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Procedia Engineering 212 (2018) 937–945

7th International Conference on Building Resilience; Using scientific knowledge to inform policy
7th
andInternational Conference
practice in disaster on Building
risk reduction, Resilience;
ICBR2017, 27Using scientific knowledge
– 29 November to inform
2017, Bangkok, policy
Thailand
and practice in disaster risk reduction, ICBR2017, 27 – 29 November 2017, Bangkok, Thailand
Multi-hazard disaster resilient housing with bamboo-based system
Multi-hazard disaster resilient housing with bamboo-based system
Sutapa Dasa,a,*, Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyaybb
a
Sutapa Das *, Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay
Dept. of Architecture & Regional Planning Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, 721302, India
a
b
Dept. of Architecture
Dept. of Architecture,Town & Regional
and Regional Planning
Planning, Indian Indian Institute
Institute of Technology
of Engineering, Kharagpur,
Science 721302,
& Technology India 711103, India
Shibpur,
b
Dept. of Architecture,Town and Regional Planning, Indian Institute of Engineering, Science & Technology Shibpur, 711103, India

Abstract
Abstract
The state of Assam in the Brahmaputra valley in north-east India is exposed to multiple hazards of seismicity, flooding and cyclone
The state of extent.
to a critical Assam Thein the Brahmaputra
advanced valley intechnologies
construction north-east India is exposed
are yet to multiple
to penetrate among hazards of seismicity,
the overwhelming floodingliving
population and cyclone
below
to apoverty
the critical extent.
line. OnThe
theadvanced
other handconstruction technologies
the time-tested arearchitecture
vernacular yet to penetrate among the overwhelming
or ‘Assam-type’ building is alsopopulation
unable to living below
perform due
theintensified
to poverty line. On the other
calamities hand
brought bythe time-tested
climate change,vernacular architecture
fast depleting or ‘Assam-type’
indigenous building
materials, change is also
in user unable to and
expectation perform due
sporadic
to intensifiedof
intervention calamities
popular brought
modern by climateand
material change, fast depleting
technology. indigenous
This paper aims to materials, change capture
systematically in user expectation and sporadic
the hazard responses of
interventionarchitecture
vernacular of popular ofmodern
Assammaterial and technology.
and upgrade the same with This paper aims
thoughtful to systematically
introduction capture
of amphibious the hazard
foundation forresponses of
modern but
vernacular bamboo-based
affordable architecture ofhybrid
Assamconstruction.
and upgradeAthe same with
schematic thoughtful
prototype houseintroduction
is proposedof amphibious
which foundation
can withstand for modern
the effect but
of multiple
affordable
hazards of bamboo-based hybrid construction. A schematic prototype house is proposed which can withstand the effect of multiple
the area under study.
hazards of the area under study.
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
© 2017
© 2018 The
The Authors.
Authors. Published
Published by
by Elsevier
Elsevier Ltd.
Ltd. committee of the 7th International Conference on Building Resilience.
Peer-review
Peer-review under
under responsibility
responsibility of
of the
the scientific
scientific committee of the 7th International Conference on Building Resilience.
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 7th International Conference on Building Resilience.
Keywords: Amphibious foundation, Assam-type building; Bamboo; Hybrid construction,; Multi-hazard resilience
Keywords: Amphibious foundation, Assam-type building; Bamboo; Hybrid construction,; Multi-hazard resilience

1. Introduction
1. Introduction
The state of Assam in the Brahmaputra valley in north-east India is exposed to multiple hazards of seismicity,
The state
flooding and of Assam[1].
cyclone in The
the valley
Brahmaputra
is one ofvalley in north-east
the most India
flood-prone is in
areas exposed to multiple
the world affectinghazards of km.
31046 sq. seismicity,
(about
flooding and cyclone [1]. The valley is one of the most flood-prone areas in the world affecting 31046 sq.
39.58% of the state’s land area) [2]. River Brahmaputra rages through Assam for about 650 km [3] and the average km. (about
39.58% of the state’s land area) [2]. River Brahmaputra rages through Assam for about 650 km [3] and
annual rate of erosion on its both banks including that of the tributaries is about 80sq.km. [4]. Additionally, the average
annual rate of erosion on its both banks including that of the tributaries is about 80sq.km. [4]. Additionally,

* Corresponding author. Tel. +91-89021-32283; fax: +91-3222-288034

*E-mail
Corresponding author. Tel. +91-89021-32283; fax: +91-3222-288034
address: sutapa@arp.iitkgp.ernet.in
E-mail address: sutapa@arp.iitkgp.ernet.in
1877-7058 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
1877-7058
Peer-review©under
2017responsibility
The Authors. ofthe
Published by Elsevier
scientific Ltd.of the 7th International Conference on Building Resilience.
committee
Peer-review under responsibility ofthe scientific committee of the 7th International Conference on Building Resilience.

1877-7058 © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 7th International Conference on Building Resilience
10.1016/j.proeng.2018.01.121
938 Sutapa Das et al. / Procedia Engineering 212 (2018) 937–945
2 Sutapa Das & Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay / Procedia Engineering00 (2017) 000–000

deforestation of seismically unstable adjacent hilly slopes causes siltation thus reducing the carrying capacity of the
river network. As a result, each year during monsoon (in average 1688 mm) Assam experiences flood and substantial
losses of life, property and standing crops. For example, in 2012 nearly 4650 sq. km. area was submerged, about 3829
villages went under water and 2.308 million people were affected [5]. Every other initiative for flood control has been
proved so futile that a 1300 km 6-line highway on both sides of the Brahmaputra is planned to act as embankment [6].
Parry et al. [7] argue that adverse impact of climate change on flood situation is already palpable and a usual 100-
yearly flood may occur in each 2-5 years in near future [8]. A continuous hastening of water cycle will increase the
intensity and frequency of torrential downpour especially in eastern Asia [9] including Assam.
Apart from floods, the state is also under Zone V of highest seismicity. The Assam gap in Himalayan Mountains is
among six top-most active zones in the world and poses very high potential for future tremors. During the great
earthquakes of 1897 and 1950 with magnitude M up to 8.7 in Richter scale, the area was devastated and the Assam-
gap emerged [10]. Between 1900 and 2017, this area has experienced other 26 earthquakes with M ranging from 3.6
to 7.7. Mild to medium level jerks are felt here on regular basis. Additionally, its proximity to Bangladesh bordering
Bay of Bengal, makes 60% of areas in Assam cyclone-prone with wind speed reaching up to 55 m/ sec [11].
India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), 2008 has set the state level agenda. Designing climate
resilient habitats were among six thrust areas in Assam [3]. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority
(ASDMA) was established in 2007 and since then they have worked relentlessly and have set the detailed roadmap of
Assam State Disaster Management Plan [11]. It categorizes its major disaster risk reduction (DRR) plans as: (a)
preparedness; (b) prevention and mitigation; (c) alert and warning stage; (d) response and (e) recovery and
rehabilitation. It analyses disaster vulnerability of various housing typologies but overlooks development of resilient
structures. Several other standalone design codes and guidelines for flood, earthquake and cyclone proof buildings
[12-14] also do not reflect the combined approach against multiple hazards as in the case of Assam. It is to be noted
that the advanced construction technologies are yet to penetrate among the overwhelming population of India living
below the poverty line [15] and on the other-hand the time-tested vernacular buildings have lost their appropriateness
in the changing context. This paper aims to bridge this knowledge gap by developing a prototype by using the
vernacular material bamboo in hybrid construction of multi-hazard disaster resilient affordable housing.

2. Literature Review

This section is further divided into four sub-sections for dealing with the research problem in holistic way. These
sections are namely, (a) traditional houses of Assam; (b) Udayachal House of Shillong – a case study; (c) bamboo as
engineering material and (d) flood-resilient amphibious construction.

2.1. Traditional houses of Assam

Various housing typologies and their performance against three major hazards of earthquake, flood and cyclone
are collated in Table 1 [11] and described briefly in next section [16-19]. The category X for walls includes non-
engineered indigenous materials such as bamboo, cane, reeds and affordable material such as thatching, corrugated
galvanized iron (CGI) sheet etc , but they show good earthquake resilience.

Table 1.Distribution of houses in Assam and their level of damage risk under various hazards (ASDMA, 2013)
Wall/ roof options % of Census Earthquake Wind velocity m/sec Flood prone
house zone V 55& 50 47 447&9 area
Waal A1: Mud &unburnt Brick 4.3 V. high V. high High Medium V. high
A2; Stone wall 0.2 V. high High Medium Low VH
B: Burnt Brick 17.2 High High Medium Low High /M
C1: Concrete wall 2.5 Medium Low V. low V. low Low/ v. low
C2: Wood wall 2.4 Medium V. high High Medium High
X: Others 72.3 Medium V. high High Medium V. high
Roof R1: Lightweight sloped 94.8 Medium V. high V. high High V. high
R2; heavy sloping roof 2.2 High High Medium Low High
R3: Flat roof 2.9 Depends on the supporting wall
 Sutapa Das et al. / Procedia Engineering 212 (2018) 937–945 939
Sutapa Das & Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay / Procedia Engineering 00 (2017) 000–000 3

• Chang Ghar
These stilted houses were traditionally made by Mishing tribe of upper Assam to get protection from flood water
and wild creatures. The entire structure made of wooden frame has thatched roof and bamboo is extensively used for
walls and floor. Modern versions of these houses use concrete or masonry posts (Fig. 1a).

• Bamboo hut on ground

Bamboo clums (stem) are driven into the ground at equal distance as per the structural grid. The plinth is about
500mm high and is made of rammed earth. The horizontal bamboo beams are tied to columns with wire or coconut
coir or nailed. Sliced bamboo strips are fixed on the structural frame and dabbed with mix of mud, cow-dung, chopped
straw etc. Sloped roof can be thatched or made of CGI sheets (Fig. 1b).

• Ekra house or/ Assam-type house

Much evolved compared to the Chang ghar or bamboo huts, these buildings can serve as multi-family dwelling
units or even as two-storied bigger structures (Fig. 1c). Here the vertical posts are made of aboriginal tree referred as
‘Jungli’ (wild) wood. The timber floor joists are fixed at 500mm level and covered with timber slats. This plinth gap
is usually closed with masonry. Reeds of Ikra or Ekra (Elephant grass of average height of 3m) are fixed between
wooden structural members and plastered with mud-lime mix. CGI sloped roof on timber frame ends at gutter.

• Bangla batton house

The colonial version of Ekra style is seen in ‘Banglabatton’ houses of Sylhet which was part of Assam till 1947
and then was added to Bangladesh. The name originated from its timber frame and show cases few western decorative
elements such as an articulated column, plinth molding, bay window etc.

Fig. 1. (a) Chang Ghar [16]; (b) bamboo hut on ground [17]; (c) Two-storied Assam type building at Cotton College [16]

2.2. Udayachal house of Shillong – A case study

One of the best surviving examples of Ekra house is a sprawling multifamily residence named ‘Udayachal’ at the
central part of Shillong (Fig. 2). In 1890s when Shillong was capital of entire north-east India, this house was built in
phases but with modern facilities such as fireplace and toilets – bearing the colonial influence. The high pitched roof
with deep overhang caters to the heavy rainfall. For bigger spans, the roof has horizontal segments to curb the
horizontal span– thus introducing skylights with openable glass sash. Otherwise windows are fitted with awnings. The
netted gable windows are on both side of the pitched roof to allow the stormy wind to pass through the building
without the roof flying away. However, a false ceiling made of thick canvas or bamboo mat is used to prevent the
dust, rain or hailstorm through the gable windows to enter the rooms. A strong wind through the ceiling plenum causes
drop in air pressure compared to the same inside the room. As a result the false ceiling has a tendency to be sucked
up. To minimize the difference in air pressure; false ceilings have a square opening at the center.
The entire lightweight structure with well-connected vertical, horizontal and diagonal timber members has survived
several earthquakes including the severe one of 1950s. However Udayachal despite its excellent performance against
earthquake and cyclone is susceptible to fire hazard due to its inflammable ingredients and will deteriorate fast if built
in flood-prone area. Annually the wooden sections require water-proofing coat of wood oil (e.g. linseed oil) or bitumen
or Japan-black (asphalt based varnish). Walls should be lime washed. Though this house is a representative of a bye-
940 Sutapa Das et al. / Procedia Engineering 212 (2018) 937–945
4 Sutapa Das & Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay / Procedia Engineering00 (2017) 000–000

gone era and is not a suitable prototype for this research for various reasons as discussed in the next section, but its
scientific choice of material, detailing as per the building physics and climate-responsive features are noteworthy and
show direction for upgrading the vernacular technology.
Fig. 2. (a) Front
elevation of Udayachal
House of Shillong; (b)

Wall detail

2.3. Bamboo as an engineering material

Globally, India is the second largest producer of about 130 species of bamboo [20]. Despite its versatile vernacular
application, bamboo has gained the repute of engineering material recently. It is regarded as ‘poor man’s timber’
because its mechanical properties are suitable for structural applications in terms of high strength to weight ratio,
ductility of fibrous microstructure, low cost, faster production and simple manufacturing processes [20, 21]. Physical
and mechanical strength of oriented strand lumber made from Asian bamboo has better values compared its wooden
counterparts [22]. In Latin America, Gutierrez [23] developed a highly seismic resistant modern ‘bahareque' buildings’
(similar to Ekra house) using bamboo structural frame and wall made of bamboo lath curtains with cement-sand plaster
However, Vengala et al. [24] noted the following probable reasons behind the functional obsolesce of bamboo in its
original form which equally apply to other traditional housing systems as well:

• Non-availability of indigenous material such as Ekra in required quantity and uniform quality.
• Exponential price hike of timber.
• Decreasing number of craftsman as newer generation is not interested to continue in the family profession.
• Non-standardized technology kept as tacit knowledge with reduced scope of sharing
• Increased user expectation and inclination towards modern materials.
• Intensified disasters brought by climate change and other anthropogenic factors.
• Compared to modern material, less durable due to inadequate technical know-how or treatment facilities.
• Limited incentive from govt. by excluding these items in schedule of rates.
• Thoughtless intervention of modern material causes failure of vernacular structures [25, 26].

For resilient, durable and sustainable wider application beyond its traditional niche, bamboo needs standard-ization
like any other construction material [27] and codes or guidelines used in India are listed as [14, 28-33]:

• National Building Code of India 2005

• IS 13958:1994 Specification for Bamboo Mat Board for general purposes
• IS 14588:1999 Specification for Bamboo Mat Veneer Composite for general purpose.
• IS 15476: 2013 Bamboo Mat Corrugated Sheets -Specification
• ISO 22156 and ISO 22157-1 & 2 developed by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in
association with the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan( INBAR) of Beijing.

Prominent organizations and individual researchers from India extensively working to transform bamboo from a
traditional material to a technical one are listed below to encourage readers for further exploration:
 Sutapa Das et al. / Procedia Engineering 212 (2018) 937–945 941
Sutapa Das & Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay / Procedia Engineering 00 (2017) 000–000 5

• Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) have documented roofing and walling
elements from processed and treated bamboo which are claimed to last for 30 years [34].
• Indian Plywood Industries Research &Training institute (IPIRTI) hasdeveloped treatmentsfor prefabricated
bamboo mat board (BMB)for wall and bamboo mat corrugated sheet (BMCS) for roofing[35,36].
• National Bamboo Mission, Govt. of India promotes cultivation of various bamboo species and bamboo-based
handicrafts industry which has potential application in making light-weight furniture and internal partitions [37].
• Research team of Mukhopadhyay and Dutta from Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology have
characterized bamboo in terms of applicability [20], shock absorbance [26], compressive and cleavage strengths
[33], seismic performance i.e. ductility, compressive strength and modulus of rupture [39].
• Vengala have experimented with various construction details and technology of bamboo and its processed
products, such as bamboo-mortar composite, bamboo trusses, walling system etc.[24, 40-43].

In nutshell, prefabricated and treated bamboo products are structurally sound and affordable substitute of timber.
Their performance for seismic condition is notable. Hence the traditional Ekra house can be replicated in treated and
processed bamboo for the seismically vulnerable rural Assam. But stilted structures though suitable for flood-prone
areas are inapt for seismic or cyclonic zones and vice versa [12]. Moreover, high height causes difficult access and
fragmented neighborhoods. As a result, to address the multiple-hazard issues in Assam, a house can neither be stilted
nor be placed directly on ground. A very high plinth is redundantly expensive. Hence as a radical solution bamboo
house which is an integrated structure itself but has base-isolation for seismic resilience as well as some scope to rise
up during flood can be a feasible solution.

2.4. Flood-resilient amphibious construction

Amphibious structures are unlike floating units such as a houseboat. These houses usually sit on the ground like
any ordinary house, but when inundated rises up to a predefined height and sinks back to its original position after the
water recedes. Movement is defined by the help of vertical guiding poles [44]. Here the main working principle is that
a lightweight superstructure sits on a buoyant base similar to a ship’s hull which is watertight, lightweight and strong.
Experiment with amphibious houses is common in countries with flooding problem, though not in India.
There is striking contrast between developed and developing countries for the choice of material and construction
technology. In Netherlands, USA and Australia, the buoyant base is made of extended polystyrene (EPS) and
autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) of density 881 kg/m3 and 600-700 kg/m3 respectively i.e. lighter than water.
Sometimes high performance reinforced cement concrete (RCC) tanks is used for basement of buildings which float
permanently in deep water. Though RCC is heavier than water, these structures manage to float with a some part
submerged due to buoyancy void [45]. The lighter bases are always above the water level and hence known to ‘dry-
proofing’ while the RCC tanks uses ‘wet-proofing’ concept [46]. On the contrary, in developing countries of
Bangladesh and Ghana, cheaper materials are used which requires less technical infrastructure. Few examples are:

• The Buoyant Foundation Project (BFP) – a research project by Dr. Elizabeth English in 2006 for retrofitting
Louisiana ‘shotgun’ houses of 700 sq. ft area with EPS blocks [47}.
• Make it Right FLOAT House: Funded by renounced actor Brad Pitt, this project of New Orleans have GFRC coated
EPS base. But due to lack of engineering approval, it is bolted on ground [48].
• Maasbommel Waterdwellings, Netherlands use RCC buoyant voids as basements below the living-dining [49].
• Floating House at Lake Huron, Canada is a timber framed structure built on a steel deck resting on a steel pontoon.
The pontoon is moored to the bottom of the lake and connected to the shore via a jetty [50].
• LIFT house in Bangladesh by Prosun [51] had empty plastic water bottles tied in a bamboo cage to raise a light-
weight bamboo building by few centimeters. But the durability of the base is questionable (Fig.3a).
• Makoko Floating School, Lagos, Nigeria had a modular base of sealed plastic barrels united together with wooden
bars. Module can be connected to form a bigger base to support a bamboo superstructure (Fig.3b). But the structure
collapsed when one anchoring chain gave up and the structure toppled to collide with adjacent buildings and logs
to lose its structural stability [52].
942 Sutapa Das et al. / Procedia Engineering 212 (2018) 937–945
6 Sutapa Das & Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay / Procedia Engineering00 (2017) 000–000

Fig. 3.Base of (a) LFT house; (b) Makoko Floating School

Hence it is apparent that, performance of amphibian house depends primarily on its light weight, structural integrity
and durability of the base. While suggesting a design prototype for Assam, these technical parameters were considered
thoroughly along with availability of material, craftsmen and affordability.

3. The Design Concept

The proposal includes a two-bedroom house of square and symmetrical plan to make its centre of gravity coincide
approximately with the geometric centre of the entire structure (Fig.4). It minimizes the difference between the centre
of stiffness of the entire structure and its geometric centre and hence minimizing torque produced by sloshing flood
water. The material specification and finer detailing are derived from IPRITI demonstration house [35] and Udayachal
house respectively. Table 2 mentions the specification, quantity take-off and load calculations.
[b]
6 MM BMB
CAP AT 2600 MM DOUBLE WALL 2.6m

500 MM ROOF
PL
OVERHANG
GL

FIXED
STEPS
[c]
Closed HDPE
pipes (450 mm
dia.) in metal
2.6m truss cage
PL
BAMBOO Dry dock
FENCE Flood water
Steel angles
GL with a cap to
allow sliding
[a] up of deck

Fig.4. Proposed amphibious house: (a) plan (b) schematic section at normal condition and (c) schematic section in flood condition

The buoyant base comprises of HDPE (high density polyethene) pipes closed at both ends and held together by MS
truss. These pipes are water proof, strong and will not deteriorate fast especially when kept under the building deck
away from direct sunlight. The base sits on in rectangular dry dock encased within four MS angles (1000x 1000 mm)
at four corners. The angles are deeply embedded in the ground, extend about 2.6m (i.e. plinth + lintel height) above
ground level and have horizontal plates at top. These angles are equivalent to vertical guides to allow the base to slide
vertically up to 2.5 m with rice in water level. As the house is not fixed on the ground but itself is an integrated
 Sutapa Das et al. / Procedia Engineering 212 (2018) 937–945 943
Sutapa Das & Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay / Procedia Engineering 00 (2017) 000–000 7

structure, its good in both seismic performance and flood proofing. The volume of 20 nos. 450 dia and 9.2m long
HDPE pipes is 30.549 cu.m. and they displace equal volume of water weighing 30549 Kg. This is higher than the total
weight of the structure (25360 Kg) including the buoyant base (Table 2). The difference of 5190 Kg can be taken for
gusset plates, nails, bolts, other hardwires, wire mesh at gable window, finishes, fencing, canvas ceiling etc plus about
+10% error. From the calculations, it is evident that the structure can float up during flood.

Table 2.Rough quantity take-off and calculation of weight of the proposed building
Elements Specification Total qty. Unit wt. Wt. (kg)
Column 100 mm dia, 2.4m high 35 nos. 84.00 R. 3.5 Kg/m3 297.00
m
Top and bottom wall 100x40 mm sawn common timber 93.60 R. 615.0 Kg/m3 230.26
frame m
Wall w/o openings Double wall of 6mm bamboo mat board (BMB).40.70m 83.14 m2 711.0 Kg/m3 709.35
long
Gable wall w/o opening 16 mm BMB wall - 4 nos. of gable window (1100x600) 6.00 m2 935.0 Kg/m3 89.76
Flooring 16 mm BMB fixed on steel truss 92.16 m2 935.0 Kg/m3 1378.71
Door/ window frame 75x60 mm sawn common timber 56.00 R. 615.0 Kg/m3 159.96
m
Door solid panel 900x1800 door – 4 nos. 5.44 m2 935.0 Kg/m3 81.38
Window rails 50mm wide 16mm BMB 0.88 m2 935.0 Kg/m3 13.20
Window pane 4 mm float glass 8.22 m2 250.0 Kg/m3 8.22
Roof truss 35x35x3mm MS angle over 9.6m span, 1.2 m height, 500 200.00 R. 1.6 Kg/m 320.00
mm overhang m
Roofing 3mm bamboo mat corrugated sheet (BMCS) 64.29 m2 4.2 Kg/m 301.56
Ridge cap Bamboo mat ridge cap (BMRC) 8.20 m 2.0 16.40
Live load Over entire floor 92.16. m2 2.0 kN/m2 18432.00
Base truss 50x50x5 mm MS angle 168.50 m 3.5 Kg/m 690.85
HDPE pipes 20 nos 9.6 m long 450mm dia. PN 2.5 grade can withstand 192.00 R. 13.7 Kg/m 2630.40
normal water pressure. Closed at both ends m
Total weight of structure 25359.05

4. Conclusion

The vulnerability of rural Assam houses towards multiple hazards are yet to be addressed holistically despite
plethora of DRR initiatives, state-of-the art technologies and stand-alone guidelines for building resilience. This
research proposes a conceptual model of amphibious house of lightweight bamboo-based hybrid construction with a
buoyant base of HDPE sewer pipes in a steel cage with simple base isolation. From a rough estimate of materials and
their weights, it is proved that the proposed building can float up. A square and symmetrical plan minimizes chance
of toppling by flood water. However in reality asymmetric plans are more probable and hence require a detailed load
calculation for designing the buoyant base. Cheaper material, simple construction and compliance with fundamental
requirements for disaster-resilience ensures that this model has scope for vast implementation.

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