This document discusses low-cost building materials and construction techniques for developing affordable housing. It begins by outlining common problems in developing countries like population growth, urbanization, and shortage of affordable materials. It then lists several alternative building materials that can help address these issues in a more sustainable and cost-effective way, such as fly ash bricks, hollow concrete blocks, bamboo, and composites. The document emphasizes selecting materials that are locally available, use recycled waste, and require less energy intensive manufacturing to reduce costs while maintaining quality. Government policies and initiatives for developing low-cost and affordable housing are also mentioned.

1. SHEET NO.
INTRODUCTION TO LOW COST BUILDINGS1
cent in relation to the level of 1996 and by thatdate
two-thirds of the population will be living in developing
countries. Globally, the need for shelter and infrastructure
that such development create is shaping the patterns of
construction, and will continue to do so.
Construction industry is a major contributor to
socioeconomic development in every country. Its highly
multi-sectoral and dispersed character makes it difficult to
monitor, in quantifiable terms, the environmental
degradation it causes. Need is being increasingly felt to
forge public policy and private investment to facilitate
availability of materials and strengthen technology
delivery systems for achieving national goals of Housing
for All.
Common Problems Confronting Developing Countries
Rapid growth of population, urbanisation and industry in
most developing countries is exerting pressure on
construction industry to raise productivity and efficiency.
Demand of housing that is affordable and accessible to
poorer sections of society is compounding the problem
due to severe shortages of materials.
Traditional material manufacturing technologies require
high energy consumption and are leading to fast depletion
of natural resources of forests and agricultural top soil.
Technology is being increasingly seen by the
manufacturing sector as a tool to protect environment,
to enhance energy efficiency; to generate employment;
to upgrade skills and to alleviate poverty.
Developing countries in Asia, Africa & Latin America share
common problems of:
- severe shortage of affordable materials;
-
- management of wastes/residues from agriculture and
industry;
- lack of access to energy efficient and environmentfriendly
material manufacturing technologies;
- lack of employment opportunities leading to poverty;
- low productivity of manufacturing enterprises;
- lack of adaptable technologies based on local
resources of materials and manpower;
- lack of policy and institutional support for promoting
cost-effective technologies and investment in material
manufacturing sector.
Need of Alternate Building Materials
The demand for building materials has been continuously
rising with the increasing need for housing both in rural and
urban areas.
The resources used to manufacture construction materials
affect the environment by depleting natural resources, using
energy, and releasing pollutants to the land, water.
Commercial exploitation of traditional building materials by
various industries has aggravated the situation. It has,
therefore, become necessary to think over this problem
seriously and to provide some sustainable solution to make
the alternative materials available to solve the housing
problem.
SEM
SCALE
DATE 10 - 03 - 2018
1:500
COLLEGE
SUBJECT
CLASS
R.NO.
613 - LOW COST BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES.
SOUMITRA SMARTNAME
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU ENGINEERING COLLEGE, CIDCO, AURANGABAD.
20213220171703210006
M-ARCH - GENERAL
2nd
SEMESTER
List of Alternate Building Materials :
Hollow Concrete Block
Fly Ash Bricks
Rice Husk Ash
Ferrocement
Tire Veneer
Plastic Wood
Synthetic Fiber
Recycled Agg.
Fly Ash
Bamboo
Advantages over Conventional Materials :
1. Better functional efficiency
2. Cost effectiveness
3. Better durability
4. Ease of construction
5. Better finish
6. Minimum waste
7. Less maintenance cost
8. Minimum defects
9. Less energy intensive
Composites as Low Cost Building Materials
The composite building materials are made of composition of two
or more materials which have enhanced property. Natural fiber
materials are coming up as excellent substitutes for the prevailing
building materials. Fibers like jute, sisal coconut, ramie, banana
are cheap and environmentally suited as they are made from
natural fibers. They are also replacing the fiber reinforced plastics.
Composite building materials present immense opportunities to
replace traditional materials as timber, steel, aluminum and
concrete in buildings. They help in reduction of corrosion and their
low weight has been proved useful in many low stress
applications. Each type of composite has its own characteristic
properties and thus useful for specific purpose.
Jute fiber reinforced polypropylene composites, coir fiber
reinforced composites, sisal fiber and wollastonite jute pultruded
composites are a few to be named. CBRI has developed MDF
composite doors containing coir fiber, cashew nut, shell liquid
(CNSL) as natural resin and Paraformaldehyde as major
constituents.
Many composite building materials are generated from glass fibres
and industrial wastes. These materials are used for manufacturing
of portable toilets, water storage tanks, outdoor furniture,
bathtubs, interior decoration, basin, door, window frames etc.
Thus the application of composite building materials in
construction vary from cladding to internal furnishings and the
owner highly benefits due to their application because of their
light weight, resistance to corrosion and availability in different
colours.
Pultrusion is most cost effective method for producing composite
profiles. It is commercially applicable for light weight corrosion
free structures, electrical non conductive systems and so many
other functions.
The pultruded items are recognized and recommended in the
Global markets. Pultruded sections are well established alternative
to steel, wood and aluminium in developed countries and catching
fast in other parts of the world.
INTRODUCTION
Low cost construction refers to structures that are
inexpensive to build. IT doesn't mean that the houses will be
inexpensive to live in.
The goal of low-cost construction is to save money while
also maintaining buildings quality,Without sacrificing the strength,
performance and life of the structure.
Use of low cost building materials for construction of low
cost housing increases the access to buildings by low income
group peoples. Low cost housing can be achieved by use of
efficient planning and project management, low cost materials,
economical construction technologies and use of alternate
construction methods available.
The profit gained from use of such methods can decrease
the cost of construction and make the low cost housing accessible
to all. The use of low cost alternate building materials also
prevents the rise of construction cost due to use of scarce building
materials which eventually increase the cost of the project.
Following Properties Reduces Cost of Construction:
Locally available materials .
Improved skills and technology.
Factors affecting construction cost
Building Cost : The building construction cost can be divided
into two parts namely:Building material cost & Labor cost .
Size : The smaller the project in terms of scope or the
number of square feet, the more it will cost per square foot.
Type : Different types of project have different levels of
complexity and detail.
of the population was living below the poverty line and there is
huge demand for affordable housing.
The deficit in Urban housing is estimated at 18 million units
most of which are amongst the economically weaker sections of
the society. Some developers are developing low cost and
affordable housing for this population.
The Government of India has taken up various initiatives for
developing properties in low cost and affordable segment. They
have also looked at PPP model for development of these
properties.
'Government of haryana' launch its affordable housing policy
in 2013 This policy is intended to encourage the planning and
completion of "Group Housing Projects" wherein apartments of
"pre-defined size" are made available at "pre-defined rates" within
a "Targeted time-frame" as prescribed under the present policy to
ensure increased supply of "Affordable Housing" in the urban
areas of haryana.
Selection of Low Cost Building Materials for Low Cost Housing
The first step to low cost building material selection is to
select eco-friendly building materials. This also enhances the
sustainable design principle.
The life cycle of building is pre-building, building &
post-building stages. Each stage of building should be such
that they help conserve energy. These three stages indicate
flow of building materials through different stages of building.
Pre-building stage consists of manufacture which is
subdivided in processing, packing & transport. Building phase
mainly consists of construction, operation, maintenance &
disposal last the stage where material is recycled or reused.
Manufacturing of Low Cost Building Materials - Manufacturing
of building materials should be environment friendly. Efforts
should be made to study &revise the technologies for
producing good quality, efficient building materials &should
improve the waste generation during manufacturing. These
results in reduction of pollutants to environment.
Use of Recycled wastes as Low Cost Building Materials - The
wastes which can be recycled can &used in masonries
whilst as wooden wastes can be used in manufacture of
plywood or soft boards. (Courtesy-BMTPC)
Use of Natural Low Cost Building Materials - Total energy
required to produce material is called embodied energy. The
of non-renewable sources. It is therefore advantageous to use
materials or composite materials prepared from the wastages.
The natural materials such as stones, wood, lime, s&&bamboo
can be used in ample wherever possible. The natural
materials impact more sustainability to structures as well as
they are friendlier to environment.
Use of Local Building Materials - The use of local materials
reduces the dependence on transportation whose contribution
to the building material cost is high for long distance. Use of
locally available building materials not only reduces the
construction cost but also are suitable for the local
environmental conditions.
Using Energy Efficient Building Materials - Energy efficiently
of a building material can be measured through various
factors as its R value, shading coefficient, luminous efficiency
or fuel efficiency. Energy efficient materials must reduce the
amount of generated energy.
Use of Non-Toxic Building Materials - Use of toxic building
materials can significantly impact the health of construction
people &the occupants of the building. Thus it is advisable to
use the non-toxic building materials for construction.
There are several chemicals including formaldehyde, benzene,
ammonia, resins, chemicals in insulations, ply boards which
are present in furnishings &building material. The effect on
health of these toxic materials must be considered while their
selection &they should be used only where-ever required.
Higher air cycling is recommended while installation of
materials having volatile organic compound such as several
adhesives, paints, sealants, cleaners &so on.
Longevity, Durability &Maintenance of Building Materials The
use of durable construction materials does not only enhance
the life of the building but also reduces the cost of
maintenance. The lower maintenance costs naturally save a
lot of building operating cost. The materials used in building
determine the long term costs of an operating.
Recyclability &Reusability of Building Materials - A material
should be available in form which can be recyclable or
&producing newer materials. The scrap from steel can be used
to manufacture the rcc bars, binding covers &other
miscellaneous steel products in building construction.
Biodegradability - A material should be able to decompose
naturally when discarded. Natural materials or organic
materials would decompose very easily. It is also a very
important consideration whether a material decomposes
naturally or produces some toxic gases.