ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN IMPROVING CONDITIONS OF SLUMS

1. 1
ECONOMICS
PROJECT
ROLE OF SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY IN IMPROVING
SLUMS
SUBMITTED BY : KAUSHAL KATARIA ( 2K13/CO/063)
LALIT LAKRA (2K13/CO/066)
DEEPANSHU YADAV (2K13/CO/043)
2015

2. 2
CONTENTS
S.NO CONTENT PAGE
NO.
1. Introduction 3
2. Problems 4
3. Role Of Science 5
4. Design 7
5. MODEL I: Use Of RCC SLABS for Roofing purpose 9
6. MODEL II : Use of RCC SLABS for Rain Water Harvesting 14
7. MODEL III: Point-of-use water purification using rechargeable
polymer beads
16
8. Harnessing power and economic advantages 17
9. MODEL IV: PEEPOO BAGS 19
10. Evaluation 21
11. Portable Toilets 23
12. Model V: Polymer Furniture 24
13. Model VI: Polymer Pavements and roads 25
14. Case Study 27
15. Model VII: Polymer Composites as Construction Materialsa 29
16. Future developments and estimated time-scale: 30
17. References 31

3. 3
INTRODUCTION
Narrow alleys circling huts with plastic roofs, open drainages jammed with poly
bags and heaps of stinking mud, piles of garbage accumulating in corners and dark
passages. This is not the plot of any Hollywood movie depicting life after end-of-
the-world but is the truth in which a large chunk of population is struggling. Slums
are the realities we are ashamed of. Urban well off scorn at their sight, shudder
and wish these souvenirs of rapid industrial growth disappear from the face of
their otherwise beautiful cities but to their dismay, it does not happen.
According to U.N.’s biennial report this year, the total number of poor in the world
has grown to 827.6 million powered by migration and population growth. Although
some 227 million people escaped the clutches of slums from 2000 to 2010, the
increase of 55 million is still a big addition. In India, Dharavi- Asia’s biggest
slumspans over 1.75 square kilometers and includes an estimated 600,000 to 1
million dwellers. It is said that 55% of the population of Mumbai lives in slums,
which cover only around 6% of the city’s land.
These deeply engraved pictures of a shantytowns in our minds is the result of what
we notice from air conditioned cabinets of our cars but a slum goes much beyond
that. The bitter pill which we have to swallow is that without these slums, the
machinery of the urban lands will break down miserably. These slums support the
small industries by supplying labor and semi finished goods without which the
middle and large scale industries will suffer a massive blow. Leather dying, garment
embroidery, recycling centers, bakeries, soap-making and clay-pot manufacturing
are some of them. To clear the air about the quality of these outputs, the leather
tanning and dyeing factories currently produce material for big name brands such
as Gucci.
If we gaze back in history, we will find that the existence of a slum goes long back
in time. It is something universal. In early 19th century when the present
superpowers (America and Europe) were not so powerful, they witnessed migration
of people from small towns to urban cities sniffing employment opportunities and
better access to basic amenities. This lead to the emergence of poorly built and
overcrowded housing facilities. But unlike India, These countries took timely steps
and introduced legislations to build low-income housing facilities with minimum
standards.

4. 4
The scenario is fast changing to the good of the dwellers as well for the city. Slum
development in India is the new wave which is sweeping the down trodden areas and
converting them into habitable and hygienic living spaces. Providing basic
infrastructure, sanitation, education facilities, lightning and community spaces are
the top priorities in the minds of the change makers. Polymer technology can
greatly contribute in achieving these goals to improve the condition of slum
dwellers, and a few of the models on how our branch can contribute in this
endeavor have been discussed here.
PROBLEMS
POOR STRUCTURAL QUALITY AND DURABILITY OF HOUSES
Poor quality and overcrowded housing in slums has a significant impact on people's
lives. Poor housing means diseases spread more easily, the effect of disasters like
flooding are amplified, and people are denied their privacy and safety.
INSUFFICIENT LIVING AREAS
More number of people living in one room. They live in congested areas with thin
lanes, no drainage facilities.
LACK OF SECURE TENURE
People are not certain about their existence in the slum they are living as they may
be asked to leave it any time further worsening their lives.
POOR ACCESS TO WATER
People do not get proper drinking water as in that area due to lack of government’s
negligence, proper facility of water is not there.
EDUCATION
A child not getting education is something sad that unfortunately is happening in

5. 5
these places. Children do miss school because they do not have the money to go.
SANITATION AND HEALTH FACILITIES
Poor sanitation and unsafe water claim the lives of many slum dwellers every year.
Contaminated water supplies, poor hygiene and a lack of decent toilets and
sewerage increase the spread of deadly diseases in slums. Diarrhoea kills 1.5 million
children under five each year. Without toilets, women suffer from the lack of
privacy and dignity, and the burden of getting water (often from far away) usually
falls on women and girls. The price of available water and sanitation facilities is
often unaffordable.
Role of Science
PORPOSED Projects
Other than infrastructural problems, the people in slum suffer from lack of clean
water and they lack electricity.
1. In order to improve life of poor people in Slums a plan to improve water
conditions by using Solar Water purifiers which is cost effective and can be
provided to the poor people by the government.
2. There is a lot of waste near slum areas as the slum areas are normally near
garbage sites. We propose that these waste garbage items be used to create
electricity that can be provided. This waste to energy conversion can be highly
useful and provide electricity.
SOLAR WATER PURIFIER
Distillation is one of many processes available for water purification, and sunlight is
one of several forms of heat energy that can be used to power that process.
Sunlight has the advantage of zero fuel cost but it requires more space (for its
collection) and generally more costly equipment. To dispel a common belief, it is not
necessary to boil water to distill it. Simply elevating its temperature, short of

6. 6
boiling, will adequately increase the evaporation rate. In fact, although vigorous
boiling hastens the distillation process it also can force unwanted residue into the
distillate, defeating purification. Furthermore, to boil water with sunlight requires
more costly apparatus than is needed to distill it a little more slowly without
boiling.
Many levels of purification can be achieved with this process, depending upon the
intended application. Sterilized water for medical uses requires a different
process than that used to make drinking water. Purification of water heavy in
dissolved salts differs from purification of water that has been dirtied by other
chemicals or suspended solids. Solar distillation systems can be small or large. They
are designed either to serve the needs of a single family, producing from ½ to 3
gallons of drinking water a day on the average, or to produce much greater amounts
for an entireneighbourhood or village. In some parts of the world the scarcity of
fresh water is partially overcome by covering shallow salt water basins with glass in
greenhouse-like structures. These solar energy distilling plants are relatively
inexpensive, low-technology systems, especially useful where the need for small
plants exists. There are four possible ways of purifying water for drinking purpose:
1. Distillation
2. Filtration
3. Chemical Treatment
4. Irradiative Treatment
Distillation method is preferred owing to the following benefits:
1. It produces water of high quality.
2. Maintenance is almost negligible.
3. Any type of water can be purified into potable water by means of this process
4. The system will not involve any moving parts and will not require electricity to
operate.
5. Wastage of water will be minimum unlike reverse osmosis in which almost 30% of
the loaded water flows out in form of unusable water that can only be used for
toilet or other cleaning purposes.

7. 7
DESIGN
We need to reduce the working pressure inside the distiller to increase the rate of
evaporation at lower temperatures and hence increase efficiency. One more
additional feature in the distiller that we are proposing is that it would use the
latent heat which is released during condensation to heat up the water at lower
temperature. This is achieved by using an innovative staged still design.

8. 8

9. 9
MODEL I: USE OF RCC SLABS FOR ROOFING PURPOSE
Houses in slums are made from a variety of materials ranging from plastics, poly
bags to concrete. However nowadays a transition from the ‘kutcha’ makeshift
homes to the permanent concrete houses has been prominently made in a majority
of slums. But the existing roof in such houses is that of AC Sheets over the brick
walls which is of no drastic help either. During rainy season, AC sheets’ roofing
gets damaged which thus results in water leakage and dampening of the walls.
Furthermore, the drainage system in between the tenements ordinarily doesn’t
function properly and thereby causes frequent choking of drains due to steep
slopes. A pertinent solution to this problem could be use of Reinforced Cement
Concrete (RCC) slab roofing.
To enhance the load carrying capacity of concrete it is reinforced with steel bars
(Rebars) of different diameters provided in an appropriate manner. Such concrete
is called Reinforced Concrete and the rebars are called the reinforcement. These
rebars are provided at various locations in the required number and diameters to
resist the internal forces, which are developed due to the loads acting on the
structure. The brick tiles being porous and moreover laid on mud and mud-plaster
duly grouted with cement sand mortar do not gain too much heat in summer and
thermo-action is negligible, therefore cracks do not occur in the joint of brick
tiles. Whereas the marble/ kotah stone or terrazzo tiles which are generally laid
over a bed of cement mortar after laying brick-ballast concrete on R.C.C. roof, gain
heat too much and due to thermo-action, hair cracks occurs in the joints of stone
slabs and tiles even in the first summer. When there is a continuous rain, the water
penetrates in the roof through the hair cracks in the joints and dampness will
appear under the roof slab. Slab under the bed of stone slabs and tiles in terrace
floors and floors of bathrooms etc. The rich concrete without proper
reinforcement is prone to cracks due to thermo-action. Some professionals and
masons suggest the laying of "Kuba" i.e. brick-bats grouted with sand mortar on
the R.C.C. Slab which is also not suitable.

10. 10
Low Cost Housing is a new concept which deals with effective budgeting and use
environmentally friendly materials which are substitute for conventional building
components like use R.C.C. Door, floor and window frames in place of wooden
frames.
Generally, the stone/tiles laying contractors and masons mix the cement sand
mortar with water minimum for half day work, when the ordinary Portland cement
mortar begins to set after 30 minutes and completely set after 600 minutes. When
the setting of cement mortar starts, the unused cement sand mortar will start to
lose strength gradually.
It is not out of mention here that even the stone flooring of toilets & kitchen
washbasin give dampness in walls due to leakage through the joints of junction
because their back surface is not made water/damp proof. Similar is the case of
stone cladding of outer walls during the rains. It happens because stone has no
cohesive property being of plain surface and gaining more heat being homogeneous.
In outer walls it some time disintegrate during summer and causes fatal accidents
Waterproof coating system goes deep into providing classy performance along with
minimum disturbance, waste and pollutants to the occupants and surroundings. The
range covers right from New RCC Roof Waterproofing up to Load-free
Waterproofing on old porous Lime-terrace. Even in standalone cement modifier
range, the Products stands out in quality by technical advantages like sub-zero-tg,
non-migrating plasticizer & core-shell molecular structure.

11. 11
The Waterproofing systems are conveniently made up of unit modules, which are
permuted and combined to build various Systems depending on required service and
conditions. The 'Solution' System approach and uncompromised quality of Products
deliver foolproof reliable performance.
Fig: Filler Slab
Normally 5″(12.5 cms) thick R.C.C. slabs is used for roofing of residential buildings.
By adopting rationally designed insitu construction practices like filler slab and
precast elements the construction cost of roofing can be reduced by about 20 to
25%.
Various Ratios of RCC
RCC denotes Reinforced Cement Concrete in which cement, sand and bajri are laid
with the help of mild steel. This is most important part of the structure. Generally
1:2:4 and 1:1.5: 3 ratios of RCC are used in construction work.

12. 12
RCC 1:2:4
Where cement concrete 1:2:4 is used; it means 1 part of cement 2 parts of fine
aggregate/coarse sand and 4 parts of coarse aggregate. This ratio of cement
concrete gives high strength of cement concrete and is recommended for following
works.
• For general RCC work in buildings
• Bed plates
• Lintels
• RCC shelves
• Pavement etc.
RCC 1:1.5:3
Where cement concrete 1:1.5:3 is used; it means 1 part of cement 1..5 part of fine
aggregate/coarse sand and 3 parts of coarse aggregate. This ratio of concrete also
gives very high strength of cement concrete and is recommended for following
works.
• Structure carries in heavy loads
• Important RCC structure such as columns, beams, slabs, cantilever, Chhajja,
porch, and balcony etc.
• Minimize the effects of earthquake.
• Gives more strength accordingly if Tor or Ribbed steel is used with cement
concrete 1:1.5:3.
Advantages of RCC Slab
● Energy efficient.
● Does not catch fire.
● Provides solid and durable roofing.

13. 13
● Very versatile and provides greater protection.
● Reduces costs of insurance and has resale value.
Economics associated with this model:
The building construction cost can be divided into two parts namely:
Building material cost : 65 to 70 %
Labourcost : 65 to 70 %
Now in low cost housing, building material cost is less because we make use of the
locally available materials and also the labour cost can be reduced by properly
making the time schedule of our work. Cost of reduction is achieved by selection of
more efficient material or by an improved design.
The above specified model was implemented by Government of Andhra Pradesh in
Balajinagar Tenement Nos. 01 to 1060 at Tirumala in 2011. There are 1060 (one
thousand and sixty) tenements available at Balaji Nagar, Tirumala and the total
cost works out to Rs.1998 lakhs based on the then current rates duly making
provision for improvements, providing RCC roof slab with necessary sanitary &
electrical requirements.
In case the government is due to some reason unable to allocate funds for this
matter then on an individual level slum dwellers can switch to RCC roofing
themselves. A rough estimate gives the cost of making use of concreting RCC 1.2.4
to be Rs 30 to 35 per sqft (as per the rates of 2009).
Areas from where cost can be reduced are:
1) Reduce plinth area by using thinner wall concept.Ex.15 cms thick solid concrete
block wall.
2) Use locally available material in an innovative form like soil cement blocks in
place of burnt brick.

14. 14
3) Use energy efficiency materials which consumes less energy like concrete block
in place of burnt brick.
4) Use environmentally friendly materials which are substitute for conventional
building components like use R.C.C. Door and window frames in place of wooden
frames.
5) Pre-plan every component of a house and rationalize the design procedure for
reducing the size of the component in the building.
6) By planning each and every component of a house the wastage of materials due
to demolition of the unplanned component of the house can be avoided.
7) Each component of the house shall be checked whether if it’s necessary, if it is
not necessary, then that component should not be used.
MODEL II: USE OF RCC SLAB ROOFING FOR RAINWATER
HARVESTING
In addition to the many benefits, RCC Slab Roofs can be used for rainwater
harvesting. This can be carried out in the following manner:
In houses with sloping
roofs the rain water
may be collected to the
half cut PVC pipes
fitted along the sloping
sides and it may be
directed to either
Check the weather the rain
water drain pipes extend up to
the bottom of the building.
Interconnect the rainwater
drain pipes if there exist
more than one.

15. 15
sump/open well/bore
well or recharge well.
To collect rainwater in a
sump construct a filter
chamber of size 2/1/2' *
2/1/2' * 2/1/2'
The bottom half of the
filter chamber has to be
filled either with broken
bricks/blue metal/pebbles
and followed by one feet of
coarse river sand. A nylon
mesh has to be provided in
between the two layers. The
top portion of the filter
chamber should be covered
with RCC slab.
The inlet rainwater drain
pipe should be on the top
of the filter chamber and
the outlet pipe connecting
the filter chamber to the
sump should be at the
bottom.
Surplus spill over water
from the sump may be
connected with the
existing open well/bore
well or to the recharge
well.
In the absence of
sump,filter chamber may
be connected to the
existing open well / bore
well.
In the absence of
sump,open well and bore well
the rain water may be
recharged through
percolation pits and the
bottom of bit should be in
the sandy formation.

16. 16
MODEL III: Point-of-use water purification using rechargeable
polymer beads
POU water purification can pare the cost of pure, safe water to meet the needs of
the neediest. This breakthrough holds the promise of reducing the impact of water
borne diseases throughout the developing world. HaloPure: a new and enabling
technology for POU. One such “enabling” technical advance is the development of
an entirely new biocidal medium in the form of chlorine rechargeable polystyrene
beads that is based on patented chemistry inventions from the Department of
Chemistry at Auburn University (U.S. Patent Nos.5,490,983 and 6,548,054 B2).
The fundamental principles of the HaloPure reversibly binds chlorine. There is a
shift in attitudes on improving safe water access. Unchlorinated technology are
deceptively simple to understand, although their incorporation into a reliably
reproducible and practical medium for water sanitation has taken years of intense
effort and research. Porous polystyrene beads are similar to those used for water
softener resin beds, are modified chemically so as to be able to bind chlorine or
bromine reversibly in its oxidative form. One way to think of this compound is as
solid-state chloramines, biocidal in its own right, by virtue of giving up their
chlorine to microbes that come in contact with them. But, unlike chloramines in a
swimming pool, these surfaces are quite capable of repetitively taking up chlorine
and establishing a stable chlorine bond. All that is required is enough free chlorine
to surround the binding site. Almost no free chlorine is released when the beads
are placed into the water flow. Typical levels range from 0.05 ppm to 0.20 ppm
free available chlorine. This is not enough to kill anything without lengthy
incubation. Hence, the swift efficacy of HaloPure depends on intimate contact
between the microbes and the bound halogen on the polymer. We have, then, is a
solid surface, effectively biocidal on contact to contaminants in the water and
repeatedly rechargeable when periodically exposed to free halogen. In this way, a
powerful antimicrobial component can be introduced into a water purifier that will
not run out of steam, and have to be discarded. Instead, it can have its power
regularly and conveniently “topped up” by the user.
Organisms make contact with the display of chlorine, for example, on the surface
of the beds, and pick up enough halogen to inactivate them in short order. Those
not killed within seconds suffer a near-death experience, and succumb quickly in
the product water as the adherent chlorine slowly damages the organism to the
point of fatal consequences. Interestingly, because the halogen attaches to the

17. 17
organism it can be stripped off as well. In the case of bacterium, if the halogen is
stripped off before it has killed the organism, the bacterium can recover.
However, for viruses such as polio, the damage is irreversible.
Diagrammatic representation of purification
Harnessing power and economic advantages
The economic advantages of this kind of medium are immediately apparent. All you
need is to ensure availability of that source of “topping up power” — in the form of
free chlorine — and the user can potentially have the continuous benefits of
halogen-based disinfection of drinking water but without having to wait for local
authorities or international agencies to install and run purification plants, pumps,
distribution system pipes, and so on.
· And because the efficacy is not dependent on adding free chlorine to the water,
many of the disadvantages normally associated with that approach are avoided
entirely. The challenge, however, has been to find a means of embedding this
elegant disinfecting medium into the core of a practical, easy-to-use device,
designed for household use in developing countries.

18. 18
· Success in meeting this challenge was the theme of the ASTMH symposium. It
drew together and presented all the evidence for the effectiveness of the
concept, and then showed how other elements of an ideal water purification device
could be assembled around it to meet the demands of the original objective — an
economical, robust, convenient, easy-to-use, highly reliable in-home POU system
for generating safe water, that would still be within the reach of people on the
lower rungs of the economic ladder in developing country communities.
· The very durability and unprecedented low operating costs of the halogen
rechargeable medium raised the stakes even higher. The elements of purification
that needed to be assembled around the bead medium have to ensure that the
microbiologically safe water also looks good, smells good, and tastes good — all
qualities that are important to water consumers the world over, even those most
deprived of reliable access to safe water.
· The assembly of such purifier is relatively cheap while more sophisticated and
multifaceted as compared to a regular purifier. Durability and easy recycling plays
a vital role in cost reduction. vital role in cost reduction.
Elements of a POU purification system

19. 19
Some finished filters available
A breakthrough in POU water purification the technology holds the promise of
reducing the impact of water borne diseases throughout the developing world. Its
widespread use could contribute to the realization of UN goals for access to safe
water for all by 2015. And it could do so without resort to the massive
infrastructure investments that are needed to reach this goal using more
conventional centralized sanitation and distribution approaches. Recent research
has shown how powerful the effect on family and child health can be from the
introduction of simple POU water purification measures, even when these are not
accompanied by significant improvements in sewage disposal.
MODEL IV: PEEPOO BAGS
Across all large slum dwellings in India what one finds common is the persistent
stench that arises from guttural waste. Poor sanitation in slums has always been an
issue and the open drains invite a host of diseases like diarrhoea, cholera and
become breeding sites for mosquitoes.
Also, a major headache for those who live in slums is shortage of water. Despite all
the promises made by successive governments water shortage remains an unsolved
problem at large and the problem is aggravated by the fact that migrant rural
population is going to need more of this already scarce resource.

20. 20
The hand to mouth existence in slums leaves basic hygiene practises unattended.
According to a very recent report in ‘The Hindu’ “Half of India's homes have
cellphones, but not toilets”.
The above figures call for a solution which is accessible, cost effective, eco-
friendly and can be implemented in minimum possible time frame. Here comes the
role of PEEPOO bags.
Makeshift Toilets
The PeePoo bag serves as an alternative to open toilets. Construction from
bioplastics ensures that environmental leakage does not occur. An inside lining of
urea crystals decomposes poop into ammonia and carbonate using enzymes naturally
present in feces. This raises the pH of the poop and subsequently kills most
pathogens within a few weeks.

21. 21
Environmentally Friendly and Useful for Agriculture
Better yet, the PeePoo bag does not cause additional environmental problems of its
own and is actually practical for large-scale Third World implementation. The bag
itself is biodegradable and currently constructed from 45% recycled materials.
Once the hygienization process is complete, the leftover ammonia can be put to use
as fertilizer.
It is important that the Peepoo bag technology be employed. This simple
technology will cater for the extreme situation by moving away from hard
structures into a soft approach to sanitation and excreta management giving the
individual inhabitant a choice to hygienic and sustainable personal sanitation.
Evaluation
The proposed technology will be a universal remedy for prevailing human waste
disposal facing slum residents. Remarkably slim, measuring 14X39 cm, the Peepoo
bag, essentially a bioplastic bag containing urea powder, sanitises human excreta
shortly after defecation. It requires no water, as after use the bag breaks down

22. 22
and disintegrates, and the treated faeces become fertiliser with a high market
value. It doesn't need any supporting structure, but, for convenience, a small
bucket can help a lot.
1 This option is affordable and will improve the quality of life with minimal lobbying
and negotiation with the residents. There will be need for awareness campaigns and
sensitization on the use of the bags and the organic manure.
2 The organic manure utilization component relates to income generation and is
expected to develop into a cottage industry, which will attract a significant
proportion that will derive direct benefits from the initiative and build a
sustainable micro-enterprise.
3 These technologies will not involve the construction of new infrastructure leading
to the displacement of people, i.e. this proposed intervention will not touch on the
existing settled areas.
The PEEPOO technology combats various problems mentioned in the introduction in
the following manner
Price to set for the Peepoo bag
The biggest concern about the bag is the cost per bag which is expected to be Rs.
2.61. However, this is cheaper than building a flush toilet connected to a sewer or

23. 23
septic tanks which costs $400 to $1500. Even a communal toilet or basic bit latrine
is between $10 and $40. In a country where those earning a wage of less than Rs.
37 per day are considered to be lying below the poverty line, it shouldn’t be much
of a problem to start making use of PeePo bags. However provision of government
aid can certainly boost the usage of such eco-friendly bags.
Portable toilets:
Sanitation is a major problem in city slums as there is not enough space to
accommodate a normal toilet and also lack of awareness in people. Therefore it is
quite necessary to have compact and clean sanitation solution: Portable toilets. It
is made up of light-weight sheet plastic, such as polyethylene. In this model we
focus on providing the same to the city slums which are basically made from low
weight polymers and also have the advantage of hygiene and easy cleaning.
Pictorial representation of the working of the portable toilets

24. 24
Since safe disposal of plastic wastes in particular is one grave issue that needs to
be paid heed to so we propose an efficient recycling of plastic wastes. For working
on this front, ragpickers could be employed to perform the valuable work of
collecting, sorting, and where possible selling for reuse or recycling, the remaining
waste. Normally, ragpickers in such a situation are self-employed, and because of
this it has often been hard for them to organise effectively to protect their
rights. By giving them employee identity cards and encouraging them to organise
into groups that they run themselves, they can be made to have a more stable and
secure income.
Model V: Polymer Furniture
With the growth of polymer industry and innovations in the field, furniture market
has experienced a rapid growth with the availability of a new, cheap and better
replacement for the conventional wood furniture- Plastic furniture. This type of
furniture is commonly made from solid molded polyethylene marine grade polymer.
Advantages:
1. Low cost material, Flame retardant, U.V. Resistant, outdoor durability.
2. Very strong, can be light or heavy depending upon need.

25. 25
3. Economical and eco friendly
This type of furniture can be used in slums to develop local schools, and to provide
cheap home furniture, one of the major advantages of this remains its flame
retardant capabilities that prevents losses in case of common slum fires, and its
UV resistance, that ensures its long life.
Model VI: Polymer Pavements and roads
Slums especially in Delhi have a very poor connectivity to roads; these roads are
either in accident prone condition or aren’t very permanent in foundation. A poor
road leads to difficulty in bringing Healthcare and other facilities in times of need
to these areas, and often is the cause for poor sanitation, disease spread, etc.
therefore proper long lasting pavements and roads can be constructed by using
polymers.

26. 26
Here is a comparative study to compare the conventional roads and the new
polymer roads, with SoilTech polymers, a brand of Polymer pavements as an
example.
Polymer stabilization, in most instances, minimizes the need for borrow-pit
materials.
In-situ aggregates and other materials, normally discarded for road construction,
can used with SoilTech polymers and Polymer technologies are immeasurably more
carbon friendly than traditional layered, cement-stabilized roads. *Independent
reports have shown SoilTech polymers, from Polymer Pavements, produces a
meager 2,4% carbon in comparison to cement stabilized, layered roads. One
kilometer of cement stabilized road, seven meters wide, will produce 50,449 tons
of carbon into the air as opposed to 1,217 tons produced by our polymer stabilized
road!

27. 27
Case study: South Africa – Nkomati Mine – Heavy Haul
Roads, July 2010
Table. 1 Nkomati – Comparative Tests – Before and After
Dry Test (June 2010) Wet Test (soaked for 40 mins)
Average Reading on Treated Dry
Road
CBR 160%
UCS 1308 kPa
E-Modulus 509 MPa
Average Reading on Treated Wet
Road
CBR 148%
UCS 1217 kPa
E-Modulus 475 MPa
Average Reading on Untreated Dry
Slag Road
Average Reading on Untreated Wet
Slag Road
CBR 48%
UCS 453kPa
E-Modulus 187 MPa
CBR 36%
UCS 352 kPa
E-Modulus 147 MPa
Dry Test (9 March 2010) Wet Test (soaked for 2 hours)
Average Reading on Treated Dry
Road
CBR 135%
UCS 1121 kPa
E-Modulus 440 MPa
Average Reading on Treated Wet
Road
CBR 102%
UCS 875 kPa
E-Modulus 347 MPa

28. 28
The result of the study was that the use of such materials significantly enhanced
functional performance and load bearing capacity of these roads.
Advantages:
1. Waste management: The junk plastic used here helps us to manage effectively
and economically.
2. Environment Friendly: CO2 emissions during construction are 32 times less than
the conventional roads.
3. Economically cheaper than using Bitumen, used as a binding agent to hold
together the base and the sub-layers of the road.
4. Cuts down on labor costs, water costs, and construction time.
5. Long Life: doesn’t crack under stress.

29. 29
Model VII: Polymer Composites as Construction Materials
Title: Eco-Composites
Target Audience: Civil and Structural Engineers, Architects, Building
Specifiers
Overview of application/summary:
Eco-composite is a term which is used to describe composite materials with
environmental and ecological advantages over normal composite materials such as
FRPs. The drive towards sustainable construction and environmental legislation
such as the End of Life Vehicle Directive and Landfill Tax has resulted in
considerable interest in the use of reclaimed waste such as plastic packaging for
construction materials, as well as the use of natural plant fibers, wood, and bio-
derived resins and adhesives. An eco-composite may contain natural fibers such as
hemp, sisal, jute or flax, or consist of a natural polymer matrix derived from
cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL). Plastic materials can also be produced from corn,
and even chicken feathers. Eco-composites can be produced from combinations of
reclaimed waste such as wood, newspaper, and plastics. Natural composites based
on starch can be produced which have the important advantage of biodegradability.
Softwood timber can be chemically modified using waste cellulose from agriculture
to produce a composite material with the properties of a tropical hardwood. A
composite which is easier to recycle such as an all polypropylene material may also
be termed an eco-composite.
Impact of Application
Financial:
· Eco-composites may be produced from cheap raw materials or waste.
Environmental:
1. Eco-composites may contain natural fibers or resins, reducing need for either
petroleum derived plastics or glass fibers.
2. Eco-composites may be composed of waste material such as post-consumer
plastic or newspaper.

30. 30
3. Eco-composites may be made to be biodegradable or easier to recycle.
Social:
Ø Some natural fibers and resins are obtained from the Developing World,
improving trade with those countries.
Ø Provides a potential alternative crop for farmers.
Engineering:
1. Certain combinations of natural fiber are lighter than the alternative glass
reinforcement, however generally the structural performance of the composite is
lower which limits the applications. Plant fibers can be stiffer than glass; however
tensile strength and impact resistance are lower.
2. Plant fibers also do not lend themselves to many of the advanced production
processes of polymer composites such as pultrusion
Future developments and estimated time-scale:
High interest in this area of research due to increased pressure for sustainable
construction.
These materials because of their low cost provide cheap & good alternatives to
slum dwellers in parts of Delhi.

31. 31
REFERENCES
1. http://www.slideshare.net/search/slideshow?searchfrom=header&q=role+of
+science+in+improving+slums
2. http://www.quora.com/What-is-the-role-of-Engineering-and-Technology-in-
improving-the-condition-of-the-poor-or-slum-areas
3. http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/youssefmm-1554575-housing-
conditions-slum-gora-mboup/
4. http://dst.gov.in/about_us/ar01-02-sp-science_technology.htm