STUDY ON VARIETY OF CONCRETE BLOCK

USED
IN DEVELOPMENT OF GANDHIDHAM TOWNSHIP

BY
DEEPAK RAMCHANDANI
ADIPUR-KACHCHH

ISBN NUMBER-978-93-5967-903-7
Study on use of variety of concrete blocks in development of Gandhidham
Township

Preamble:-

Soon after the separation of Pakistan from India in 1947, a large group of refugees
from Sindh of came to India. Maharaja of Kutch His Highness Maharao Shri
Vijayrajji Khengarji Jadeja on advice of Gandhiji, gave 15,000 acres (61 km2) of
land to Bhai Pratab, who founded Sindhu
Resettlement Corporation to rehabilitate Sindhi
Hindus uprooted from their motherland, Sindh in
Pakistan.

Sindhi Resettlement Corporation was formed with

Acharaya Kriplani as Chairman and Bhai Pratap
Dialdas as managing director. The main objective
of the corporation was to assist in the rehousing of
displaced persons by the construction of new
township.

The first plan was prepared by a team of

planners headed by Dr. O. H. Koenigsberger,
director of the division of housing in
Government of India. Otto H Koingsberger-
who Prepared first plan of Gandhidham
township, he was German architect, he was
born in Berlin in 1908 and graduated from
Technical University of Berlin in 1931.

He won Schinkel Prize for Architecture for

design of Olympic Stadium in Berlin. He was
appointed as Chief Architecture and Planner
by Mysore State in 1939.

His buildings during this period include some

buildings in the Indian Institute of Science
(1943–44), the Tata Institute of Fundamental
Research (TIFR) in Bombay (Mumbai), the
bus station, Serum Institute and Victory Hall (1946, renamed as Town Hall) in
Bangalore, the town plan for Bhubaneswar, and some town planning for Jamshedpur
with the vision of J.R.D. Tata.

After Indian Independence he became director of housing for the Indian Ministry of
Health from 1948 to 1951, working on resettling those displaced by partition.

Subsequently plan was revised by Adams, Howard and Greeley in 1952, and they
represented The Massachussetts Institute of Technology which was formed in year
1861 for planning of cities, this company worked Department of Architecture in
United States. The foundation stone of town was laid with blessings of Gandhi earlier
in 1947 and hence town was named Gandhidham.
Sacred ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed in Kandla creek by Achrya
Kripalani and Bhai Pratap Dayal Das on 12th February 1948. This structure of
Samadhi encompassing sacred remains of Mahatma Gandhi was built in 1954

The work of township was completed by 1955. Now at present it is the largest town in
Kachchh.

History of concrete Blocks:

In 1832, an English
builder named Ranger
made a solid concrete
block by mixing sea
gravel, broken flints,
stone chippings and
similar materials with
powdered lime and
boiled water. Mixing
enough to fill a single
mould, Ranger would
ram the material into
the mould, driving
out the air.

In the US in 1900,
Harmon S. Palmer
patented the basic
hollow concrete building block machine. It had removable cores and adjustable sides
to allow for a variety of block sizes. Palmer’s block was produced from cement and
sand on the job, which avoided the transportation costs and eliminated breakage
during loading and unloading.

After the industry established the basic materials and shape of concrete block, the
industry’s focus shifted to machines that would produce a quality product.

In the early 1900s a hand machine could produce 200 blocks in a 10-hour day. At this
time, new homes were in great demand and building materials such as timber and
brick were expensive. As builders were forced to look for alternative building
materials, the concrete block industry was on the verge of booming.

In 1905, the United States government adopted the use of concrete block for hospitals,
warehouses, and barracks in the Panama Canal Zone and the Philippine Islands.

History of BESSER PLANT:

SRC installed BESSER PLANT for production of variety of blocks which included
hollow and solid blocks of 8” and 4” thickness and also variety of half rounded and
plan blocks suitable for corners, special blocks for window sills, jambs, special blocks
for column, beam and flat and slant slabs.

In 1904, as the cement manufacturing

industry was in the early stages of
development in United States.
Mr. Jesse Besser produced one of the first
hand-tamp block machines in Alpena,
Michigan US who was the owner of
BESSAR Manufacturing company,
thereafter many automatic and hydraulic
operated plants were invented and
produced.
SRC purchased two BESSER PLANTS
from this US company and installed at
SRC Adipur for manufacturing
After SRC decided to stop the BESSER
Plant of concrete blocks it was auctioned,
one plant was sold to one from
Saurashtara and other plant was sold to Mr.
Sorathiya who started using this plant for
block manufacturing, as per my
knowledge this plant is at Adipur and is
still functioning.

During earthquake none of the building constructed by the SRC was collapsed and all
withstood the seismic forces as mild steel bars were placed at corner and all opening
to take care of seismic forces.
Concept of Row Houses :

Bhai Pratap Dialdas visited Sanfransico which was damaged by Earthquake in 1904,
thereafter concept of row houses was developed, Kachchh being earthquake zone ,
same concept was adopted.

(San Fransico Row Houses)

(Row Houses under construction at Gandhidham)

Various Types of Blocks manufactured by Sindhu Resettlement Corporation-
Adipur

Single square end Half and Bull nosed block full:

Single square end is of sixe 8’x 8”x8” was used at corners to give the scattered joint
to the block.
Bull nosed block have smooth curvature at one end which is to be placed at corners,
and size is 16” x 8” x 8”

Half Bull Nose and Double Bull Nose:

Block for Door entrance with one cell solid-
Used at door jambs and wooden frame placed between the groove

Half block for Door Jambs and full block with molded edges with one cell having
smaller size of opening
Partition Pillar Block and solid block with square edges:

Partition pillar block with two cells and Jamb block with one cell solid and
groove for insertion of steel plate
Partition block hollow and solid: Size 16” x8” x 4”

These blocks used for partition wall and compound walls

Block with singe cell of size 18” x 14” x 7” - Single cell used for placing
reinforcement and concrete
Soffit block large of size 16” x 8” x 6” and small with size 21” x 8” x4”

Used for construction of slabs and reinforcement placed at joint of blocks

Lintel Block large and small:- Used for casting of lintels and placing
reinfocement and concrete in the opening
Coping block of size 1o” x 8” x 4”to 3” sloping and Window sill block of size
9” x 8” x 8”

Half Jamb Block:-

Floor tile block:

This picture show the terminal wall with rounded edges, full block and half block
with rounded edges are used for construction of this wall

This picture shows corner wall with one edge rounded, full and half block used
 This picture
shows
ventilator
opening with
rounded blocs
half and full
for jambs and
sill:

In this picture
it is seen that
central joint is
continuous
instead
scattered and
this join
works as
expansion
joint to avoid
cracks and metallic plate is placed inside this joint for water proofing.

( Block Factor of SRC at Adipur)

Block factory was at Adipur, Full size hollow block, full size solid block and partition
solid blocks are seen in this picture. These type of blocks only continued to be
manufactured in later years of Block Factory, all variety were manufactured during
construction stage of township.
Special designed blocks used for
Sill and Jambs - Half and full
size

This picture shows

RCC- I beam and
slab constructed
with block and in
sloping manner, also
it shows specially
constructed partition
blocks with cells in
different direction to
work as ventilator
Pillar constructed with hollow block -
specially designed , reinforcement and
concrete is placed in opening at center

Precast compound wall with

arrangement of precast pillars also
 Image captured in old SRC
building shows the Old
Dormitory where Shri Bhai
Pratap Dialdas the first
Managing Director of SRC lived

Advantage of such variety of concrete blocks:-

1) Due half and full blocks manufactured for all variety, it is not required to cut the
block manually, also manual cut block dose not give perfect finishing.
2) Hollow blocks are light in weight , hence overall load on building is reduced , this
reduces the cost of foundation and reinforcement.
3) Columns can be erected easily as the special blocks work as shuttering and
reinforcement and concrete could be placed in central cellar.
4) Similarly there were specific blocks of lintel which can accommodate
reinforcement and concrete, the block itself work as shuttering.
5) Rounded blocks give good look of building when placed as corner blocks.
6) Wooden frames could be easily be placed in the groove of special blocks
manufactured for Jambs and Sills.
7) Special blocks of sills gives elegant look to the window openings.
8) Hollow concrete blocks are used as ventilators which saves the cost of wooden
ventilators.
9) Special blocks have facility to place metallic plate when used as construction joint.
10) Easy erection of slabs is possible due to specific type of ceiling blocks.
11) Precast RCC- I beams were useful as beam for construction of block slabs.
12) Partition blocks are used for construction of compound wall or partition walls of
bathroom etc.
13) In concrete block less mortor is used which saves the cost of construction
14) In such well finished blocks, plaster is not required and only neat pointing serves
the purpose, this reduces cost of construction.
 Photo Gallary:-

( View of Madanshing Chowk at Adipur)

( Row houses under construction at Gandhidham)

 (Picture of Gandhidham Guest House at Adipur, near Coban Club, where engineers
and planners lived, thereafter office of Food Corporation of India used to work there,
now Hotel Mid Town Stands)

Column made from blocks could be seen , also 4” thick hollow blocks used as
ventilator
( Public Dispensary named Sardar Gunj at Gandhidham)
( View of OSLO Theater- Gandhidham on Full Moon Night)

( Bhoomi Poojan during establishment of Gandhidham)

( View of Zanda Chowk- Gandhidham)

(View of SRC office)

 ( Row Houses Double Storey at Adipur)

(Row Houses at Adipur- beauty of low hight compound wall and use of hollow
blocks in top row of compound wall and for ventilators)
( Shops under Construction at Adipur)

( SRC Bus Stop- Adipur)

 ( Photo of Gandhidham Market )

This is the Market of Gandhidham on both sides of one way road, this road was the
only one way road at that time. Initially these shops were constructed with
Galvanized Corrugated Sheets, name of Tea hotel Chandra Vilas is clearly visible
which still exists at same place, but not all houses are converted in to RCC two
storey shops.

This is Nirvasteshwar
Shiv Temple, and is
constructed by Black trap
rock stone blocks which
are very hard, black trap
quarry is at Viri village
near Anjar, and other
temples such as Ram
Mandir and Ambe Mata
Mandir are also
constructed by same rock
stone. Shiv Temple is
having very unique shape,
also design of windows is
marvellous.
 ( Photo of Coban Club at Adipur)
Coban Club initially was residential house of Bhai Pratap, this was the first
bungalow with two stories , it also consists of swimming pool, tennis lawn and
garden.

( Photo of Lal Sahib Mandir at Adipur)

Lal Sahib Mandir is at Adipur, initially it was small Temple which was gradually
expanded with time, no residential row houses behind is seen which presently
exists, no shopping complex on both sides is seen , which were constructed
afterwards, also where people are seen there exists a Garden today
 ( Photo of Diesel Generating Set for Adipur township)

Initially Diesel Generating Sets were installed by Sindhu Resettlement Corporation,

also energy meters were also of SRC which were placed in wooden cupboard,
power supply was switch over to GEB which was constituted in 1960, initially
same energy meters of SRC were used which were gradually replaced by Gujarat
Electricity Department

View of first
borewell
being drilled
at Viri for
Adipur town.
Source for
Gandhidham
township was
explored by
Central
Ground Water
Board, work
was executed
by Kandla
Port Trust,
initially bores
of Viri were artisan type I.e water came out from bore well without pumping and
reached Adipur, Gandhidham and even up to Kandla.