EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
1
An Architect’s perception of
‘Earthen Architecture In Contemporary Scenario ’
A technique of the past helping us today to develop a healthy & green future.
Title Description
One of the oldest forms of construction…
It is composed of structures made from
unfired
earthen materials, including adobe (sun-dried mud
brick),
rammed
earth,
and
other
earthen
components and construction techniques that varies
with culture and region
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EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
An Architect’s perception of
‘ Earthen Architecture
In
Contemporary Scenario’
Meaning – Living /occurring at the same time
Today's World of construction
– Moving towards the
highly
technological face
with all the utopian concepts.
Is the Age old technique a mismatch to the current face?
The
Techniques and technology
that today's field of
construction uses
to handle the material.
How do an ARCHITECT , as a person who develops
built form and urban setting for welfare of SOCIETY
, perceive the concept of
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE
(oldest conventional building technology) now being
put aside naming it as SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
Aim of the study
3
To Recognize the significance of earthen architecture and its
techniques from past to present .
To know about the alternative technologies used in earthen
architecture and to figure out its scope and promote it as a construction
material in today‟s world
Objective of the study
To overview the history of earthen construction
To understand the qualities and properties of mud
To study and understand the usefulness and problems that
earth as a construction material has and have.
To understand and analyze the earth construction techniques.
To study the problems in designing structures, construction and
maintenance of earthen construction through pioneer‟s designs.
To study the innovative earth construction techniques.
To study the potentials of earth architecture to solve
sustainability issues.
Earthen architecture as a tool to solve housing needs for poor
– Study and analysis of it being economical.
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EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
Scope and Limitations of the study
To overview the history of earthen construction through
chronological and statistical data
To understand the qualities and properties of mud through various
literature sources and not through physical testing of the same
Study is not intended to analyze or calculate any climatic
responsive factors
To bring out the alternative/innovative approach and its
applications through study on pioneer‟s design and various other
case examples.
Study is limited to focus on principles and works of three national
and three international Architects.
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EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
Final outcome of the study:
„
B
uilding with earth has a great past, but also a promising future
Everywhere in the world‟
The attempt is to study and integrate an alternative technologies and various
appropriate building materials and renewable energies sources, so as to promote
eco-friendly and sustainable development.
Gain the better knowledge properties of mud
Gain the knowledge about alternative mud architecture techniques
Creating awareness on the Mud architecture by presenting its scope on various fields.
Creating awareness to preserve earthen building traditions
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- Ar.Satprem Maini
Structure of Presentation
Stage 1
- Definition of Earthen architecture
- History of Earthen architecture
- Earthen Architecture – Statistical Data
- Earthen Architecture – In India
- Earth as a Building material
•
Types of soil and its usage
•
Tests
•
Stabilizers
•
Strength and weakness of the material
Stage 2
- Earthen Construction Techniques
•
12 systems of construction
•
Various Building Elements
•
Walls
•
Flooring
•
Foundation
- Study on principles and works of
•
Ar. Hassan Fathy (Egyptian)
◦
Case example - 2
•
Ar. Gernot Minke(German)
◦
Case example - 2
•
Ar. Anna Heringer (Austrian)
◦
Case example - 2
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•
Vaults, Domes , Arches
•
Plasters and Mortar
•
Aesthetical Quality
Structure of Presentation
Stage 3
- Study on principles and works of
•
Ar. Satprem Maini (Practicing at Auroville)
•
Auroville Earth Institute , Auroville
•
Ar. Suhasini Iyer (Indian)
•
Auroville , Auroville
•
Ar. Chitra Vishwanath(Indian)
•
Biome Solutions , Bangalore
- Interviews with Professionals and Technicians
•
Ar. Anna Muset Cabada -
Auroville Earth Institute , Auroville
•
Ar. Nourredine Kebaili
-
Auroville Earth Institute , Auroville
•
Ar. Martin . L -
Biome Solutions , Bangalore
•
Mr. T.Ayyappan
-
Co-Director of AVEI , Auroville
•
Mr. Regi Kumar -
Site Supervisor of AVEI , Auroville
Stage 4
- Earthen architecture –
As a tool for
sustainability
(Comparison with a conventional building material)
- Earthen Architecture –
For Disaster
resistance
- Earthen Architecture –
As a tool to solve
housing needs
(Comparison with a conventional building material)
- Current trends and researches
- Role of
•
An Architect
•
The Government and private agencies
- Inference and Conclusion
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EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
Summary of the Previous stages
From History Of Earthen Architecture To Pioneer’s Designs And Concepts
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EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE - HISTORY
It has been one of the most widely used
building materials ever since people
began to build homes and cities 11 000
years ago.
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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8000 to 6000 BC – Mud brick houses, Russia.
The 4000 – year old great wall of china
Bronze age – In Germany - infill in timber-framed houses. Wattle and daub 6thcentury BC –Mud brick Heuneburg fort
-N.Europe
1446- First recorded settlements in Dir‟iyah
1795 - The oldest inhabited house in Germany.
Mid 20th century- Renaissance of earthen
architecture (Hassan Fathy)
Statistics from UNCHS
40 % of the world population lives in earthen
dwellings
17 % of the “world cultural heritage sites” is
built with earth
Statistics from UNESCO
25 % of the world population does not have
access to decent housing
25 % of the “world heritage sites in danger” is
built with earth\
14 % of the “hundred most endangered world
heritage sites” is built with earth
Type of Mud construction used - UNESCO
5000 BC – Rammed earth foundations in Assyria.
300 and 900 AD – The core of the sun , mexico , 2 million tons of rammed earth.
100 BC – Rammed earth forts in Spain.
13th to 17th centuries –cover straw
roofs - fire-resistant.
15th to the 19thcenturies – In
France, terrepise technique
1828 – The tallest house with solid earth walls - Germany.
Earth As A Building Material
Ty p e s o f S o i l a n d u s e s , S o i l t e s t i n g
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EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
Soil - Types
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Soil – Types (Based on particle size)
Gravel:
size of a pea to that of an egg.
Sand:
small than a pea
Silt:
Fine grains.
Clay
: Soils that stick when wet
Organic Soil:
decomposing organic matters
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
SOIL – USAGE
Suitability for construction is to
be checked before use
CHART SHOWING THE SOIL
TYPES AND MIXTURES
The shaded region Shows the ,
suitable soil proportion for the
building construction
Soil Testing and types
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Soil Test :
There are two kinds of
tests:
◦ Field tests
◦
Colour tests
◦
Touch and smell test
◦
Biscuit test
◦
Hand wash test
◦
Cigar test
◦
Adhesion test
◦ Lab tests
◦
Sieve test
◦
Sedimentation test
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
Hand wash test
Cigar test
Adhesion Test
Biscuit Test
Sieve test
Sedimentation
test
Gravity soil
separation
Earthen Construction Techniques
1 2 s y s t e m s o f c o n s t r u c t i o n , Va r i o u s B u i l d i n g E l e m e n t s
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EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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Stacking the cob Properly
Compacting the layers to form a monolithic structure
Finishing the wall- Plastering Various Mouldes
available to produce adobes
Standard mould used in the production
Making Cob out of the loam prepared Removal of
excess of mud
Bamboo and cane frame structure that supports the roof.
Mud is plastered over this mesh of bamboo
cane and straws Mud is plastered over
this mesh of bamboo cane and straws
Mud is plastered over this mesh of bamboo cane and straws Tubular roll of
sandbag-type
This method was developed from the bunkers made by the military
RAMMED EARTH
COMPRESSED EARTH
BLOCKS
COB
EARTH BAG – SUPER ADOBE
WATTLE AND DAUB
ADOBE
Prefabricated tiles
Made with stabilized earth
can be used for flooring. One
advantage is that since they
are already dry, shrinkage
only occurs in joints.
FLOORING
Earth Flooring , Gives the space a natural look . Lots of
patterns can be created with the flooring styles and
Materialsused
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FLOORING
Extruded loam
slabs, Germany
Infill loam elements
for floors
Load-bearing loam
floor slabs
divided by
a timber grid
Basic Flooring (Gernot Minke)
•The base layer - loam, about15 cm thick
(high clay content - water barrier )
•compacted by beating or ramming until no
cracks appear while drying.
• next layer - coarse gravel -interrupts capillary action.
• a 10-cm-thick layer of straw loam - thermal
insulation. 4-cm-thick - layer of straw loam, stabilised
with cement
•2-cm-thick layer of cement mortar with sawdust
Modern Flooring
•15-cm-thick capillary breaking
layer of gravel, followed by plastic
or bituminous felt paper, and topped
with a 10-cm-thick layerof expanded
clay (thermal insulation.)
Done With
Timber Blocks
BUILT EXAMPLES
VAULTS , DOMES AND ARCHES
Arches , vaults and domes are curved surfaces that transfer
almost exclusively compressive forces to their supports.
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Advantages
• This increased height helps in better
ventilation and gives more thermal
comfort.
• The skylights provide more light, the
curved ceiling provides equal distribution
of light.
• no reinforced cement concrete or steel
structure is necessary
•The construction techniques avoid
shuttering, save construction time
VAULTS , ARCHES , DOMES
• Arches ,Vaults and domes covering interior spaces and
made from earthen blocks are found mainly in religious
buildings in Europe
• vaults and domes of loam have been built only with
adobes
•masonry vaults and domes only Transfer loads under
compression.
Nubian vault technique,
used for centuries in
Upper Egypt, vaults
can be built without
any formwork
BUILT EXAMPLES
Various
Construction Process
Nubian Arches and Domes
Afghan and Persian domes
With this technique, bell shaped
flat domes are produced to
cover square rooms
Application of Plaster
• Scrap the undulation, irregularities and
loose particles, if any with the trowel so as
to make the surface uniform.
• Ideal mix = soil suitable for mud block + 40% to 50% of
sand by weight + 7.5% cement.
• Stabilized Earth Mortar is best suited for masonry using mud
blocks.
• Course sand (0.2 to 2mm) - reduce shrinkage, Bond
strength
• Straw - reduce shrinkage
• Cement - reduce shrinkage increase Bond Strenth
PLASTERS AND MORTAR
Finish of a building is a very important part to protect the
building from weather and to make it look visually appealing
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IDEAL MIX - Requirements
MUD MORTAR
APPLICATIONS
For Most of the mud wall construction
•Mud walls are protected against damage from rain by
applying mud plaster,.
• Consisting of local soil or mud collected from village pond
mixed with bhusha (wheat straw) on outer walls gobri (Cow
dung slurry).
IDEAL MIX - Requirements
PLASTER
•Any appreciable crack may be filled with
ordinary mud mortar and allow to dry.
•The plaster is commenced from the upper
portion coming towards the bottom.
•Apply the plaster in uniform thickness of
12 mm with a trowel and finish it smooth
Pioneers of Earthen Architecture
U n d ersta n d ing p io n eer ’s d e sig n p rin c ip le s a n d te c h n iq u e s
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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Methodology
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
Understanding techniques through Pioneers
design principles
Understanding the architectural and technical
specifications done by various architects.
- Architect‟s Profile and Achievements
- Reason Behind them pursuing Earthen Architecture
as a profession.
- Principles and Thoughts
- Planning and Design principles
- Two Case Examples
• Project aim and contextual Significance • Planning Aspects
• Type of Construction and techniques • Improvisation factors
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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"but this was no fault of the mud brick. .. why not .. mud brick??
He Believes in the concept of DIY –
DO IT YOURSELF
“Sustainability is a synonym for beauty ”
•
Born : April 1937 , Rostock,
Germany
•
Work : director - Building
Research Institute , Since
1979 : Private Office of
ecological architecture
•
Born : March 23, 1900
Alexandria Egypt
•
Died : Nov 30, 1989
•
Nationality : Egyptian
AR. ANNA HERINGER
AR.GERNOT MINKE
AR. HASSAN FATHY
•
Born : 13.10.1977 in
Rosenheim (Germany),
•
Practicing in Salzburg
(Austria).
•
Nationality : German
Office Building , New delhiHamed Said House , Egypt
Homemade – residence, Rudrapur
METI hand made school , Rudrapur
Farm House , New Delhi
Mosque , New Gourna Village
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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•
Born :
Banares, India
•
Nationality :
Indian
•
Work : Biome
Environmental Solutions
Pvt Limited
AR.CHITRA VISHWANATH
“ It‟s a pleasure , jus looking at the soil… “
•
Year joined in
Auroville -
1987
•
Nationality :
Indian
•
Work :
Auroville Design
Consultants , 1988.
Beauty and harmony in the built and natural environment is essential for a healthy living …
AR. SUHASINI IYER
•
Lives in Auroville
since
1989
•
Nationality:
France
•
Work :
Principal Architect
at AVEI
AR. SATPREM MAINI
“ The work done is as an offering to the Divine… “
1991-1999 Vikas Community, Auroville Biome , Office building, Bangalore Creative School , Ongoing Project 1989-1992 Visitors Centre at Auroville Dormitory , Laboratory, AVEI Kindergarden School, Auroville
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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Interview with Professional experts
Interview with Professional experts
QUESTIONNAIRE – TO ARCHITECTS
Overall View of Ms. Anna Muset Cabada:
Earthen construction is like home made food – takes time to prepare,
but conventional ones are like fast food , easy and fast servable .
Overall View of Mr. Nourredine Kebaili
Earthen architecture is a bit complex process , But people now a days
are used to the process of finding a easy and fast solution. So they
don‟t opt for a longer/ time taking process
Mr. Nourredine Kebaili is also taking a census through a
psychological questions related to earthen architecture , its
misconceptions and peoples thoughts in comparison to other material
. To find out the best possible way to remove the misconceptions
from people‟s mind .
He says , Past five years I am doing this research and the
only factor that keeps repeating is
“IGNORANCE
“ . So best
possible way is to teach people.
Overall View of Mr.Martin .L
Present day scenario at Bangalore, people wish to go for
this construction , probably this shows that people getting aware /
educating themselves on this topic.
Interview with Professional experts
QUESTIONNAIRE – TO OTHER TECHNICIANS
Overall View of Mr. T. Ayyappan:
Training people on this topic , has shown lots of difference in
terms of client‟s approach or interest of students on this type of
architecture
Overall View of Mr. Regi Kumar
Its easy to give training to local labors or even students , any
one can catch the techniques very fast. But Perfection takes time
.Its like a craft , once you learn the technique , wonders can be
made with this material.
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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Trainees per year keeps
increasing, this shows that
the interest and
awareness is increased in
present day condition
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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Stage - 4
CONTENTS OF THE STUDY
- Earthen architecture –
As a tool for sustainability
(Comparison with a conventional building material)
- Earthen Architecture –
For Disaster resistance
- Earthen Architecture –
As a tool to solve housing
needs
(Comparison with a conventional building material)
- Current trends and researches
- Role of
•
An Architect
•
The Government and private agencies
- Inference and Conclusion
Bring out the potentials of earthen
architecture
To list down the scope of the same in various
fields and to enhance and enrich the society
regarding it.
Earthen Architecture
– Tool to solve sustainability
U n d ersta n d ing t h e su sta in a b le a sp ec t s o f e a rt h e n co n st ru c t ion
Sustainability Check
S u s t a i n a b l e A r c h i t e c t u r e ? ?
Pollution emission :
◦ 2.4 times less than wire cut bricks.
◦ 7.8 times less than country fired bricks.
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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Architecture that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of
buildings
By efficiency and moderation in the use of
materials, energy, and development space.
A conscious approach to energy and ecological conservation to save the
society
Actions and decisions today that does not inhibit the
opportunities of future generations
E a r t h e n A r c h i t e c t u r e = S u s t a i n a b l e A r c h i t e c t u r e
Category Wire Cut
Bricks(WCB)
Country Fired
Bricks (CFB) Compressed Earth Block (CEB)
Rammed Earth (RE) Pollution emission (CO²) 39 Kg / m² 126 Kg / m² 16 kg / m² 16 Kg / m² Energy consumption (Wall) 539 MJ / m² 1657 MJ / m² 110 MJ / m² 110 MJ / m² Energy consumption :
◦ 5 times less than wire cut bricks.
◦ 15 times less than country fired bricks. CS EB & R AMME D EAR TH
Radon Emission
This shows that a clay brick from a clayey soil discharges very little radon. Category Emission Cement 57.6 Sand 54.0 Clay bricks 5.0 Lime-sand bricks 13.3 Porous concrete 18.0
Embodied energy and Co2 Emission –
Construction Industry- major source for co2 emission . This main property that decides
the sustainability of structure with response to surrounding
Category Time Lag
Cement 6.9 h
Burnt bricks 7.0 h
Adobe 9.2 h
Rammed earth 10.3 h
CSEB 12 h
Time Lag –
This shows that the material traps heat inside it for nearly 9 to 12 hours , after which there is temperature changesCategory Thermal Capacity
Stone 1800
Burnt bricks 1360
Adobe 1300
Rammed earth 1680
CSEB 1740
The thermal Conductance and time lag are inter related factors –
Cseb and rammed earth are good for climate responsive designs as they have better thermal properties than the other conventional materialsThermal Capacity–
This shows that the stone and CSEB are nearly equal , They can store large amount of heat inside them.
Sustainability Check
S u s t a i n a b l e c h e c k i n M A R I K A L - T E L E N G A N A
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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Contextual Background
Climate : Hot-arid summers slightly cool winters Max Temp - 40 C Min Temp - 27 C Annual mean - 27.6 C Rainfall- 810 mm (yr)
Transformation
Climate responsive architecture getting transformed into concrete buildings irreverent to local climate and context This study callsfor a balancing
modernization with the vernacular.
Heat Capacity
Heat capacity of a Mud wall plastered with lime (2050 kj/m3k) is
50% more
than that of a brick wall plastered with cement (1360 kj/m3k)Heat Transmittance
Mud Walls transmit heat
24% lesser
than the brick wallsSurface conductance
Mud Walls conducts
59% lesser
than the conventional brick wallsINFERENCE
Source -
www.elsevier.com/locate/buildenv
Earthen Architecture
– Tool to solve strength related issues
Learning about the disaster résistance houses , its construction technique
Gujarat Earthquake 2001 - Overview
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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Ludiya, Gujarat – Adobe buildings in the back which resisted the earthquake and stone building in front, totally collapsed
The2001 Gujarat earthquakeoccurred on 26 January, India's 52nd Republic
Day, at 08:46 AM local time and lasted for over two
minutes. The earthquake reached 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale The earthquake killed around 20,000 people injured another 167,000 and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes
Khavda – Random masonry with stones Well built which resisted the earthquake in Gujarat
Ludiya, Gujarat – Adobe building with only the plaster which peeled off and without roof
PATHOLOGY ON STONE BUILDINGS
These building were built without bond patterns and without “through stones”
Goiarsama – COB BUILDING Well built which resisted the earthquake
June 16, 1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake
-8.2 Richter
January 26, 2001 - Gujarat earthquake of
2001 - 7.6/7.7 Richter
April 6, 2006 Gujarat - 5.5 Richter
ADOBE BUILDINGS, STILL IN SHAPE
These adobe buildings were well built and they withstood the earthquake of Gujarat 2001
Ludiya, Gujarat – Adobe building which resisted the earthquake without even a crack in the plasters
FAILURE – NEW BUILDINGS
Failure due to collapse of walls or Reinforced concrete columns
FAILURE – DUE TO SHEAR
Failure due to collapse of walls or Reinforced concrete columns
PATHOLOGY – BAD
REINFORCEMENT Failure due to collapse Reinforced concrete columns and other RCC Structures
Disaster Resistive Structures
N E E D and
D E M A N D
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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The last decade of the 20th century has seen all over the world a significant increase in natural catastrophes . The need to answer the demand for disaster resistance is increasing .
Since 1995, our research has been oriented towards the development of a system, which is based on reinforced masonry with compressed earth blocks that are hollow interlocking. Three types of blocks have been developed:
• The square hollow interlocking block 245, which allows building up to 2–3 floors high.
• The rectangular hollow interlocking
block 295, which is used only for ground floors.
• The rectangular dry hollow interlocking block
300, which is used only for ground floors.
R e s e a r c h u n d e r t a k e n b y A U R O V I L L E E A R T H I N S T I T U T E
Various resistive structures by A U R O V I L L E E A R T H I N S T I T U T E
Istanbul, Turkey -1996
It was pre-cast in 10 days using semi-skilled labour and it was assembled in 8 days during the
1999 - New Delhi, India
Built with water and sanitation facilities, kitchenette. Pre-cast in Auroville & assembled in 66 hours by our 18-man team.
2001 Gujarat rehabilitation
Pre-cast in Auroville and transported to Gujarat, where it was assembled in Khavda village in 62 hours by our 20-man team.
1. HI block 245 (245 x 245 x 95 mm) “Running block” 2. HI block 295 (295 x 145 x 95 mm) “Running block” 3. HI block D300 (299 x 150 x 100 mm) “Running block”
1.
2.
3.
Disaster Resistive Structures
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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PLA N OF A U M H OU SE EL EV A TION SEC TION
FOUNDATION
:
Stabilized rammed earth foundation with 5% cementPLINTH
:
Interlocking CSEB 295 with 5% cement . With a composite plinth beam (RCC in U Interlocking CSEB)DOORS AND WINDOWS
Ferrocement
FLOORING : CSEB tiles 2.5cm thick with screed CS 1:12
WALLS : Interlocking CSEB 295 With reinforcements
COLUMNS : Composite – Round hollow CSEB 295
BEAMS & LINTEL : Composite RCC in U interlocking CSEB
ROOF : Interlocking Ferrocement channels
14 HOURS 16 HOURS 17 HOURS
43 HOURS 46 HOURS 48 HOURS
25 HOURS 30 HOURS 35 HOURS
Disaster Resistance – Government Housing
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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G O V E R N M E N T A P P R O V A L – A u r o v i l l e E a r t h i n s t i t u t e T e c h n i q u e
The technology for disaster resistance, which has been developed by the Auroville Earth Institute, has been approved by three governments: • The government of Gujarat, as a suitable
construction method, up to two floors high, for the rehabilitation of the zones affected by the severe earthquake of January 2001 in Kutch district.
• The Government of Iran (Housing Research Centre) as a suitable construction method, up to 8 m high (two floors), for the rehabilitation of the zones affected by the 2003 earthquake of Bam.
• The Government of Tamil Nadu, India, (Relief and Rehabilitation) as a suitable construction method for the rehabilitation of the zones affected by the 2004 tsunami of Indonesia
Government of Gujarat Compressive Strength – 75 Kg/cm2 Density- 1732 kg/m3 Government of Iraq Compressive Strength –57 Kg/cm2 Density- 1.83 Kg/m3 Government of Tamilnadu
Dry Compressive Strength – 59.65 Kg/cm2 Wet Compressive Strength – 43.03 Kg/cm2
Compressive Strength of the wire cut bricks are 90-120 Kg/cm2 . This is nearly 50 % more than the CSEB, which is chosen as alternative by the above mentioned government policies, cause it bears load 45 % more than the country bricks (30-40 Kg/cm2) and also economically viable for a government housing
Earthen Architecture
– Tool to solve housing problem
U n d ersta n d ing t h e eco n o mic a sp e c t s a n d p rin c ip les
Earthen Housing And Housing Scenario – In India
36
Katcha Houses:
Houses, in which both walls and roof are made of temporary or katcha materials that have to be replaced frequently, are placed in the category. As per NSS, katcha materials include unburnt bricks, bamboo, mud, grass, leaves, reeds, thatch..•Out of total households, 18.2% were residing in katcha
•Out of total Rural house holds, 17%were residing in katcha (NSS 2001) •Out of total urban house holds ,2.1% residing in katcha houses ( NSS 2008)
EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
(i) Serviceable :
Census describes temporary houses as those made of mud, un burnt bricks or wood.(ii) Non-serviceable :
Census defines this category to comprise houses in which wall is made of grass, thatch, bamboo, plastic or polythene.Data from National Statistical Survey - 2001
HOUSING SCENARIO IN INDIA
• The world‟s homeless population is estimated to be around 1 billion people.
• In India, around 1% of the total population is without a home (2001 Census). Approximately 60% of the homeless population is from the rural areas.
HOUSING SHORTAGE
The housing shortage is estimated to be 148.33 lakh houses as per 2001Census. • The housing shortage has increased @ 0.89 million houses per year during 1991-2002.
11TH FIVE YEAR PLAN
estimated the total rural housing shortage during 2007-12 at 47.43 million houses. Of these 42.69 million or 90% of the total shortage pertains to BPL families.The housing shortage is estimated to increase 5-10% from the above provided values with increasing population rate.
NEED FOR AN ALTERNATIVE ..
!!!!!!
Source –NSS 2001, 2008 , http://www.nistads.res.in/indiasnt2008/t6rural/t6rur6.htm
Application of CSEB
CSEB is a very labour intensive technology - 13 people per press for manual pressing (when there is one machine for production of Blocks )
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COST OF CSEB (PRODUCTION) :
• Labor represents more than 40% • Cement and equipment are about 30% • Raw materials are less than 30%
INTERVENTION IN GOVT HOUSING SCHEMES
•The Green house scheme of the government , funds for reconstruction of the Old and traditional mud houses . But this tends to increase in Concrete structure, which in term increases the co2 emission and embodied energy of the structures.
WHAT COULD BE DONE ..???
•Repairing of the structures could be done. For which the reconstruction is not required.
•Reconstruction could be done with the same material –
REUSE OF THE MUD FROM THE OLD BUILDING . This can reduce the cost up to 20 % of CSEB
Category PWD (Rs) Country Fired
Bricks (CFB) CSEB CSEB+ Mud from Site)(Own production
CSEB (Own production + Mud from Site + Self Help)
Cost of construction
/SFT 550-600 1400 1200 900 650-700
Green House
Scheme- 300/sft 1,80000 420000 360000 270000 195000
COST COMPARISON :
Maximum 0f 15% can be taken as profit by CSEB when compared with conventional cost• Cement and equipment are about 30% - This cost could not be reduced . But the cost of cement for PWDworks can be reduced from 10 – 15% . The equipment may be hired from the Local training Centers , which van be erected major rural areas
•When the Labour and the soil cost is reduced , by using the concept of DIY and reuse of materials , the cost of CSEB can be reduced by 40 -45%. (Considering 4 persons out of 11 man team to be skilled and others unskilled mostly villagers themselves)
Current Trends and Researches
U n d ersta n d ing t h e in n ovat ive a p p ro a c h towa rd s t h e a ge o ld te c h n iq u e
Researches on Innovative alternatives
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WASTE NYLON FIBRE +LATERITE BLOCKS
◦ The process, is done with waste nylon fibers of fishnet, so as to utilize the waste
Various tests done with different samples
◦ Density of the Material decreases with a increase in the
fiber content .
◦ Compressive strength decreases with a increase in nylon
content
◦ Mixing– Hand and machine mixing ◦ Raw material for the process
SISAL FIBRE+CSEB
CASAVA POWDER + CSEB
CASAVA (Maravali Kilangu)
Research Findings -
Addition of cassava powder inrange of 1.5% by weight of dry soil provides strength that is more than two times that recommended
SISAL FIBRE
is a fibre extracted from the species Agave sisalana . This species is widely found in Goa, India.Research Findings -
Optimum compressive strength is obtained by reinforcement of the soil sample with0.75% sisal fibres
by weight of soil. In this case the compressive strength Improves by 90.5% COMPARED WITH THE PLAIN EARTH BLOCK,◦ Percentage of Water Absorption
Keeps increasing with the increasing content of the fiber, and as the density is also lower.
◦ It is extensively cultivated as annual crop in tropical and sub tropical regionsfor its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates.
◦ These edible roots are powdered and added to the soil
as a stabilizing agent
Innovative techniques
SPECIAL ACOUSTIC GREEN BRICKS
◦ In order to optimize the acoustic behavior of domed rooms, a special loam brick with
rounded corners
was developed by the Gernot Minke.EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
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◦ The rounded corners and the corbelling effect of the bricks yield good sound distribution, ◦ Good sound absorption is produced by the cut-off joints and the holes in the brick..
NEXT GENARATION BRICKS – Bricks that grow
◦ The process, known as microbial-induced calcite precipitation, or MICP, uses the microbes on sand to bind the grains together like glue with a chain of chemical reactions.
Step by Step Process of Production : The resulting mass resembles sandstone but, depending on how it‟s made, can reproduce the strength of fired-clay brick or marble.
Required Materials
1. Place the formwork in the sand.
2. Fill it up. 3. Level.
4. Shake bacteria solution. 5. Pour it over the sand. 6. Let it saturate.
7. Pour the cementing solution over the sand.
8. Let it saturate.
9. Watch the brick harden. 10. Remove the formwork. 11. Watch the brick harden 12. Behold the bio brick
Layers of the filling
Metropolis‟ Next Generation competition - Ginger Krieg Dosier, - Next Generation Bricks – Research Documents.
Researches on Alternatives - Auroville
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POURED EARTH CONCRETE -
The soil, in a liquid state, is poured like concrete into formworks. The soil characteristics must be very sandy or gravely and should be stabilised.◦
This technique is a new development and is very seldom used. The reason is that the high water content of the soil will induce a lot of shrinkage when it will dry. Thus the wall will crack and generally a lot.
STABILISED WATER PROOFING :
The aim of this research is to find alternative plasters to cement plasters for waterproofing roofs. The earth is mixed with sand and stabilised with cement and a paste made of lime, tannin, alum (Ammonium sulphate) and water.Tannin is extracted by soaking into water broken seeds of an Indian tree, named “kaddukai” in Tamil Nadu. Its botanical name is Terminelia Chebula. The lime paste is prepared by mixing powdered alum with lime and tannin juice and extra water.
Preparing the lime-alum-tannin paste
Mix of soil, sand, cement and the lime-alum-tannin plaster Waterproofing a vault with stabilised earth plaster
DISADVANTAGE : After some years the waterproofing is not effective anymore. It seems that the UV of the sun destroys alum and tannin. Hence after 5 years this waterproofing let rainwater go through and the vaults get damp inside.
Therefore this research is still under way and hence the recipes are not yet disseminated through documentation or training courses. The tested proportions are given in the specification book of Auroville Earth institute
Inference - Summary
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Sustainability Check:
Making a clay brick in a coal-powered kiln, fired at 2,000F, emits about
1.3 pounds of carbon dioxide.
If biomanufactured masonry replaced each new brick on the planet, it would
reduce carbon-dioxide
emissions by at least 800
million tons /yr
Firing One tree can produce –
62 brick
(Standard bricks) For a small House of 5 * 6 m (30sqm)requires approximately
4200 –
4500 bricks
for one brick thick walls.Nearly , 70 – 72 trees
have to be burnt for this
purpose
No of Bricks Manufactured / year :
1.23 trillion brick
(more pollution than is created by all the airplanes in the world per yr. )400 trees are required to
produce 25000 bricks .. ! !
Government Housing Schemes :
Cause of the large scale demand , government schemes
face difficulty
to balance between the QUALITY AND COST
. So in most of the case quality of building are compromised for the cost effective solution.When One goes for a mud based solution . The rates are nearly the same with NO QUALITY COMPROMISE
Disaster Resistance Housing :
The Remains of
the Gujarat Earthquake 2001
proves that Mud structures are stronger when designed and constructed in a better way .Finally – “ THE Comfortable living “
At the end of the day ,humans require a comfortable living that can sustain for quiet a period of time
Lots of researches today are analyzing the thermal comfort of a place and conclude saying that the traditional
construction material are the creator of better environment..
Metropolis‟ Next Generation competition - Ginger Krieg Dosier, - Next Generation Bricks – Research Documents.
Role of ….
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Buildings are regarded as the skin that protects us from external sources …
Role of An Architect :
As an architect , One need to understand the above mentioned phrase carefully and create structures that are sustainable, comfortable for living and economically viable too.
WHAT COULD BE DONE ???
Promote and practice earthen construction.
Most of the clients today are fascinated by the
technological improvement of the construction industry and also demand for a SPEEDY SOLUTION .
As an architect , we should learn to balance between these two extremities. Most importantly We need to transfer knowledge to upcoming generations
- Overall view of Auroville Earth institute and its team.
Role of the Government :
Government agencies needs to concentrate on the policy level issues. The guidelines need to formulated in order to make this a standard material for construction
WHAT COULD BE DONE ???
Various schemes currently available, need to be updated with a thought of maintaining the mud houses and to repair if needed.
BPL people are to be trained for constructing their own house with mud, so that they need not have to spend money on labour.
Averagely production of CSE blocks / day varies from 850 to 1000 (240) . So the villagers themselves can make the bocks for their house.
Building training centre , can be updated with the earth construction techniques
