Low Cost Construction Methods

Building Materials

NATURAL
 NATURAL
Strawbale or Fibres Stabilised Soil

● Ancient construction material used in

many countries

● Have both strength and durability

● Compacted material

● 1% of straw increases the strength by

three time as compared to no straw

● Coconut fibres increases the durability

● Sulphur coating enhances the water

Enhancing durability of adobe by natural reinforcement
resistance
 NATURAL
Bamboo

● Easily affordable

● Easy assembly and long durability

● High tensile strength, than steel

● Fire resistant unto 4000 deg C

● High elasticity hence used in earthquake

prone areas

● Low weight –easy for transportation and

assembly
 NATURAL
Compressed Earth Block

● Raw earth stabilised by cement or lime

● Also known as Adobe bricks ,light in

weight

● Non toxic

● Fire resistant ,Sound resistant

● Low transportation cost

● Insect resistant as they are very dense

● Available in customizable sizes

● Used in stucco work for exteriors

 NATURAL
NON-ERODIBLE MUD PLASTER

• Economical process of preventing mud walls

from erosion

• Mud mixed with bitumen and kerosene oil

• Resistant to water

STRAW

• Fire resistant

• Thermal insulation

• Soil and Moisture insulation

• Non toxic
 NATURAL
CEMENT COMPOSITES

Bagasse Cement- Boards and Panels Jute-Coir Composites

• Fibrous matter after sugar is extracted Economic alternative for wood

• Sugarcane bagasse and Portland cement is Eg- coir ply boards with jute face veneer, coir
mixed plus waste rubber inside Coconut and Wooden
Chips Roofing Chips
• High density boards
Coconut fibres and wood chips soaked in
Bagasse PVC Boards
water for 2 hours and then drained off o Mixed
Sugarcane bagasse and PVC is mixed as a with cement and layed over corrugated mould
binder kept under pressure for 8-10 hours. CNSL oil
can also be used as a natural binder
• Inherent self extinguishing property. Used in
door shutters, sanitary fixtures, pipes, cable,
cabinets
 MAN MADE
FLY ASH BRICKS

• Mineral residue after burning burning coal and

fine glass

• Constitutes of silica, alumina and iron Fly Ash

Bricks.Class C fly ash and water

Due to high calcium oxide itself cementing

Energy efficient

Lower water penetration, light weight, thermal

insulation
 MAN MADE
COAL WASHERY REJECTS BRICKS

• Left over after fluidised bed combustion

• Uses water and reduces air and land pollution

• Energy efficient

• Red mud, coal ash, etc from large scale industries

can be used

• These are mixed with lime pozollona and cement

to form bricks
 MAN MADE
AEROCON PANELS

• Inorganic bonded sandwich panels

• 2 fibre cement sheets engulfing a Portland

cement mix with fibres of silica's and micaceous
aggregates

• Light weight, thermal insulation, fire and sound

resistant

• Termite and weather resistant

• Suitable for seismic or cyclone prone zones

 MAN MADE
FERRO CEMENT

• Thin walled versatile high strength cement based

composite material

• Cement mortar reinforced with 2-3 layers of wire

mesh

• Light weight high strength

 LOW COST CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
FOUNDATION

● When the soil is strong and hard there is

no need for either to concrete or the layer
of thick stonework.

● Usually stop at floor level (30 or 40 cm

above ground level.).

● When soil is poor and soft – it is usual to

dig a wide trench and cover the bottom
with concrete. On this a wide stone wall
50- 60cm is built on top of that.
 LOW COST CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
FOUNDATION

1. Another use for split building BAMBOO in

LIME Concrete is for foundations,especially
in sandy areas along the sea coast. Salt and
saline will not affect or destroy either the
concrete or the reinforcement. (Ordinary
foundations will crack with shifting sands.)
2. Make a metal (or wood) box (without top
or bottom) about 45 cm long 23 cm wide
and 15 cm high. Place in it the larger stones
and then fill in, all round, with concrete
made of the small stones. After drying and
removing the box you have an excellent
building block.
 LOW COST CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
SUN DRIED BRICKS

This is very old, well tried and tested mud brick system
common in many parts of kerala. If properly made,
these mud sun dried bricks are capable of being used for
a two storey house.

PRESSED BRICKS

A hand operated machine compresses the earth into

hard, smooth, strong bricks (the machine can be owned
by the community or panchayat). These can be used for
even three storey houses, though each storey must be
protected from rain by overhanging slabs.
 LOW COST CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
RAMMED EARTH

With a properly made frame (which can be taken to

pieces ) rammed earth makes a very strong wall. It is
essentially good for large, low, solid looking buildings or
it can take the weight of heavy r o o f i n g such as
reinforced concrete.

WATTLE AND DAUB

This system of using mud for house building is more

usual in india’s eastern states. It is mainly used in
bamboo growing areas. It is particularly good and ‘safe’
in areas prone to earth tremors. It is also adaptable to
any shape of building.
 LOW COST CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
RAT TRAP BOND

The RAT TRAP BOND is still mainly unknown in india,

though used in england for the past several hundred
years. It is as strong as the other bonds but uses 25%
LESS bricks and mortar. Thermal insulation is very
much better.

The CAVITY in the RAT TRAP BOND wall ensures

good insulation from heat and cold. This can be ruined
by a poor mason carelessly sloping mortar into the
cavity while he is building. To avoid this 1. Make sure
the mortar is not too wet, and 2.Use a 3” wide strip of
wood, laid over the central cavity and place the mortar
on both sides of it.
 LOW COST CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
BRICK JALI

1. ‘Jali’ - formerly pierced stone panels – is one of

india’s oldest methods of letting into a building
filtered Light and ventilation but maintaining
privacy and security.
2. BRICK JALI can function in the same way – either
as panels or as a complete load bearing wall.
3. There is the old “honey comb” pattern of ‘jali’
brick work.
4. The holes can be extended vertically.
5. Once these patterns have been used – a good
mason can devise and enjoy doing many patterns.
 SOME COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES NOW IN PRACTICE

For cutting down the construction cost various cost reducing devices have been
introduced by Yirmithi at National level and COSTFORD.

Centres in the state for their large scale housing construction. Some of them are the
following.

Thinner walls or single brick thick walls

Using thinner walls in construction and single brick thick walls, enhance the structural
safety of buildings
 LOAD BEARING BRICK WORK
It is now possible to construct 4-5 storey buildings in load bearing brick-work. By the
adoption of this technique 5 - 15 percent saving in cost is achieved depending upon the
structural requirements, type and strength of bricks etc. Over 1,60,000 houses have so far been
constructed with this technique by the major construction agencies like central PWD
(CPWD). Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Military Engineering Service (MES), Tamil
Nadu Housing Board, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, PWD West Bengal and Uttar
Pradesh etc.

It is recommended by CBRI that due to the adoption of thinner section of wall and newer type
of bonding, the load carrying capacity of walls subjected to axil and eccentric loads should be
reduced by 15 percent. By the adoption of 19 cm thick walls 17 percent saving in construction
of bricks and mortar is achieved. As both the faces of the walls are even, only 10 mm thick
plaster is required. An additional advantage by the use of this technique is the increase in floor
area for the same plinth area. Using this techniques several LIG and EWS houses were
completed at Ludhiana under NB0 Experimental Housing Scheme. Some houses were
constructed in Tamil Nadu also.
 BRICK-ON-EDGE CAVITY WALL

The Central Building Research institute (CBRI) Roorkee has 3 7 developed a technique of
construction of brick-on-edge 20 cm thick cavity wall (CBRl Data Sheet 1972) which consists
of two masonry leaves each of 7.5 cm thickness with a continuous air gap of 5 cm between
them. The leaves are tied together either by corrosion proof metal ties or brick or concrete
blocks.

Two storey residential buildings could be constructed with such cavity of bricks having
crushing strength not less than 100 N/mm2 and mortar not leaner than 1 : 3 in cement or 1 : 1 :
6 in cement and lime. The adoption of brick cavity walls result in a saving of upto 30 percent
in bricks and mortars, 15 percent in overall cost as compared to 23 cm thick brick walls and
the inner leaves remains dry.
 PRECAST STONE MASONRY BLOCK

Stone masonry wall is 15-20 percent cheaper in cost as compared to random rubble masonry
where bricks are costly. .A large number of houses have been constructed with stone masonry
blocks in different parts of the country by different construction organisations.

In the Northern districts 38 of Kerala, majority of the houses are constructing by using precast
stone masonry block. In Andhra Pradesh and west Bengal Prefab factories have come up
which supply these blocks.

MODULAR BRICK MASONRY WALLS

To introduce and achieve the benefits of modular planning in building construction it is

necessary to produce bricks in a module of 10 cm. The nominal size of modular brick is 20 cm
X 10 cm and so it has some advantages over the conventional bricks viz,
(i) it gives more floor area

(ii) results in upto 10% saving in the quantity of bricks and 24% in the consumption of mortar
and consumes less clay and coal.
 HOLLOW CLAY BLOCKS FOR SHELL TYPE

Houses Hollow clay blocks are arranged in a category profile and supported over a foundation
of random rubble or brick masonry. The shell serves both as wall and roof for the house. There
is considerable saving in cement and no steel is used. About 15% saving in cost could be
achieved. A large number of houses have been constructed with hollow clay blocks in the
states of Kerala and Tamil nadu.

SUN DRIED BRICK WALLS WITH WATERPROOF TREATMENT

The use of mud walls is still a predominant feature in villages. Such walls require continuous
attention and repair every year as the rain erode them. CBRl Roorkee has developed a
non-erodible mud plaster which makes the walls water repellent. When the mud plaster is
partially dry a leaping of cow dung and soil (1 : l) is applied. When it is dry, the surface can be
white or colour washed if desired.
 PRECAST HYPERBOLIC SHELL FOR ROOFING

By adoption of Hyperbolic shell roofing system (NB0 1980) beams and columns could be
avoided and long spans such as stores, halls, etc. could be covered in an economical way. The
use of such type of shells require less maintenance and are aesthetically pleasing.

Anyway, the proper handling of manpower and materials requirement is very necessary to
reduce the construction cost.

An estimate of manpower and materials is generally required prior to the start of actual
construction for seeking technical and other administrative sanction, calculating the
requirement of various materials and labour, planning and budgeting purposes, calling and
Justification of tenders etc
 TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION IN KERALA (low cost construction).

There are various types of building constructions generally applied by the low-cost housing
agencies in Kerala. Some of them are viz, (i) modular constructions (ii) Wood - Frame
Modular Constructions (iii) Masonry Modular Constructions, (iv) Plant and Beam
Constructions, etc.

1. Modular constructions

Modular construction is a method of designing and building a house in which the component
parts sized according to some agreed upon basic unit of length or module.

2. wood-frame modular construction

The National Forest Products Association has developed what it calls the Unicom method of
house construction that seeks to fit traditional lumber sizes and building products into the 4 -
in-module. The object is to maximise the use of modular components and minimise the cost
of construction.
 TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION IN KERALA (low cost construction).

3. Masonry Modular Construction

Modular masonry construction is also in the 4-in-module, although the individual bricks and
concrete blocks are not. A masonry wall, is ofcourse, constructed with mortar joints between
the masonry units and in modular construction the thickness of these mortar joints is
considered part of the modular dimension.

4. Plank-and-Beam construction

Also known as "post and beam construction". It is a method of building the framework of a
house in which fewer but much heavier timbers are used instead of the light or and more
closely spaced joists, studs and rafters of more traditional wood frame construction.
 CASE STUDIES.

FLY ASH BUILDING (1973-74).

A two-storeyed building employing reinforced and prestressed concrete components made of

fly ash concrete has been completed at the Regional Centre. The use of fly ash concrete
structural components in this building has created considerable interest in several
construction agencies and housing boards.
 CASE STUDIES.

FLY ASH BUILDING (1973-74).

PRECAST CONCRETE FUNICULAR SHELLS

FOR ROOF AND FLOORS

• Saving in steel

• Partial or complete elimination of shuttering for

roofs/floors and rendering of the soffit (depends on
scheme) - Precast RC battens and precast shells -
In-situ centering and precast RC funicular shells

• Architecturally pleasing ceiling pattern

• Saving in total cost upto 20% compared to

conventional RCC slab
Precast Plate Elements

FOR ROOFS AND FLOORS

Thin precast RC plate elements generally 40-50mm thick containing tension reinforcement, used as lost
formwork in conjunction with in situ concrete forming a slab for use in roofs and floors Elements are
cast on smooth platform (steel or masonry finished smooth) to obtain as cast smooth finish for ceiling
ready for painting (plaster eliminated) Intermediate line supports are provided by runners and props at
intervals of 1.2 to 1.5m

• Plate elements are kept side by side with their short ends kept over supports (walls/beams)

• Lateral reinforcement provided in the plate elements are overlapped across the joint, along the length
for continuity

• If designed, this reinforcement can also provide - two way reinforcing for the slab - After placing the
required negative reinforcement over supports, in-situ screed is laid above the plate elements to
complete the construction of the slab
FEATURES / ADVANTAGES

• Entire steel reinforcement required for the designed slab is provided in the precast plate elements cast
at the ground level (better quality control achieved).

• Precast plate element can be of room size or smaller width depending on handling facilities available at
the site.

• To handle the plate elements, stiffeners are required to be provided.

This is achieved by suitably detailing the distributor reinforcement base used in the form of a truss

• Elimination of ceiling plaster

• Saving in total cost of the slab

• Speedier construction Application: Roofs/Floors

• Residential, institutional and factory buildings

• Apartment complexes This technology has been successfully implemented by many agencies.
 LARGE PANEL PREFABRICATION TECHNOLOGY (1972-76)

Working in close collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Housing Board, SERC developed a prefabrication
system involving the use of storey-size wall panels made up of hollow clay blocks set in concrete and
room-size funicular shell waffle panels which consume very little steel.

The aim of the project was to develop indigenous skills and techniques of on-site prefabricated
construction of residential buildings, using locally-available materials.

With financial support from the National Buildings Organization, the Tamil Nadu Housing Board
started this pacesetting project of building 144 flats employing full fledged prefabrication.
The project has generated considerable interest in many construction agencies and public sector
undertakings. One hundred and forty-four flats, in 6 blocks of 24 flats each, have been constructed by
the TNHB. A 35 mm black and white film was produced for the benefit of technical personnel engaged
in construction, policy makers, and construction agencies dealing with housing.
LATERITE BLOCK MAKING MACHINE

The Centre has developed a process for the

manufacture of building blocks from lateritic soils.
Blocks having compressive strengths of the order of
80-100 kg/cm2 can be produced by this process.
These ‘Latoblocks’ have a pleasing appearance and
regular shapes. They show no efflorescence and
have a moisture absorption of 10-12%. A machine
for the production of latoblocks was designed by
SERC in collaboration with MERADO, Madras. The
future programme includes the assembly of the
prototype machine and release of the know-how for
commercial exploitation. Efforts are also underway
for the development of a simpler machine which will
be relatively cheap and suitable for use on small
projects and in rural areas.
The Low-cost Housing with Brick Funicular
Shell Roofing

The house was one of the two demonstration

houses built by SERC at the Housing Exhibition
held at Madras in connection with the
International Seminar on Low Cost Housing. The
model house had a number of innovative
features such as the use of latoblocks for the
walls and for the unreinforced funicular shell roof
and the use of a moveable steel formwork
suitable for row housing.

The house was adjudged as the best entry by an

International Jury commissioned by Seminar
authorities and was awarded the first prize.
HYPERBOLIC PARABOLOID SHELLS
The ‘Museum’ of the Regional Centre is housed in a hemispherical Braced Dome of 12.2m
diameter patented by the SERC. The structural frame which is made up of light aluminium alloy
tubes weighs only 576 kg. The cladding is made of glass fibre reinforced polyester panels
moulded into funicular shapes.
In 1965, the Centre undertook the analysis and design of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru
and Sukh Dev Memorial at the urgent request of the Punjab P.W.D. The monument, as visualized
by the architect, is a free form shell supported on three legs symbolically representing the Three
Martyrs. The shell covers an area of nearly 232 m2. The thickness of the monument is restricted
to 10 cm at the edges and no sharp lines are permitted; thus a ribbed structure is ruled out.
Rough longitudinal and cross sections were supplied to define the underside of the shell which
had to be corrected by trial and error to obtain a smooth surface. The monument has been
designed using a numerical technique programmed on the IBM 1620 computer available at the
Centre. A 1/10 scale model has been constructed in microconcrete with wire reinforcement. This
project is a typical example of the utilization of theoretical analysis with the help of high speed
computer and experimental analysis, to arrive at an efficient design of a free form structure in a
very short time.
Earthquake-resistant Construction System using
Reinforced Hollow Concrete Block Masonry
(RHCBM)

• Building is constructed using structural grade (M20)

hollow concrete blocks

• It is reinforced with steel bars that are taken from

foundation through the hollow spaces of the block at
regular intervals, and in addition horizontal reinforcement
is also provided at critical locations as per the design.
The vertical reinforcement is taken into roof/floor slabs to
achieve integrity

• In Situ concrete grout is placed in the hollow spaces to

form concealed columns

• This reinforcing technique enables the building to

behave as a three dimensional structure, to effectively
resist the earthquake/cyclonic loading
Earthquake Resistant Confined Masonry
Technology

• Load bearing masonry panels confined with

RCC tie elements on all four sides of masonry, is
known as confined masonry construction
technology.

• The RCC confining elements are like mini

columns / mini beams.

• The confining elements are structurally

integrated with masonry to effectively resist
earthquake loading.

• The technology is very simple and highly

feasible on to save billions worth of properties
and thousands of lives against future
earthquakes of our nation.