieve
10 mm
10 mm
90 mm
90 mm
280 mm
140 mm 140 mm
shovel hoe cement machine to produce blocks 140 mm
with HiLoTec mold

Producing the Blocks Collecting the Soil

This is the process that you You must collect the soil
must follow to produce the below 50 cm of the surface.
blocks. Generally, the surface soil is
not good for construction.
1 Collecting the soil
2 Sieving Zone 1 Known as topsoil, the
3 Mixing soil, cement and soil in this zone is likely to
water contain organic matter and
4 Pressing the block is usually dark in colour.
5 Storing
6 Curing and drying Zone 2 Soil in this zone is
likely to be beige in colour
and will be very sticky if it
has a high clay content.
Under wet conditions,
1 2 50 cm Bad
Zone 1
puddles of water will form
on clay soils and the texture
for blocks
Good
will be slippery and easy to
for blocks touch.
Zone 2
Bad
Zone 3 Soil in this zone
for blocks
Zone 3 usually contains sandy soil
which is more difficult to
excavate. It retains no free
water, and will feel gritty.
0,5cm
Sieving
3 4 0,5cm
The sieve must have a net
with 5mm width.
(real size)
max.
7 blocks
5 6

Mixing soil, Pressing the Block

Cement and Water
For the soil mixture you need
1 To utilize the machine you
must:
19 buckets of earth and 1 of 1 Open the lever.
cement. 2 Put the soil inside the
Mix the soil with the cement machine.
and add a bucket of water. 3 Close the lever.
Mix it well! 4 Take out the block
Take a portion of soil and smoothly and laid down
make the ball test, to see if next to the machine in
the you have to put in more columns.
water.
Ball test
1 Take a portion of soil and
put it in your hand.
2 Add a little bit of water.
3 Make a ball with your
hands.
cement (x1) earth (x19)
4 Cut the ball in two parts
with your hands.
Result Can you make the

ball?
When you cut the ball with 2
your hands if it doesn't
crumble, it is OK ( you can
use the mix).
make 3
result = water
(one or more)
repeat
result = OK!

Storing Testing the Blocks

You must stack the blocks a To check if you can use the
maximum of 7 blocks in finished blocks you must do
height and leave at least this test on three blocks
5 cm between each column. from each production batch.
max.
7 blocks
Curing and Drying

For curing and drying, you
must cover the blocks with a
plastic sheet.
After 7 days uncover the
blocks.
After 28 days they are ready
for construction!
Block s Results
OK! If only the tip on which the

blocks fell breaks, the blocks
are OK!

1 | Introduction
2 | Soil Selection
4.2 | Objectives
4.3 | Construction Working Plataform
4.4 | First Marking Steps
4.5 | Second Marking Steps
4.6 | Stackes
4.6 | Dig In
4.7 | Foundation
4.7 | Type of Foundation
4.8 | Type of Foundation
4.9 | Location of Reinforcements
4.9 | Ground Floor
4.10 | 1st Row
4.11 | Reinforcement
5 | Building Walls

4.2 | Construction of Foundations Construction of Foundations | 4.3
Objectives Construction Working

In this Chapter you will learn Platform
how to make the 1 Take a transparent hose
foundations for the walls of with more or less 10 m.
your house!
water level 2 Put clean water inside
the hose.
H1 H2 3 Measure the height H1 and

H2 from the ground.
4 Subtracting H1 from H2
you will get the depth that
you have to dig or fill
Materials and Tools

this phase: cords, tape, some
wood, steel rods of 8mm,
transparent hose, shovel,
hoe, compactor and material
for foundations.
tape cords transparent hose
some wood steel rebars compactor shovel hoe

First Marking Steps Second Marking Steps

1 Mark point 1 with a stake at Stretch the cords between
the recommended distance, the stakes to mark the
D, from the street, given by outline of the walls.
the local authorities. Then mark parallel to the
cords the edges of the
2 Mark point 2 at D meters foundations with the chalk
from the road and 7 m from 1 2 rope on the ground.
point 1. Make sure that the distance
Street of the marked lines towards
3 Mark 6 m between point the nearest cord is always
1 and 2. Then mark one the same.
perpendicular line of 8 m.
The length of the diagonal
must be 10 m.
1 2
6
1 1 2 A
4 From the auxiliary line, 3 4
40
40
7m
D D D
mark point 3 at a distance of
7,98 m from point 1. Street Street
40 294 110 156 40
30 36 6
5 Repeat the process of step 3
266
198
at point 2 and mark point 4.
216
6 Check the diagonals. The 42 72
30
diagonals must have a lenght
22
3 4
34
40
of 10,62 m. 3 B
78 162 40
134
126
112
10m 56
8m 7,98m
84
8
22
C
1 2 1 2
7m 40 294 72 40
22
OK!
798
6m
Street Street
280
256
224
56
84
6
5 6
28
7m
3 4 3 4 D
6
m
86
94
62
294 30 146
,
126
10
40
7,98m 7,98m 7,98m
10
,6
1 2
40
40
2m
E L2
1 2 1 2
6
7m 7m
6 350 154 196 L1
Street Street
700
measures in cm 1 2 3 4

Stakes Foundation
This is how your marking The foundation will protect
should look like before you your house from floods and
start digging. moisture damp.
Pay attention to details.
4
B
E L1
C
L2
D
E L2
L1
1 2 3 4
Digging Type of Foundation

Now it's time to dig! You can choose which kind
You can remove the ropes of foundation you will use,
during this task to be but please respect the
more comfortable, as long dimensions and levels.
as you don t move the Poor Concrete
stakes.
Exterior Damp barrier Cement-earth Compacted earth

rendering 6
10
25
slope
61
ground level
51
55
30
40
measures in cm

Type of Foundation (cont.) Location

of reinforcements
Reinforcements must be
placed in the correct points.
Fired Brick

rendering 8
10
23
slope
ground level
58
54
64
30
5
Ground Floor
Sand or 43
cement layer
You need to compact the soil
inside the house very well
before making the pavement.
You can use for your
pavement the same soil
cement mixture you used to
Stones and produce the blocks.
Poor Concrete Make sure to compact the
soil cement mix again for the
pavement while it is fresh.
rendering 6
10
25
slope
ground level
60
56
66
30
5
Sand or 40
cement layer
measures in cm

1st Row Reinforcement

Location of the reinforcements. Location of the first row of
blocks with reinforcements.

1 | Introduction
2 | Soil Selection
5 | Building Walls
5.2 | Objectives
5.3 | Damaged Blocks
5.4 | 1st Row
5.5 | 2nd Row
5.6 | Construct the Walls
5.6 | Corners
5.7 | Meeting of Walls
5.7 | Corners
5.8 | Reinforcement
5.9 | Horizontal Course
5.10 | Construction of Windows
5.11 | Last Row before concrete
5.11 | Reinforcement of Ring Beam
5.12 | Concrete Mixture and Formwork
5.13 | Concrete Formwork

5.2 | Building Walls Building Walls | 5.3
Objectives Damaged Blocks

In this Chapter you will learn Do not use damaged blocks
how to build the walls of to build your house!
your house!
Materials and Tools

this phase: cement, wire,
sand, gravel, wood for
formwork, staples, water,
some paper or newspaper
and the blocks.
plier halfblocks blocks cement water steel wood for

(500) (7000) rebars formwork
staples wire sand coarse paper or

aggregates newspaper

1st Row 2nd Row

The first row of the walls is Then comes the second row...
very important for the
construction of the house!
The exact geometry of this
row will help to laid down
the upper blocks in courses,
avoiding cracks, and helping
the passage of steel rebars
through the holes.

Construct the Walls Meeting of walls

To construct the walls Meeting of division walls.
correctly, it's very important
that the blocks follow the
pattern.
Corners
Corners for division walls.
Corners
Corners for division walls
with reinforcements.

Reinforcement Horizontal Course

In the spots marked in the Every 5th row you must lay a
plan you will place the steel horizontal course
reinforcement rebars for perpendicular to the wall!
your house.
Horizontal Course
Pay attention to the
locations of the
perpendicular rows!
15 cm

Construction of Windows Last Row before concrete

Seal each hole, which has no
The windows of your house steel bar, tightly with paper
should start at the 12th row or newspaper to save
and go until the top of the 12th row 12th row concrete.
masonry walls. Don't seal the holes with
steel rebars!
Reinforcements
of ring beam
The longitudinal
reinforcements of the ring
beam are of 10mm diameter,
while the stirrups are of
6mm steel rebars laid every
wood (formwork) Ø10mm
20cm.
Ø6mm
28cm
2cm 24cm 2cm
staples
2cm 11cm 2cm

15cm
4Ø10mm
20cm
Ø6@20cm
wood
(formwork)

Concrete Mixture Concrete Formwork

and Formwork
The formwork can be taken
To make the concrete use the off after 7 days of curing.
following ratio: 1 part of During this 7 days period,
cement, 2 parts of sand, and the concrete should remain
3 parts of coarse aggregates. covered by plastic sheets.
Add the necessary water to
mix well.
Before pouring the concrete

into the ring beam's
formwork, make sure that
the reinforcements have
been laid in place.
Shake the concrete with a

rod, to eliminate possible air
bubbles in the concrete.

1 | Introduction
2 | Soil Selection
5 | Building Walls

6.2 | Objectives
6.3 | Placement of Purlins
6.3 | Construct Wedges
6.4 | Placing the Purlins
6.5 | Roof Structure
6.6 | Roof Cover

6.2 | Construction of the Roof Construction of the Roof | 6.3
Objectives Placement of Rafters

In this Chapter you will and Purlins
learn how to build the roof
1 Level the last row with
of your house!
cement mortar, to obtain an
inclined plane.
2 Make inclined 10mm holes
into the rafters in those
places where the steel bars
will pass.
3 Once the rafters are put in
place, the steel bars are bent
to form a hook.
4 Finally, place the purlins in
Rafters Purlins a perpendicular direction to
the rafters.
Detail of Connection
The connection of the
Connector
Purlin
7,5cm (5x5cm2)
purlins to the rafters are
(10x7,5cm2) 5cm Concrete made with nails.
10cm
nails Mortar
10cm
Rafter
20cm
(10x7,5cm2)
Materials and Tools

nails
this phase: wood, galvanized
metal sheets, roll top ridge,
roofing nails and nails.
saw hammer sand nails

(15cm)
wood galvanized metal sheets cement water

Placing the Purlins Connect the rebar to the rafter

with nails and a hook Roof Structure
Place the purlin on the roof. Concrete mortar This is how your house
First nail the purlin of the should look like, once your
Connector Purlin
top and bottom to the rafter. 2
roof structure is finished.
(5x5cm )
Then work your way up. (10x7,5cm )
2
Don't forget to also place the

connectors on each side of
the rafters.
Rafter
(10x7,5cm2)
Concrete
beam
(15x28cm2)
798cm
700cm

Roof Cover Roof Cover

Fix the roof sheets to the Congratulations, the house
purlins by placing roofing structure is finished. This is
nails every 50 cm on each how your house should look
purlin. The corrugation of before putting in the doors
the sheets has to face and windows!
downwards. Finally, lay
down the roll top ridge and
nail both overlapping sheets
simultaneously.

Mota-Engil Group is engaged in a
wide range of activities related to
Engineering and Construction, the
Environment and Services, Con-
cessions of Transport Infrastruc-
tures and Mining. Mota-Engil's
commitment to quality and the
established goals, its growing pres-
ence on the international scene,
and the diversity of services guar-
anteed through the technical skill
demonstrated on each project ha-
ve enabled the Group to build and
maintain a reputation for excel-
lence in each market where it is
working all over the world.
The purpose of the Portuguese

Manuel António da Mota Founda-
tion is to promote, develop and
support initiatives with social
nature in the fields of welfare and
social responsibility, as well as ini-
tiatives of cultural nature in the
fields of education, health, envi-
ronment, organization and sup-
port of artistic activities. The
Foundation acts in Portugal and in
all countries where the Mota-Engil
Group has stablished economic
actions. Furthermore, the foun-
dation established the annual
"Prize Manuel António da Mota",
which is one of the most distin-
Self-building Manual guish Portuguese prizes in the field
for Sustainable Housing of social responsibility. With the
HiLoTec self-construction manual,
the Foundation aims to increase
the interaction with developing
countries, as well as with ONGs all
around the world.
Simple, economical and sustainable

earth technology solution to build
your own house
This self-building manual for dwelling houses is one of the results
of the HiLoTec Project - Development of a Sustainable Self-
Construction System for Developing Countries, carried out by
University of Minho, Portugal, and Mota-Engil S.A. Construction
Group, between 2010 and 2013. The project aim was to develop
simple but innovative construction technologies for the
sustainable self-construction of small buildings in developing
countries, including those with seismic hazard.
The construction technology combines both natural and

traditional building materials with more advanced construction
techniques. Sustainability and low cost housing were the main
objectives for the HiLoTec project. The self-construction manual
can be used by rural or urban families with lower incomes in
developing countries, which need better houses for living.
Therefore, the HiLoTec self-building manual addresses a building
system which is economically competitive with current systems
and more sustainable from the energy point of view.
University of Minho and Mota-Engil S.A. wishes that this manual

will bring to the world a higher living standard for those who will
construct the HiLoTec houses, bearing in mind that construction
sustainability and the social responsibility will always be part of
human kind development.


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Self-building Manual

for Sustainable Housing

Institute for Sustainability

The ISISE Institute for Sustainabil-

ation as the key ingredients for in Structural Engineering

wealth generation for developing

1 | Introduction 5 | Building Walls

The HiLoTec project

construction sector underdeveloped.

The HiLoTec project - Development of a Sustainable Self-Construction System for

those who build a HiLoTec house.

University of Minho Mota-Engil University of Minho Mota-Engil

6 | Construction of the Roof

Institute for Sustainability

Objectives Construction Place

one bootle shovel hoe

University of Minho Mota-Engil University of Minho Mota-Engil

Collecting the soil Ball Test of the Soil

Good soil Result

Hand Test of the Soil

University of Minho Mota-Engil University of Minho Mota-Engil

Cigar test Bottle Test

Note You must repeat this

Percent Finer (%)

Use Clay % Silt % Sand % Gravel %

Pressed soil blocks 5 - 25 15 - 35 40 - 80 0 - 20

University of Minho Mota-Engil University of Minho Mota-Engil

6 | Construction of the Roof

Institute for Sustainability

Standard Block Half Block

Materials and Tools

280 mm 140 mm 140 mm

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Producing the Blocks Collecting the Soil

University of Minho Mota-Engil University of Minho Mota-Engil

Mixing soil, Pressing the Block

Result Can you make the

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Storing Testing the Blocks

Curing and Drying

OK! If only the tip on which the

University of Minho Mota-Engil University of Minho Mota-Engil

6 | Construction of the Roof

Institute for Sustainability

Objectives Construction Working

H1 H2 3 Measure the height H1 and

Materials and Tools

tape cords transparent hose

some wood steel rebars compactor shovel hoe

University of Minho Mota-Engil University of Minho Mota-Engil

First Marking Steps Second Marking Steps

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Digging Type of Foundation

Exterior Damp barrier Cement-earth Compacted earth

University of Minho Mota-Engil University of Minho Mota-Engil

Type of Foundation (cont.) Location

Exterior Damp barrier Cement-earth Compacted earth

University of Minho Mota-Engil University of Minho Mota-Engil

1st Row Reinforcement

University of Minho Mota-Engil University of Minho Mota-Engil

Institute for Sustainability

Objectives Damaged Blocks

Materials and Tools