- There is a need for alternative and appropriate technologies in construction due to the large housing shortage and constraints on materials and resources. Labor-based construction programs using local materials can help address this need. - Appropriate technologies should follow principles like energy conservation, using local and renewable materials, and minimizing environmental impact. Waste materials from industries can be used to make building materials. - Low-cost and appropriate technologies do not compromise on quality or strength while using less capital and resources. They are developed based on local needs and capabilities. - Research institutions are developing appropriate technologies like stabilized mud blocks, mud plasters, and vaulted roofs that utilize local materials and labor to lower costs.

1. APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
Need for Energy saving eco-responsive sustainable development
Issue based Discussion
Part -1
BY
SHIRISH AVRANI
Architect - Planner

2. • D Need for alternative Technology
Due to national growth and rapidly rising need for building more houses, there is an
economic pressure on the construction industry to raise and speed up its production
potential.
• The current housing shortage stands at about 45 million in rural and urban areas
put together.
• Need for construction does not confine itself to housing alone, but also extends
to other tamenitiesype of buildings such as hotels, institutes, schools, health
centers, public, farm structures, social building, work places, ware housing etc.
• For the poorer counties, which often cannot afford or fully use sophisticated
equipment, there is a need for appropriate technology that will make use of their
most abundant resource : people. Our experience suggest that labor based
construction programs –like programs involving the most advance technology can
not solve the grave problem of the developing countries where labor is abundant
and capital scare, however labor based programs are an indispensible part of long
term strategies for rural development.- A world Bank Report
• Unfortunately, disproportion between the total need of buildings and available
construction capacity in terms of material and manpower constitutes the biggest
constraint in achieving any satisfactory level of construction output, even if financial
resources are made available.
• Limited construction capacity is largely due to:
• Scarcity of basic materials like cement, steel, bricks etc.,
• Persisting traditional design and construction methods, and
• General scarcity of financial resources.

3. LAND
Developed land
Physical &
Social
Infrastructure.
Accessibility
POTENTIAL
FINANCE
Self Finance
Govt. Schemes
Institutional
Finance
AFFORDABILITY
ACTORS
Individual
Public Agencies
Corporate Sector
Commercial
Entrepreneurs.
CREDIBILITY
TECHNOLOGY
Material
Techniques
Labour
APPROPRITE
BASIC RESOURCES FOR CONSTRUTION ACTIVITY
COMPOSITION OF BUILDING MATERIAL & LABOUR COMPONENT
Building material : 2/3 of the cost of construction (66.6 %)
Labour component : 1/3 of the cost of construction (33.3 %)

4. Guiding Principals
Some of the guide principals in developing the sustainable alternative building technologies
can be summarized as follow:
• Energy conservation
• Minimize the use of high energy materials
• Concern for environment
• Environment-friendly technologies
• Minimize transportation and maximize the use of local materials and resources
• Decentralized of industrial and mine wastes for the production of building materials
• Recycling of building wastes and use of renewable energy sources.
Building technologies manufactured by meeting these principles could become sustainable
and facilitate sharing the resources especially energy resources more efficiently, causing
minimum damage to environment.
Now people are searching for good and environment friendly material

5. COMPOSIT MATERILS FROM AGRO-INDUSTRIAL WASTES
Item Source
Qty. in
Mt./Year Application as Building Material
Flyash Thermal Power-Station 95.00 Flyash bricks, Cellular Concrete, Lightweight
Aggregates
Clinder Thermal Power Station
Railways
NA Concrete Blocks, Mud Blocks from Black Cotton
Soil
Gypsum Gypsum Mines 4.00 Gypsum Plaster –fiber glass
Partitions, false ceiling
Phospo-Gypsum Fertilizer Plants NA Gypsum Boards, Gypsum Plaster etc.
Red Mud Aluminum Plants 3.50 Brick and Tiles,
Red mud PVC fiber –corrugated roofing sheet,
panels
Broken glass &
ceramic
Glass and ceramic
industry
NA Insulating bricks and tiles, flooring tiles, decorative
panels

6. Item Source
Qty. in
Mt./Year
Application as Building Material
Saw mill waste Saw mill 2.00 Cement bonded blocks, boards, particle boards,
insulation boards.
Rice Husk Rice Mill 20.00 Rise husk synthetic resin for Building Panels,
false ceiling, door /window shutters, roofing
panels, flooring, Bricks manufacturing
Bagasses Sugar Industries NA Insulation Boards, Wall Panels etc.
Bagassis synthetic resin -Door/window shutters,
flooring and furniture
Cotton stalk Cotton Plantation 1.10 Fibber Boards, Panels, Shutters
Coconut husk Coir fiber industry 1.60 Coir Polymer composite
Wall paneling, false ceiling, partitions,
door/window shutters
Roofing panels
Jute fiber Jute Industry 1.44 Jute, synthetic resin
Door / window shutters, frames
Groundnut shell Groundnut oil mill 11.00 Building blocks, panels, roofing sheets, particle
boards
Banana leaves/
stalk
Banana plants 0.20 Building boards, fire resistant fiber boards.
Rice/ wheat straw Agriculture farm 12.00 Roofing units, wall panels/boards

7. APPROPRIATE
TECHNOLOGY
CRITERIA
FOR
SELECTION
PEOPLE
PLACE
TIME
ECONOMY
ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES
CULTURAL ASPECTS
Philosophy
PARTICIPATORY
PLANNING DEMOCRETIC
APPROACH
FOR THE PEOPLE
BY THE PEOPLE
OF THE PEOPLE
AVAILABLITY OF
MATERIALS
GEOGROPHY
SEISMIC ZONE
CYCLONE PRONE AREAS
CLIMATIC
CONSIDERATIONS
RURAL AREA
URBAN AREA
POLLUTION FREE
BIO-DEGRADABLE
RECYCLABLE
ENERGY CONSERVATION
LOCAL ECONOMY
LABOUR intensive
Economy is more powerfull
than ecology
DURATION –TIME FRAME
ERA (PERIOD) –SPIRIT OF
THE AGE

8. What is “Low Cost” TECHNOLOGY?
Not the inferior quality but appropriate / cost effective technology.
Not meant only for the poor but for all class of people.
Cheaper yet durable.
Does not require any sophisticated machinery or equipments.
Does not require large capital investment.
Construction technology without compromising on quality and
strength.
ALTERNATIVE- APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
Appropriate technology is the creation of human ingenuity and springs
in response to local needs and possibilities. It is ready for use by the
common people and aims directly at improving the quality of their lives.
It draws upon the existing resources and skills available in an area,
while maintaining man’s harmony with nature.
Our national imperative is now to combine modern scientific concept
and tools with traditional knowledge, resulting in forms useful to man:
A method, a process, a design, a device or a product which will open up
a new path to development.
IT IS A TECHNOLOGY : OF THE PEOPLE
FOR THE PEOPLE
BY THE PEOPLE

9. APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
ASPECTS
PHILOSOPHICAL NEED - BASED
 Affordability
 Shortage of housing
stock and conventional
building materials
 Resource Constraints
 Energy Efficiency and
energy conservation
(Embodied Energy)
 Ecological Balance Eco-
friendly, Biodegradable
 Sustainable development
Self – help
Psychological
A way of life

10. ACHIVING COST EFFECTIVENESS
PLANNING /
DESIGN
INPUTS
CONSTRUCTION
MANAGEMENT
TECHNOLOGICAL
INPUTS
Design
considerations
Minimum openings
Less wall area
Minimum services
Span reduction
Financial
Resource planning
Timely procurement of
material
Work force planning
Scheduling

11. TECHNOLOGY
TRADITIONAL
RURAL BASE
Material and Technique
Mud, wood, bamboo
Bricks etc..
CONVENTIONAL
URBAN BASE
Material and technique
Cement, RCC, Steel etc.
NON – CONVENTIONAL TECHNOLOGY
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
Cost – effective technology
Low – cost technology
Objectives
•Economic efficiency
Equity and social justice
Environmental harmony
Resource conservation
Self reliance
Means of Achieving
•Economy
Local economy
Locally available materials
Labour – intensive
Energy efficiency
(Less fuel)
Technology evolved
By
Research / development
institutions
Technology evolved
By
People themselves

12. CONCEPT OF ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
Defination
An “ Ecological Footprint “ is a measure of the “load” imposed on the
natural environment by a given population and represents the land area
necessary to sustain and represents the land area necessary to sustain
current levels of resource consumption and waste discharge by the
population. Human activities such as eating, traveling and purchasing
consumer items all contribute to ecological footprints. The measure was
invented by Drs. Mathis Wackernagel and William Reese.
Using eco-footprint we can estimate the area of land needed to support
a household, a school, a business or a society as they currently operate.
It is a technique that has begun to measure the ecological carrying
capacity of earth – to find out how many human beings the planet can
carry without degrading its ecology and atmosphere beyond a specified
limit.

13. What is ecological foot printing ?
“The ecological footprint represents the biologically productive land and
water areas required to produce the resources consumed and assimilate the
wastes generated by a given population using prevailing technology.”
Average ecological footprint of various nations in Global hectares
United Arab Emirates : 10.68
Qatar : 10.51
United States : 8.0
Canada : 7.01 (Approx. size of 15 football fields)
Australia : 6.84
Germany : 5.08
United Kingdom : 4.89
China : 2.21
India : 0.91
Pakistan : 0.77
Bangladesh : 0.62
Eco-foot printing indicates how much land ( in global hectares ) is
needed to support a person or population’s lifestyle.

14. TECHNOLOGY EVOLVED BY RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONS

15. Development Alternatives – New Delhi
TECHNOLOGY EVOLVED BY RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONS

16. Wall : Stabilised mud blocks Plaster : Non erodable mud plaster
Roofing : Domes, Nubian vaults, brick vaults, Jack arch roofing
system, stone slabs etc.
Door/windows : Brick Corbelling, brick arch

18. Development Alternatives
Internal court

19. Internal Court
Development Alternative

20. Internal Court
Development Alternative

21. Stabilised mud block press machine – Balram developed by Development
Alternative – New Delhi

22. Process of manufacturing - Human energy is saved by just rotating the leaver arm

23. About 400 blocks are manufactured in a day with the help of four laborers

24. Blocks are stacked in alternative layer for air and water curing for fifteen days.

25. Creating hallow blocks with the help of nails in the mould – Experimental stage
at Nizamuddin Building Centre – New Delhi

26. Non erodable mud plaster – 15 part mud : 5 part tar : 1 Part kerosene- mixed
together and applied on mud walls.

28. Casting ground of Ferro –cement semi circular shell roofing system

29. View of building centre constructed using stabilized mud blocks and Ferro
cement roofing system

30. Curing ground for Ferro cement shell roofing units. – Curing with wet gunny bags

32. MCR – Micro Concrete Roofing
System developed by Development
Alternatives – New Delhi
There is an arrangement for tying
the MCR units with rafters by wires
so that it does not blown off during
cyclonic wind.

33. Clay tiles press mould : The hexagonal clay tiles made out of simple mould
costing about Rs. 200. Can be developed as a cottage industry .

34. Process of making clay tiles. Lump of clay is prepared and mould is pressed
on it to give a hexagonal shape.

35. Demoulding of clay tiles. The tiles are kept for drying under the shade and
finally burnt in a kiln. About 400 tiles can be manufactured in a day.

36. Thank You
End of Part - 1