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Alternative Building Materials
Alternative Building Materials
The demand for building materials has been continuously rising with the
increasing need for housing both in rural and urban areas.
• Ferrocement • Bamboo
• Tire Veneer
• Plastic Wood
Hollow Concrete Block (as brick)
Fire Resistant
Provide thermal and sound insulation: The air in hollow of the block, does not allow
outside heat or cold in the house. So it keeps house cool in summer and warm in
winter.
Economical.
Fly Ash bricks are made of fly ash, lime, gypsum and sand. These can be
extensively used in all building constructional activities similar to that of
common burnt clay bricks. The fly ash bricks are comparatively lighter in
weight and stronger than common clay bricks.
Advantages
Saves Construction Cost -: Due to the uniform shape and size of the fly ash brick,
it saves labor in laying bricks by about 15%. This translates into reduction in labor
cost in laying each brick, which is quite substantial.
Less Water Seepage and Dampness in wall -: Due to high strength and less water
absorption of fly ash bricks there are less water seepage and dampness in walls of
building.
Reduction in Air Pollution -: Much fossil fuel is used in heating clay bricks in
kilns. Burning such fuel generates air pollution and greenhouse gas (CO2),
contributing to global warming.
Rice Husk Ash / Pozzolanas
Pozzolanas are materials containing reactive silica and/or alumina, which in their
own right have little binding ability. Yet, when mixed with lime and water it will set
and harden like cement. They are important ingredients in alternative cement
compounds. Rice husks are a large by-product – one ton is produces per five ton of
rice paddies, and it is estimated that 120 million tons of husk could be available
annually on a global basis.
Advantages
Rubber tires play an essential role in modern life. Tires are essential globally, at all
levels of development. Millions are discarded annually as they wear out relatively
fast – this product makes use of recycling the material into a usable material for
various types of applications.
Advantages
It can be used in areas such as sports and recreation, animal housing and
high traffic areas outdoors.
All woods may check, split, cup, crook, twist, and warp, and weather over time
to a grayish color. Treated wood exhibits long-term durability in a deck surface
application, lasting as long, or longer, than naturally durable, untreated woods.
Reinforced Fiber Concrete
h
Advantages
Saves Construction Cost.
Good Compaction.
In this house we can use the timber as beams and columns because it is
easily available in rural area and having more strength.
There are different methods from which cost can be reduced. They
give same advantage i.e. strength while we reduce the cost. Some of them
are :
Plinth
Walling
Doors & Windows
Lintel
Plinth
It is suggested 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 cost. By adopting this procedure the cost
of plinth foundation can be reduced to about 35 to 50% .
Walling
In view of high energy consumption by burnt brick it is suggested
to use concrete block which consumes about only 1/3rd of energy of burnt
bricks in its production and wall thickness can be reduced from 20cm to
15cm. Concrete block masonry saves mortar consumption. Speedy
construction of wall results in higher output of labour. Plastering can be
avoided thereby an overall saving of 10 to 25% can be achieved.
Doors & Windows
It is suggested not to use wood for doors & windows and in its
place concrete or steel section frames shall be used for achieving savings in
cost upto 30 to 40%. Similarly, for shutter commercially available block
boards, fiber or wooden practical boards etc shall be used for reducing the
cost by about 25%.
Lintel
The traditional RCC lintels which are costly can be replaced by
brick arches for small spans and save construction cost upto 30 to 40% over
traditional method of construction. By adopting arches of different shapes a
good architectural pleasing appearance can be given to the external wall
surface of the brick.
Conclusion
The demand for building materials has been continuously rising with the
increasing need for housing both in rural and urban areas.
The most important feature governing the choice of material & form of
construction for any component is its structural integrity. Whereas high
specific strength and lightweight were often the dominant criteria to be
achieved, particularly for aerospace applications, there is today an
increasing emphasis on other criteria such as environmental durability,
embedded energy, fire resistance.
4E’s Principle has been followed : -
Efficiency
Economical
Energy Conservative
Eco-friendly
Thus the discussed facts clearly state a
wide and promising scope of Alternate
Building Materials in the Construction
Industry ……