11A - Plastic - Bottle - Bricks - V PDF

Final Report – Plastic Bottle Bricks
A Report Documenting our Findings in Relation to Waste

Management in the Anh Minh District of Vietnam.
ASSIGNMENT & REPORT COVER SHEET
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, COMPUTING AND MATHEMATICS

UNIT NAME UNIT NO
ENSC1001
GLOBAL CHALLENGES IN ENGINEERING
DATE DUE 31/05/2012
ASSESSMENT TITLE: Group 2 Tute 10 Final Report
NAME STUDENT NUMBER
1. Jordan Slater 21115865
2. Langdon Heath 21136885
3. Olivia Peng 20808555
4. Dan Hadler 21139267
5. Noel Choi 21120991
NOTE: No assignment will be accepted without the declaration below being signed and dated
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I am aware of the University’s policy on academic conduct (see over) and I declare that this assignment/project is my own/my
group’s work entirely and that suitable acknowledgement has been made for any sources of information used in preparing it.
I/We have retained a hard copy for my/our own records.
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NO ASSIGNMENT WILL BE MARKED WITHOUT A CORRECTLY COMPLETED COVER SHEET
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank our info tutor, Anna Bradley, and our practical tutor, Chris Breidahl
for their assistance throughout the creation of this report. We would also like to thank Mr
Jim Waters of the Cement Testing Lab at UWA for his help in testing our prototypes. Mr
Hadler for providing us with cement to build our prototypes, and Mr & Mrs Heath, for their
help in building our prototypes and for the use of their garage. We would also like to thank
Thien-Kim Dong and My-Kim Dong for translating the construction manual into Vietnamese.
Executive Summary
Engineers Without Borders are a non-profit organisation that endeavours to impart
knowledge, resources and technology needed to fulfil self-indicated needs of individuals and
communities. (Engineers Without Borders, 2012) This project is organised by Engineers
without Borders in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity Vietnam. Habitat for Humanity is
a non-profit organisation of Christian origin that endeavours to provide “a world where
everyone has a safe and decent place to live” (Habitat for Humanity, 2010)
The project between these two organisations is one that focuses on waste management,
specifically in the South of Vietnam, the Anh Minh district in the Kien Giang province. This is
an agricultural region of Vietnam; people live on farms with the majority of money coming
through the rice export industry, however poverty is still a major issue in this area, as more
than 90% of impoverished Vietnamese people live in rural areas. (Taylor, 2007) Before
decided upon our design we created a set of criteria to assess our design ideas against to
ensure that the best idea that covered all required outcomes set by Engineers Without
Borders and Habitat for Humanity.
The four designs that were then analysed against the criteria were a human waste disposal
unit, a water filtration system, an education system and a house with walls made from
plastic bottles and cement. The design that was decided upon is one that makes use of
recycled plastics in order to create cheaper building materials for the Vietnamese people
than is currently available. Plastic bottles will be used as a replacement for bricks; they will
be placed next to one another and held in place with cement. The main focus of this design
is the construction of walls and how this could then be made cheaper and more cost
ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks iii

effective than the current house design that is being used by the citizens of the Anh Minh
region in the Mekong Delta, while also making possible recommendations for cheaper
foundations.
This design will be implemented with the help of Habitat for Humanity Vietnam as an
alternative to normal building methods, in that the local people will be given a choice as to
what sort of house they would like to build so they can compare prices and durability. The
house will be able to be made on site, the cement being mixed by the homeowner and the
wall being able to be built by the homeowner or by a contractor if they wish to hire them.
Habitat for Humanity Vietnam will also be able to offer help to the homeowner in similar
financial and labour ways to what they do now. There are only three base materials that are
required for this project; cement, sand and plastic bottles. Habitat for Humanity Vietnam
will be provided with simple manuals that will make it clear how the house can be
constructed and the homeowners have some instructions to follow when they try to build
their house.
The chosen design was one that utilises materials that take longer to break down and will be
able to withstand the weather of the area with greater strength. This means the
environmental impact will be positive as it will decrease the waste from broken down
houses and also will be able to stand for many years before being replaced. The social
impact would also be positive as it could be seen to bring the communities closer together,
as many small communities already work together to build houses.
The design for EWB’s Waste Management project that has been devised can be seen to
address almost all the issues that were set out in the initial conditions and the result is an
alternative building material for the homeowners of Anh Minh, a material that should be
much more durable and sustainable than what is currently being implemented by the locals.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... iii
Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... iii
List of Figures and Tables ............................................................................................... viii
Introduction – Vietnam .................................................................................................... 1

Geography and Climate .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Climate of the Kien Giang Province ........................................................................................................................... 1
Government ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1
The People ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Current Waste Management ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Introduction – The Project ................................................................................................ 4

Engineers Without Borders.......................................................................................................................................... 4
The EWB Challenge.......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Habitat for Humanity Vietnam .................................................................................................................................... 5
Stakeholders ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Project Development ........................................................................................................ 9

Project Goals ....................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Design Considerations .................................................................................................................................................... 9
Possible Solutions........................................................................................................... 10
Decision Making Criteria ............................................................................................................................................ 11
Pros and Cons.................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Human Waste Disposal.................................................................................................................................................... 11
Water Filtration .................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Recycled Materials House ............................................................................................................................................... 13
Education System ............................................................................................................................................................... 13
Our Decision................................................................................................................... 14
Similar Cases.................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Our Design ..................................................................................................................... 16

Final Design...................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Maintenance .................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Compressive Strength Test........................................................................................................................................ 18
Method of Compressive Testing ................................................................................................................................... 19
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Results ................................................................................................................................................................................ 21
Discussion of Compressive Strength Test Results ................................................................................................ 22
Implementation ............................................................................................................. 23
Overview ........................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Materials............................................................................................................................................................................ 23
Equipment ........................................................................................................................................................................ 24
Safety .................................................................................................................................................................................. 25
Materials Cost.................................................................................................................................................................. 26
Environment .................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Education .......................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Construction .................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Phase 1 - Gather .................................................................................................................................................................. 28
Phase 2 - Prepare ............................................................................................................................................................... 28
Phase 3 - Construct ............................................................................................................................................................ 28
Procedure ......................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Wall........................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Foundations .......................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Other Applications ........................................................................................................................................................ 32
Toiletry .................................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Water Storage...................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Walls ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Design Impact ................................................................................................................ 33

Environmental ................................................................................................................................................................ 33
Economic ........................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Social ................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 37
Team Reflection ............................................................................................................. 39
Conclusion...................................................................................................................... 40
Section Distribution ........................................................................................................ 41
Learning Objectives ........................................................................................................ 43
Appendix 1: Equations for Cost of House ........................................................................ 45

House Design ................................................................................................................................................................... 45
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Cost of Foundations ...................................................................................................................................................... 46
Volume of Plastic Bottles ................................................................................................................................................ 47
Cost of Cement ..................................................................................................................................................................... 48
Cost of Sand ........................................................................................................................................................................... 48
Cost of Walls .................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Total Volume of all Walls ............................................................................................................................................... 49
Cost of Cement ..................................................................................................................................................................... 50
Cost of Sand ........................................................................................................................................................................... 50
Total Cost of the Walls ..................................................................................................................................................... 50
Cost of Wood Flooring ................................................................................................................................................. 51
Cost of Roof ...................................................................................................................................................................... 52
Total Cost of House ....................................................................................................................................................... 53
Appendix 2: Composition of Material.............................................................................. 54

Foundations ..................................................................................................................................................................... 54
Walls ................................................................................................................................................................................... 55
Appendix 3: Availability of Plastic Bottles ....................................................................... 57
Appendix 4: Number of Bottles Required for a Build ....................................................... 59

Foundations ..................................................................................................................................................................... 59
Walls ................................................................................................................................................................................... 59
Appendix 5 – Calculations Related to Prototype Testing .................................................. 60

Weight of an Average Roof ........................................................................................................................................ 60
Safety Load Calculations ............................................................................................................................................. 60
Compressive Strength Calculations ....................................................................................................................... 61
Appendix 6: Job Safety Analysis ...................................................................................... 62
Appendix 7: Construction Manual (English) ..................................................................... 63
Appendix 8: Construction Manual (Vietnamese) ............................................................. 73
Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 82
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List of Figures and Tables
Figure 1 (Page 1) Location of the Kien Giang province (World Geographics, 2012)
Figure 2 (Page 3) Waste Collection Percentage in Vietnam (Nguyen T. , 2005)
Figure 3 (Page 6) Waste Minimisation Hierarchy (Kane, 2009)
Figure 4 (Page 7) Stakeholders Rainbow Diagram
Figure 5 (Page 15) Plastic Bottle Wall Construction in Nigeria (Hattam, 2011)
Figure 6 (Page 21) Graph of Time Versus Compression for Prototypes
Figure 7 (Page 30) Cross section of the Prototype Design
Figure 8 (Page 31) Diagram of Strip Foundations
Figure 9 (Page 32) Diagram Showing How Prototype Foundations Were Made
Table 1 (Page 8) Description of Rainbow Diagram (previous page)
Table 2 (Page 22) Table Showing Results of Failure Load, and Calculated Safety Load
Table 3 (Page 24) Equipment Required for Building with Material
Table 4 (Page 25) Risk assessment score of building process
Table 5 (Page 26) Cost of New Materials in Vietnam
Table 6 (Page 26) Cost for Normal Building Materials in Vietnam
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Introduction – Vietnam
Geography and Climate

The Kien Giang Province is located on the
southern coastline of Vietnam, in the
Mekong Delta region, as shown in Figure 1.
Vietnam as a whole covers a region of

approximately 329,247 square kilometres, a
majority of which is rural land, either used
for farming, or is undeveloped (British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), 2012).
Climate of the Kien Giang Province

The Mekong Delta region of Vietnam has an
average annual temperature of 27 degrees
Celsius. Average rainfall for the past five
years ranges from a low of 17.4mm in the
month of January, to a high of 349.78mm in
July, but high rainfall is constant from May
through to October, which results in
flooding throughout the region (Engineers
Without Borders, 2012).
Figure 1 – Location of Kien Giang Province
Government (World Geographics, 2012)
In the 1880s, Vietnam was invaded by the French, in the hope that replacing the
Province
government could provide France with a new trading partner, and a colony in the east of
Asia. Overall, the French rule was met with little resistance, but small groups began to form
against the foreign regime, including revolutionary Ho Chi Minh and his Indochinese
Communist Party, which formed in 1930. In 1940, Japan demanded military control of
Vietnam, and after they surrendered to the Allies in 1945, the French regained control, but,
seeing the perfect opportunity, Ho Chi Minh and the Indochinese Communist Party rose up
against the French, forming the Vietminh (The League for the Independence of Vietnam).
ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks 1

The French however, who refused to give Vietnam their independence without a fight,
pushed the Vietminh into the north of the country. (Info Please, 2012)
Talks that then took between the two parties were unsuccessful, and war broke out again in
1946. This conflict lasted eight years, with the French seeking negotiations to end the war in
1954 due to the number of casualties they had sustained. These talks resulted in the division
of Vietnam into the Communist North and French backed South Vietnam. (History Channel,
2012)
However the Communists soon decided to reunite the country under the one government,
and in 1963, the Vietnam War escalated, as the US backed leader of South Vietnam, Diem
was killed by his own staff. The Communists used the ensuing confusion to push further into
the South of the country, and the involvement of the United States began (History Channel,
2012). The war continued until 1975 (although US troops withdrew in 1973), with the
Communists capturing Saigon, with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam forming in 1976.
(History Channel, 2012)
Since then, the government of Vietnam has attempted to find foreign investment, and also
to improve relations with the United States to improve their growth, and recent policies,
treaties and trade agreements have resulted in Vietnam being well placed for economic
growth in the 21st Century.
The People
Vietnamese people are strongly associated with their family. Family always comes first, as
well as maintaining a strong relationship with their ancestors, through regular worship.
(Kwintessential, 2004). This is strongly linked to Confucian ethics and principles, which stem
from the historical links between Vietnam and China. (Kwintessential, 2004). This system of
beliefs, Confucianism, emphasises the obligation people have towards one another based
upon their relationship. The status of a Vietnamese person depends on their age and level
of education with an emphasis on those with higher educational level deemed as having a
higher status (Kwintessential, 2004).

The most prominent religion in the Anh Minh district is Buddhism, which promotes
“personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of
life” (British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), 2012), but all religious groups share a basic
Confucian code of behaviour (Anonymous, Vietnamese Culture: Culture Values, 2010).
When considering this project, another aspect that must be taken into consideration is the
poverty rate in the Mekong Delta region. Even though Vietnam has experienced some rapid
economic growth over the past decade, some regions have been left behind, and many of
the people still struggle to live comfortable lives. (Anonymous, Rural Poverty in Vietnam,
2010) The Anh Minh district is an example of this, and many people in the region are
trapped in lives of poverty. Therefore, in the making of a solution to the waste problem, it
must meet these basic criteria involving the context in which it will be built.
Current Waste Management

There are major flaws in the current waste management systems in Vietnam. As population
increases, both in Vietnam and on a global scale (Nguyen T. , 2005), so will the waste
produced, and without adequate waste management system, this will become a very
serious problem. In a study produced in 1998, Asian cities produced 0.76 million tonnes of
municipal solid waste per day. By 2025, these numbers will more than double to 1.8 million
tonnes per day if something is not done to stem the increase in waste. (World Bank, 1999)
The amount of waste collected in each

region in Vietnam varies, as solid waste
management is coordinated mainly
through government bodies; some cities
may receive a larger waste collection than
other. The two determining factors of the
waste management a city receives are
based on the size of the city and the distance Figure 2

from the urban epicentre, as shown in Figure Waste Percentage Collection in Vietna m
2. A city in Vietnam like Hue, who has a (Nguyen T. , 2005)
population of more than 500 000, has waste collection levels of approximately 75% while

rural areas only have approximately 20% collection (Nguyen T. , 2005). The low percentage
of waste collected forces many homes to resort to the environment as their only means of
disposing of rubbish. This means that disposing of waste in rivers and the land is a more
preferred option. Figure 2 displays these ratios of the urban to rural wastage collections.
In the districts that do have rubbish collection, the urban areas, the people of Vietnam
“place their waste out on the open gutters of the street in front of their dwelling for
URENCO (Urban Environment Company) employees to pick up, a process that occurs a few
times daily” (Nguyen T. , 2005), the waste is then taken to a URENCO truck that takes all the
rubbish collected to a dumpsite or landfill.
As the main source of rubbish disposal is landfills, rubbish in generally just discarded in
landfills and left there to decompose. As the economic wealth of Vietnam slowly grows,
more and more cities disregard wastage as a key issue and focus on economic growth. This
in turn leads to most landfills not having the necessary covers and linings (Nguyen T. , 2005).
These landfills with inadequate tops are usually located relatively close to residential areas,
e.g. 200 – 500 metres away (Nguyen T. , 2005) and these can cause health risks to both
humans and the native wildlife. Waste is also disposed of by incineration but on a larger
scale. Recycling and reusing materials is becoming more prominent in Vietnam, this is due to
many families giving away items or selling them back to used/repair shops (Nguyen T. ,
2005).
Introduction – The Project
Engineers Without Borders

The Engineers Without Borders organization was created by a small group of Australian
engineers in 2003 with the view to work with disadvantaged communities, both in Australia
and overseas, to provide access to education, technology, and resources which are essential
for the achievement of social equality. They combat issues such as sanitation, waste
management, and infrastructure in places such as Vietnam, India, Nepal and Cambodia, as
well as remote areas of Australia. (Engineers Without Borders, 2012)

EWB ensures that the local community is involved in projects to ensure they are
implemented to be as sustainable and beneficial as possible. This means the solutions are
community driven, and meet the needs of the local people, rather than what the engineers
assume they need (Engineers Without Borders, 2012) (b).
The EWB Challenge

As well as their various on the ground projects, Engineers Without Borders also oversees a
design program for first year university students at Australian universities.
“The Engineers Without Borders Challenge (EWB Challenge) is an Australasian design

program for first-year university students. Students work in teams to develop conceptual
designs for projects identified by EWB's community partners that contribute towards the
sustainable development of disadvantaged communities.” (Engineers Without Borders,
2012)
This year, EWB has selected two communities as focal points for the EWB Challenge. These
are the Pitchandikulum forest in India, and, in our case, the Anh Minh region in the Mekong
Delta, Vietnam. In the case of the Anh Minh region, the challenge is supported by Habitat
for Humanity Vietnam. (Engineers Without Borders, 2012)
Habitat for Humanity Vietnam

Habitat for Humanity is an organisation that helps people in disadvantaged communities to
build a sustainable future that is economically friendly and durable, whether it is by
improving sanitation, better equipment or any field so long as it supports the Habitat for
Humanity’s vision, “A world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live.
Habitat for Humanity strives to achieve this through their core principles of:
 Demonstrating Christian faith through action;

 Advocating on behalf of those in need of decent shelter;
 Focusing on shelter by building and renovating simple, decent affordable houses;
 Engaging with the broader community through inclusive leadership and diverse
partnerships;
 Promoting dignity through full partnership with Habitat homeowners and future
home partners (Habitat for Humanity, 2010)

Figure 3 shows a waste
minimization hierarchy, which
considers the different options
for managing waste in Vietnam
(Kane, 2009). Through this, it can
be seen that the most favoured
option for reducing waste in a
country like Vietnam is
prevention. Minimisation and
Figure 3 – Waste Minimization Hierarchy
reuse is also beneficial so these
(Kane, 2009)
will be the three options that the
project will focus upon. The three latter options, recycling, energy recovery and disposal are
the least preferred for a country like Vietnam due to its general context.
Prevention, minimisation and reuse are the more preferred options in regards to waste
management, following the suggestion that prevention is better than cure. By reducing
wastage, it is also reducing the environmental problems, as opposed to managing the
impacts. Therefore, the project will be mainly targeting reuse through the use of plastic
bottles.
In designing the waste solution, the first thing to consider is the general context of the
Vietnamese people. This ensures that something is not built that is not going to be able to
fit in with the Vietnamese culture. An example of this would be if something was built on
the basis that the Vietnamese people have all the tools and expertise we have in Australia
and using top of the range equipment. If this were the case, the project would not succeed
as there are two very different types of resources and skill levels prevalent. Therefore,
before attempting a project, the general context of Vietnam, the Mekong Delta, and its
people, must be understood.

Stakeholders
When deciding on the chosen project, it is important to consider not only the goals of
Habitat for Humanity and the guidelines for the EWB Competition, but also to consider the
people that the project will affect. The stakeholders must be considered equally and on
their own merit, i.e. local people should be considered the most important stakeholders in
the project even though they don’t have the highest level of influence on the project. All the
issues presented above can be solved through proper consideration and decision making in
the design process. Through identifying who the main stakeholders are and who will be both
directly and indirectly affected as a result of the project it can be ensured that the directly
affected stakeholders are considered at the forefront of designing the project. This allows a
suitable hierarchy to be established where the stakeholders with lesser influence are not
exploited in the final design that is decided upon.
Recycling Companies Most affected

Tourism
Moderately affected
Government EWB
Least affected
Most influence Least influence
Local People LL
Habitat for Humanity
Figure 4 – Stakeholders Rainbow Diagram

Table 1: Description of Rainbow Diagram (Figure 4, previous page)
Stakeholder Description
Government The Vietnamese government has to approve of our building material, which could
also result in financial benefits for the country, as it is cheaper than current
building methods, leaving more money in the pockets of the people, and the
government.
Local People Both landowners and landless peoples are included in this group, although landless
people are not directly affected by our project until they can afford to build a
house with our material. Landowners are directly affected due to the change in
building materials available at a lower cost, and as such have a different option
when building on their land.
Recycling Companies These businesses often make profit from collecting plastic bottles, and as such,
could be competition to our project.
Habitat for Humanity At the moment, Habitat for Humanity offers finance and labour for building in
Vietnam. We are suggesting that they help implement our design.
Engineers Without EWB are the mediators between engineers in Australia and Habitat for Humanity.
Borders Australia They organise and assess projects for use by Habitat for Humanity.
Tourism An area that may be affected by our project, although most likely indirectly. If
Vietnam is able to develop its rural regions using our material, it may help improve
income through tourism, as more facilities are available at a lower cost to the
Vietnamese people.

Project Development
Project Goals
Working together in accordance with Habitat for Humanity’s vision and goals, the goal for
this project is to design a waste solution for the increasing waste problems faced by the
people in the Anh Minh district. As sustainability and equality is an ever-increasing issue in
the globalised world, the waste solution must be beneficial in all aspects of providing a safe
and sanitary place to live.
Therefore, the goal for the project is to provide a better way of living in whatever way
possible, through improving waste management and reducing wastage to the people of
Vietnam, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity’s Vision and Goals.
Design Considerations
The design considerations that were decided upon for the design were from research into
the goals of Engineers without Borders and Habitat for Humanity Vietnam that are given
below. The design considerations are key in ensuring that the goals below are covered in
their entirety and as a result the project was completed in alignment with the design
briefing. The goals were:
 Align with Habitat for Humanity’s goals and values, supporting their key business of
housing, construction and sanitation.
 Be innovative, low cost, small-scale, affordable and appropriate.
 Take into account cultural customs, local norms and religion.
 Be sustainable through considering the way that local materials, skills and knowledge
of the local community are used.
 Be durable and take into account the natural environment, including disasters and
climate change and sustainable land management. (Engineers Without Borders,
2012)
After reading through these goals the research that was done then broadened the
considerations we thought were integral to the project in order to formulate the best
solution to the problem and fulfil the most areas of the design brief. It was found that

Habitat for Humanity place great importance on housing for underprivileged people, so that
everyone could live equally and freely. After research into their culture and customs it was
discovered that due to their Confucian beliefs Vietnamese people place great emphasis on
modesty, frugality and respect of elders, this affects the project because it means that the
design must be simple, cost effective and it must also be respectful of the local culture and
etiquette. This concurs with the design goals, the second goal states that the design must be
low cost and small scale. It was discovered that there are floods in the Anh Minh region on a
yearly basis, with an average of 6-8 typhoons/heavy storms in Vietnam annually (Nguyen H.
N., 2007) meaning that any design that is conceived must have a solution to this i.e. it must
be able to withstand a flood without parts being damaged and needing to be replaced or
repaired.
Possible Solutions
Brainstorming of ideas yielded some interesting ideas:
Human Waste Disposal

With a lack of toilets in the Anh Minh region, this would solve contamination of waterways
due to correct disposal of human waste. This design would involve a waterless system that
would change human waste into compost/fertiliser that could be used on farmland or in
gardens.
Water Filtration
This system would reduce the levels of salt, heavy metals, microorganisms in drinking water
through the use of locally sourced materials such as rice husks, limestone etc. and would be
sturdy and have a relatively long life.
Recycled Materials House

A house that utilises plastic bottles like bricks in walls surrounded by cement, also have the
possibility to utilise other recycled materials for the roof or in pillars etc. This design is more
energy efficient and cheaper than other houses because plastic bottle bricks do not have to
be bought and made, as 7.69% of waste in Kien Giang is plastic (Nguyen X. H., 2011) and by
doing some calculations and assuming that between 4.5% and 1% of this is plastic bottles

there are between 469-104 million bottles available each year that are waste. (See Appendix
No.3).
Education System to Reduce Waste

A design for a waste system similar to that of Australia whereby the people have three bins
that they deposit non-recyclables, recyclables and organic waste into. These are then
emptied into a larger system of bins that covers a certain area of land and houses (a
stockpile). This would help to solve the current waste problem whilst not insulting the
intelligence of the people.
Decision Making Criteria

Before any design could be considered or decided upon had to be judged against the design
criteria so that each could be assessed individually, to see which would be the best way to
proceed. The criteria were based around the key issues that had to be addressed so that the
design was as effective and durable as possible. These criteria were cost, waste
management addressed (recyclable, organic and non-recyclable), health hazards, ease of
implementation, and alignment with Habitat for Humanity’s goals/values and the durability
of the project. All four of the main ideas for waste management solutions were then
assessed against these and the final option was decided.
Pros and Cons

Each design has features that it is felt would both be helpful, and detrimental to the cause
of Habitat for Humanity in Vietnam.
Human Waste Disposal

Pros:
 Human sanitation issues in the area would be solved if widely implemented.

 Potential economic benefits as the human manure could replace commercial
fertilisers (with correct treatment).
 Improved waterways void of human waste.
 Improved drinking/bathing water quality.
 Improved food production.

Cons:
 Potential health effects from using human waste in food production.

 Possible resistance from the Vietnamese community to the idea of using human
waste in food production.
 Overall cost of the toilet.
 Attraction of pests to the toileting system.
 Communities may require educating on how to safely and effectively use the system.
 Large-scale use may not be possible.
Water Filtration
Pros:
 Increased health (less disease etc.) in the community.

 Potential for a low cost device and therefore a higher chance of actual
implementation.
 Could be very well received by the community.
 Easier access to clean water.
Cons:
 Does not solve any waste issues in the Anh Minh region.
 The device could potentially be very complicated to produce/maintain.
 Potential for a short lifespan of the device resulting in more waste.
 Education would be needed on how to use and maintain the device.

Recycled Materials House
Pros:
 Low cost/ Reusable.

 Can take heavy loads.
 Bio climatic.
 Less construction material/green construction.
 Takes hundreds of years for the bottles to degrade fully (before the structure is
compromised).
Cons:
 If the plastic bottles are burnt it could release toxic fumes into the atmosphere,
increasing pollution.
 Cement has some health risks if used improperly
Education System
Pros:
 Satisfies education criteria and waste management criteria.

 Reduces health risks of having rubbish everywhere.
 Could bring in tourism by reducing rubbish on roads/in rivers.
 Would be sustainable in regards to future generations, knowledge/system would
easily be passed on.
 Small scale and cheap, could use recycled materials to produce bin and disposal
area.
 Compost could be used as fertiliser, could sell recycled materials, both save more
money for the family.

Cons:
 Might be hazardous from floods, composting bins could spread germs into water and
other bins may be tipped over and rubbish will spread from the flooding,
 Might not be accepted by Vietnamese people as an ‘easy and simple’ idea.
 May not be appropriate in the area – could be hard to have a system in houses if
they are very small with only one area.
 Customs could be conflicted.
 Durability could be an issue.
Our Decision
The waste management toilet was not chosen as it was seen to not cover too many of the
criteria, or another option covered this particular criterion in a better manner. The criteria
that were not covered by this option were the overall cost, it would be hard to implement
successfully into the society, it only addressed the disposal of organic waste, and could pose
significant health risks to the individuals due to the potential infestation of insects and
disease in the composting area.
Water filtration was immediately ruled out because it was seen to barely cover any of the
criteria required in the design. It would only improve water quality and was not a long-term
solution to the waste problem, because it would only utilise waste when the filtration
system was first constructed. As it would be designed to be durable, the level of waste
removed by this project would only be a small amount.
The recycled house, our preferred design option, was seen to cover every criterion except
for one. This one criterion was the disposal of organic waste in the district.
The education scheme for waste management was almost decided upon over the recycled
house but had one more criterion that was not satisfied in the design that was put forward.
It did not address Habitat for Humanity’s values and goals as well as the recycled house as
housing is a major part of their vision and a satisfactory solution to the non-recycled
materials could not be found.

The waste management technology that was decided upon was a house that was able to be
constructed out of recyclable materials with the main focus being on the construction of
walls and how this could then be made cheaper and more durable than the current house
designs that are being used by the citizens of the Anh Minh district.
Similar Cases
A plastic bottle house or use of plastic bottles for the foundations and walls has been
implemented around the world, and has been a great success. The recycled plastic bottle
houses are popular as they have similar
strength to conventional construction.
These houses are a “sturdy, well-
insulated, and inexpensive three-room
structure that is resistant to both bullets
and earthquakes (Hattam, 2011). A plastic
bottle house was constructed in Nigeria
where they have experienced similar
waste management problems to that of
Vietnam. Many plastic bottles were
merely thrown into the river or the environment

Figure 5 – Plastic Bottle Wall
where they would take years to degrade and be
Construction in Nigeria
detrimental to living species. Figure 5 shows the
(Hattam, 2011)
plastic bottle walls constructed in Nigeria. Plastic
bottle bricks are ideal in a country like Nigeria because of the hot climate; it provides great
insulation to a home. This will be the same in the case of a country like Vietnam, with the
plastic bottle bricks providing great insulation in the typical climate of Vietnam.
Another similar waste management project on a much larger scale is that of a plastic bottle
building in Taiwan where 1.5 million bottles were used to build the ‘ecoARK’. The goal of the
building was to “reduce, reuse and recycle” (Messenger, 2010). Plastic bottles are a problem
in Taiwan - “4% of the nation’s plastic bottles are recycled and reused-and with 2.4 billion
bottles used annually, that adds up to a lot of waste to clutter landfills or worse, make it out
to sea” (Messenger, 2010).

Our Design
Final Design
The rationale for the final design solution was based upon the background information
outlined in this report, which identifies local requirements in terms of housing. Analysis of
each design option against the evaluation criteria has successfully enabled the outline of
each in terms of their environmental, social, and economic attributes. It has been
determined from this process that the chosen design is the plastic bottle bricks.
The Human Waste Disposal, Water Filtration and Education System design options did not
meet the requirements necessary to fulfil the design brief from the evaluations conducted.
Therefore, they will not be researched further as potential solutions for the final report.
The chosen project design - plastic bottle bricks - is simple and cost-effective. Instead of
using bricks for the walls, as a typical house would, it uses sand filled plastic bottles. It is
environmentally friendly as it uses recycled materials (the plastic bottles), instead of
bamboos or red clay bricks which essentially promotes sustainability and reduces plastic
waste. The proposed design of house is much more energy efficient, durable and cheaper in
comparison to the current typical houses in Vietnam. The housing development project will
provide long-term environmental, social and economic benefits and these benefits will
significantly contribute to the overall improvement of living standards within the
community.
Construction
The construction of a plastic bottle house is relatively simple, with the use of simple tools
and well-understood techniques. The manual can easily be followed by the local people of
Anh Minh. The manual to construct the house is visually orientated and translated into the
local dialect so that the local people won’t have any great difficulties in following the
manual. However, mutual cooperation amongst various castes, cultures and hierarchies
throughout the community is required in order for a smooth construction of the house. It is
important that the community actively get involved in the implementations, throughout the
design and construction phase for a fast, easy and smooth implementation.

Materials can easily be obtained, as they are readily available from local markets (Engineers
Without Borders, 2012). The main materials required for the house are plastic bottles, sand
and cement. After extensive research and several calculations, our estimation shows that
there will be enough plastic bottles thrown out in the Kien Giang province each year to be
sourced by the local people such that the obtainment of plastic bottles should not be a
problem (See Appendix No.3). Sand, which is required in the filling of plastic bottles and in
the making of cement and mortar, is available locally and can be obtained by the local
people of Anh Minh.
The equipment required to construct/complete a build using sand filled plastic bottles will
be similar to that required to build a regular house made from bricks. The equipment
needed is: a wheelbarrow, thick wood/shovel, wooden boards, trowel, thin wood and
facemask. Special equipment will be provided by Habitat for Humanity Vietnam (Turner,
Habitat for Humanity Vietnam Participants Discussions: Building Equipment, 2012).
For a general idea on how to construct a plastic bottle house, the basic simple steps are
shown below.
1. Get all the equipment ready for use and obtain all the materials required i.e. plastic
bottles, sand and cement.
2. Fill the collected bottles with sand and prepare the ground in which the construction
will take place.
3. Follow the manual provided to complete the construction.
The detailed procedures on how to construct a plastic bottle house are included in a later
section of this report.
Maintenance
The maintenance for a house made with our material is similar to the maintenance for a
normal house. The house needs to be checked yearly, as this will help save money by
reducing the possibility of major repairs and failures, extend the life of the home as well as
improving the house’s appearance and appeal. Depending on the homeowner, maintenance
checks could also be performed more regularly.

Home Maintenance Checklist
1. Check for cracks on the house structure, these will be vertical cracks running
between the bottles.
2. Check the roof for missing or cracked tiles. In this case, it would be depending on the
roof materials used. Repair as necessary.
3. Clean the gutters and drain pipes to prevent leaves clogging them and be sure they
drain away from the house.
4. Seal doors and windows and replace seals as needed.
5. Look for cracks and holes in house paint and repaint if necessary to seal surface and
patch up any cracks or holes. Our suggestion is to repaint the walls of the house once
every two years.
If the homeowner decides to render the sides of the walls, it is best to wait for at least seven
days until the cement is set and dries completely before rendering. This will ensure that the
render has something to stick to, as wet cement is not porous enough for the render to
stick.
Compressive Strength Test

Compressive strength is defined as the maximum compression force a member can carry
before it fails. (Instron, 2012) The compressive strength of a structure can be determined by
putting it under compression until it fails, whilst measuring the amount of force required
until failure occurs.
The compressive strength of cement/mortar is one of the most important properties.

Therefore, testing for compressive strength at the laboratory is vital before materials are
used in important works such as housing. The aim/objective of this compressive strength
test is to determine the compressive strength of our prototypes by applying a load on the
top face area of the prototype.
Empty bottle foundations or walls are made from cement with the ratio of sand to cement
powder being 3:1. The sand-filled bottle foundation or wall was made from concrete with
the same ratio of sand to powder as the empty bottle prototypes. However the ratio of

water for foundation to wall is different, the foundations have less water in their mixture in
comparison to the wall, due to the difference in construction methods.
Vietnam is known to be one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world (Nguyen H.
N., 2007), as such the compressive strength for walls and foundations of the houses must be
high in order to endure the commonly occurring floods and disasters.
The following tests are usually conducted to establish the engineering properties of cement:
1. Compressive Strength
2. Splitting Tensile Strength
3. Flexural Strength
4. Abrasion Resistance
(Cairns, Kew, & Kenny, 2004)
In this case, however, the only test that could be carried out for this design project was the
Compressive Strength Test as the time wasn’t sufficient in conducting the other three tests.
Method of Compressive Testing

The compressive strength tests were conducted in Structure Testing Laboratory for Civil
Engineering at University of Western Australia on the 16th of May 2012 with the help of a
Laboratory Supervisor, Mr Jim Waters. The machine used is known as an Amsler
Compression Load Test Machine and was made in Schaffhausen, Switzerland by a company
called Alfred J. Amsler & Co. The machine’s maximum rest force is 2000 kilonewtons, and it
is approximately 100 years old (Waters, 2012).
The computer controlled hydraulic compression testing machine consists of load frame, oil
source control cabinet, computer and printer. It adopts a hydraulic load, oil pressure
transducer to measure load, as well as PC-hydraulic proportion technology to auto control
the testing process. Specialised software realises the display of testing load, peak value, and
load-time curve, with data analysis, storage and print function. (Waters, 2012)

All four prototypes of wall and foundation were 17 days old (2 and half weeks) and the
dimensions of each were as follows:
1. Empty Bottle Foundation

Length: 250 mm
Height: 220 mm
Breadth: 270 mm
2. Sand-filled Bottle Foundation
Length: 240 mm
Height: 270 mm
Breadth: 220 mm
3. Empty Bottle Wall
Length: 480 mm
Height: 210 mm
Breadth: 190 mm
4. Sand-filled Bottle Wall
Length: 480 mm
Height: 190 mm
Breadth: 220 mm
The compressive strength test was carried out for each prototype. The surface area of which
the load/stress (measured in kilo newtons) was applied to is known as the bed face area
(measured in mm2) (National Ready Mix Concrete Association, 2003). The bed face area for
each prototype was covered with a wooden board to ensure the load was spread evenly
across the prototype when it was compressed. The prototype to be tested was placed in the
compressive testing machine, and load was applied at a rate of 0.1 seconds. For safety
reasons, those involved in the test were required to wear fully enclosed shoes and safety
glasses.

Results
Compression Strength vs. Time

100
90
80
70
Compression (kN)
60
Foundation - No Sand
50
40 Foundation - Sand
30 Wall - No Sand
20 Wall - Sand
10
0
1
225
113
337
449
561
673
785
897
1009
1121
1233
1345
1457
1569
1681
1793
1905
2017
2129
2241
2353
2465
2577
2689
-10
Time (milliseconds)
Figure 6 - Graph of time versus compression for each prototype tested
The compressive strength was calculated using the following equation (Mishra, 2011):
When load is constantly being applied on a structure, it will eventually become large enough
to cause the member to become unstable. Significant unpredictable deformations can then
also be caused when further load is being applied, which might lead to complete loss of
load-carrying capacity. When this occurs, the member is said to have buckled or to have
deformed. (Wright, 2005)
Load at failure is the load value at the failure point where a sharp drop in the load occurs
after the main part of deformation and energy absorption. Depending on conditions such as
temperature, state of stress and loading rate, most materials can fail in a brittle or ductile
manner or both. In the case of our prototypes, our failure will be in a brittle manner as
cement is a non-elastic material. The maximum load is denoted by the highest peak, as
shown on the graph above (Figure 6). However, it is safer to choose a load value slightly
before the maximum value of load to provide a safety margin. This means that anything

compressing our material must not create a load past our safety values to ensure it will not
fail.
Table 2 - Table Showing Results of Failure Load, and our calculated Safety Load
Prototype Length Breadth Load at Failure Safety Load (N) Compressive

(mm) (mm) (N) (5% Margin Strength
from Failure) (N/mm2)
250 270 28,000 26,000 0.394
Empty Bottle
Foundation
240 220 90,000 85,500 1.619
Sand-Filled Bottle
Foundation
480 190 10,000 9,500 0.104
Empty Bottle Wall
480 220 18,000 17,100 0.162

Sand-Filled Bottle Wall
Discussion of Compressive Strength Test Results

The results from the table show that sand-filled bottle foundation and sand-filled bottle wall
have stronger compressive strength relative to empty bottle foundation and empty-bottle
wall. Seeing as it has much greater compressive strength, it has been concluded that the
sand-filled foundation and sand-filled wall would be the best choice for our house design
project.
The average weight of a house roof is 40 lb./ft2, which when converted to kg/mm2, would be
1.94 x 10-4 kg/mm2 (Anonymous, General Construction Dead Loads, n.d).
The compressive strength of the sand-filled bottle wall is 0.162 N/mm2, which is when
converted to kg/mm2, would be 1.59 kg/mm2. This means that it is able to hold a weight of
1.59 kg/mm2. Since the average weight of a house roof is 1.94 x 10-4 kg/mm2, it is evident
that the sand-filled bottle wall would be strong enough to hold an average house roof.

There were several possibilities of error that might have resulted in a different result. The
properties of cement that was tested in the lab may be different from the originally
intended properties described earlier in this report. It is possible that the air-content and
slump might be lower or higher than expected and designed for due to a difference in water
to cement ratio. If the hydration period of the cement was different this could also have
changed the results slightly. Usually, cement remains untouched for 28 days for
approximately 95% of the hydration to have taken place (Anonymous, Geocrete Surface
Densifiers, 2008). However, our prototypes’ hydration period was only 17 days, as we did
not have sufficient time. Hence, it may have affected its compressive strength.
Implementation
The project’s plan is to reduce the social, environmental and economic cost of building a
house in the Anh Minh district. This is to be achieved through a simple community
emphasised approach to the implementation of the plastic bottle bricks.
Overview
The project is to be implemented in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity Vietnam (HFHV)
and proposed as a cheaper alternative to the current red clay bricks and a more durable and
long term option than the thatched building materials currently used. The project will
primarily be suggested as a building material for locals to use in the design of long term
houses however it will also be suggested as a more viable means to construct toilets and
water tanks.
The housing material will be made on site; by the home owner themselves and with help
from HFHV through their current schemes of providing finance and/or labour to local
families.
Materials
The simplicity of the plastic bottle brick design means that it only requires three core
materials. These are cement, plastic bottles and sand.
Cement is locally available in the Kien Giang province and can be supplied for a cost of 1800
VND ($0.09 USD) per kg (Engineers Without Borders, 2012). Through research and

calculations it has been estimated that there are between 100-500 million plastic bottles
thrown out in the Kien Giang province each year (See Appendix No. 3) and as such these will
be sourced by the local people, encouraging them to remove the bottles from the
environment. Sand is used in both filling the bottles and in the mixing of cement. The sand
used to fill bottles can contain impurities and as such this can be sourced for free by the
homeowner. The sand used in mixing cement must not contain impurities however and as
such it is recommended that this is bought by the homeowner through the local community.
Sand for this purpose is available in Anh Minh for 150000 VND ($7.50 USD) per m 3
(Engineers Without Borders, 2012)
Equipment
The equipment required to complete a build using plastic bottle bricks will be similar to that
required to build a regular brick house. This may be an issue for the local community to gain
access to this building equipment, because of this common household items have been used
to replace more complex building equipment where possible. All of the equipment required
that locals cannot gain access to will be available from Habitat for Humanity Vietnam
(Turner, Habitat for Humanity Vietnam Participants Discussions: Building Equipment, 2012)
Table 3: Equipment required for building with our material
Equipment Use
Wheelbarrow To mix the cement and water.
Thick wood/shovel Used to mix the cement and water together.
Wooden boards Used as a “mould” for foundations.
Trowel Used to level of the cement before applying the

next layer of bottles.
Thin wood Used to compact sand in the bottles.
Face Mask To protect against cement “dust”

Safety
The design has safety concerns attached with it. These concerns will be addressed in the
manual provided to the locals who decide to participate in the project. The main safety
concerns revolve around the production and application of the cement. Cement can be
harmful if inhaled in “dust” form, and as such it is essential that the locals are aware of this
and wear a facemask covering their nose and mouth while mixing the cement. Locals must
also be made aware not to get any wet cement on or near their eyes. The correct
procedures to follow in the event of an accident will also be outlined in the manual
provided.
The amount of risk involved in the build can also be calculated. A risk assessment of the
construction of foundations/walls is shown below.
Table 4: Risk assessment score of building process
Category Score
Consequences Very serious Permanent disability 25

or ill health
Likelihood Unusual Possible but 3

doubtful
Exposure Infrequent Involves several 2

people
To evaluate the table above the three scores are simply multiplied together, this gives the
construction of foundations/walls a risk score of 150. This score places the activity in the
medium risk category. This means that safety procedures will need to be in place before any
construction begins and all precautions should be made to minimise the risk that the project
involves.
A job safety analysis work sheet has also been completed for the build. This covers each
step in construction and goes through potential hazards and risks. The work sheet will

identify any risk associated with each step in construction and is therefore an invaluable tool
as it will help to minimise the potential for injury during construction. The job safety analysis
work sheet can be seen in Appendix 6
Materials Cost
The key driving point behind the plastic bottle bricks is their affordability. The design will
provide the local people buildings that are equivalent to bricked homes only a fraction of
the cost. Table 4 summarises the costs of materials used in the design, and Table 5 shows
the costs for a typical brick house in the Anh Minh district:
Table 5: Costs of new materials in Vietnam
Material Cost
Cement 1800 VND (0.09 USD) per kg
Plastic Bottles Free
Sand (bottles) Free
Sand (cement) 150000 VND (7.50 USD) per m3
Table 6: Costs for normal building materials in Vietnam
Material Cost
Cement 1800 VND (0.09 USD) per kg
Hollow clay bricks (7x7x18cm) 1000 VND (0.05 USD) per piece
Solid clay bricks (4x7x18cm) 800 VND (0.04 USD) per piece
Sand (cement) 150000 VND (7.50 USD) per m3
Table 5 indicates the affordability of a building made out of plastic bottle bricks. With plastic
bottles replacing the clay bricks the design will be very attractive to locals due to the

economic savings that would be possible. The plastic bottle bricks will also allow locals who
previously were unable to afford a “long term” house to build one for a fraction of the cost.
A typical 40m2 house in the Anh Minh district currently costs approximately 65 million VND
(Engineers Without Borders, 2012). From research and calculations it can be estimated that
using plastic bottle bricks to build a house of this size would have a price of less than 10
million VND (See Appendix No 1).
Environment
The natural environment in the Anh Minh district must be taken into account for the design
of a plastic bottle brick building. The Anh Minh district, being a part of the Mekong River
Delta, experiences frequent flooding, high tides and seasonal tropical storms (Nguyen H. N.,
2007). These events have become increased in frequency and magnitude in recent years
(Nguyen X. H., 2011). The design of a plastic bottle brick building must be able to stand up to
the effects of strong winds, exposure to sea water and flooding. Salt can affect the longevity
of cement by causing cracks in cement if frequently exposed to sea water. (Portland Cement
Association, 2012). To minimise this effect, high quality cement mix will be recommended
(as can be seen in the manual) as this reduces the size and frequency of pours on the
cements surface (Anonymous, Will Salt Break Down Concrete?, 2012). Flash flooding in the
Anh Minh district is rare (Nguyen H. N., 2007), therefore a plastic bottle brick house will not
have to withstand strong forces from water flow, it is suggested however that the houses
are lifted off the ground and onto stilts in areas where flooding is common place to protect
the durability of the house.
Education
The local people who wish to use the design will need to be educated on how to successfully
implement it. To achieve this, a simple manual with minimal writing will be distributed to
interested locals with the help of Habitat for Humanity. These manuals will show the locals
how to construct foundations and a wall using the plastic bottle bricks. Locals will also be
able to obtain support and guidance through Habitat for Humanity on how to use plastic
bottle bricks in construction. The manual can be found at the end of this report. The manual
will have an emphasis on being easy to understand and follow logically.

Construction
The construction of foundations and walls will all follow a simple 3 phase system as outlined
in the manual.
Phase 1 - Gather
The gathering phase is the simplest, requiring the homeowner to calculate the number of
bottles they will require and to then collect the bottles and necessary equipment.
Phase 2 - Prepare
The prepare phase then requires the homeowner to fill the collected bottles with sand and
prepare the ground upon which the construction will take place.
Phase 3 - Construct
The construction phase is the most difficult and requires the homeowner to closely follow
the manual provided to them. This phase is also where the help of HFHV will be provided.
Procedure
The following outlines the information present in the manuals on how to construct a wall
and foundations using plastic bottle bricks.
Wall
The construction of a wall using plastic bottle bricks is relatively simple and very similar to
that of constructing a wall out of regular clay bricks.
Phase 1- Gather
The first step is for the local people to gather the required amount of water bottles. The
locals can calculate the total number of bottles they will require for walls using the formula
provided in the manual. The formula is as follows;
Therefore by calculating the total volume of the walls the locals will easily be able to know
how many bottles to collect.

NB.* this relationship was calculated using the prototype model which used 17 bottles in
0.0196m3 as is shown in Appendix 4.
Phase 2- Prepare
Phase two requires the homeowner to prepare the area in which the wall will be built and
the plastic bottle bricks. The plastic bottle bricks will need to be filled with tightly packed
sand before building can commence. The manual suggests that walls be built on
foundations. In these cases as long as the foundations are in place the prepare phase is
completed. Otherwise the homeowner will need to ensure that the build occurs on flat and
solid ground*.
*NB. This is not recommended, as it will greatly affect the durability of the wall (Engineers
Daily, n.d).
Phase 3-Construct
A wall using plastic bottle bricks is constructed in the same way as a wall made out of
regular bricks. The manual details exactly how a wall should be constructed using plastic
bottle bricks. The process is also detailed below, and our prototype is seen in Figure 7.
1. Lay, 2cm (3/4 inch) of cement onto the foundations of which the wall is being built.
2. Place plastic bottles on top of this cement with a 1cm (1/3 inch) space between bottles.
3. Pour cement on top of these bottles being careful to fill in all gaps, ensuring that the cement
is 2cm (3/4 inch) above the top of the bottles.
4. Place the next layer of plastic bottles in between the bottles below, as shown in Figure 7
(over).
5. Pour cement on top of these bottles being careful to fill in all gaps, ensuring that the cement
is 2cm (3/4 inch) above the top of the bottles.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 until the wall is at the desired height.
7. Once the wall is built and dried completely render the sides to achieve the desired outward
aesthetic look.

Do not render the sides
until the cement between
the bottles has dried
Bottles lay in between the
two bottles below it.
2cm (3/4inch) thickness
between all bottles and
the top and bottom of
Cement the wall
Bottles
Figure 7: Cross section of our prototype
It is important to note that the wall should not be rendered to make the sides smooth in the
initial stages. This is because unlike bricks, plastic bottles are not made of a porous material
and therefore applying excess cement to the sides of the wall will result in the cement
falling off as it has nothing to “hold onto”. The wall can still be rendered however once the
initial cement laid has dried, as the dry cement can then act as the porous material allowing
the wet cement to stick to the sides of the wall.
Foundations
The foundations will provide a solid footing for a house. The benefit of plastic bottle brick
foundations is that they can be built to any height.
Phase 1- Gather
The water bottles for the foundations will need to be gathered. The locals can calculate the
total number of bottles they will require for foundations using the formula provided in the
manual. The formula is as follows;
Therefore by calculating the total volume of the foundations the locals will easily be able to
know how many bottles to collect.
NB.* this relationship was calculated using the prototype model which used 9 bottles in
0.01296m3 as is shown in Appendix No. 4.

Phase 2- Prepare
The foundations require all plastic bottles used to be tightly packed with sand. The housing
example provided in this report suggests the foundations to be what is known as “strip”
foundations. Strip foundations, as seen in Figure 8, are foundations that only support the
walls of a building.
Wall
Wooden floor
Ground level
Foundations support walls

only
Figure 8 – Diagram of strip foundations
For the foundations to be durable, the ground on which they are built must be flattened and
compacted to reduce the possibility of structural damage occurring (Engineers Daily, n.d).
The foundations of the house can be built to any height depending on the area in which the
house is built and how much the homeowner is willing to spend. For example in low lying
areas the foundations will need to be higher to provide better protection against floods than
in relatively higher areas.
Phase 3- Construct
Construction of the strip foundations is fairly straight forward. The first step is to dig a hole
in the ground that follows all of the walls and has a consistent depth. The second is to put
up wooden “moulds” in these holes for which the cement can be poured into. Note that it is
possible to pour the cement straight into the hole dug however to preserve structural
integrity this is not recommended. The wooden moulds should be 40cm wide and 20cm high
as outlined in the manual. Once the wooden moulds are in place cement is poured to fill the
moulds up to a quarter of their depth (i.e. 5cm). The plastic bottles are then placed firmly

upright into the poured cement with 6 bottles spanning the width of the foundations. The
mould is then to be filled with more cement.
rd
Wooden boards 3 fill the rest of the mould
with cement
nd
2 firmly place bottles (upright) into
cement
20cm
st
1 fill mould ¼ of its depth with cement
40cm
Figure 9 – Diagram showing how our foundations were created
After one layer of foundations has been laid and the foundations have dried it is then
possible for another layer to be built on top using the exact same process. In this way the
foundations can be built as high as is necessary.
Other Applications
Although the suggested use of plastic bottle brisks is for house construction it would also be
possible to use the design in many other contexts. Plastic bottles bricks serve as a direct
replacement for conventional bricks and can therefore be implemented in any situation that
conventional bricks are used. This makes the design extremely flexible and useful to the
community at large as the design is not restricted to one specific use.
Toiletry
Human sanitation in the Anh Minh district is a major issue (Engineers Without Borders,
2012) and the plastic bottle bricks could help to alleviate this. Currently a toilet is often too
expensive for local people to afford, however if a toilet was made of plastic bottle bricks
then this would significantly reduce the financial burden on a family and hence increase the
number of households with permanent toilets.
Water Storage
Another major issue in the Anh Minh district is the quality of water (Engineers Without
Borders, 2012). Locals often struggle to have a continuous supply of clean drinking water
(Engineers Without Borders, 2012). The current method of water storage involves using

large (often 1m3) cement tanks, however not all families can afford enough of these tanks. A
tank could however be made using plastic bottle bricks which would significantly reduce the
price of an equivalent water tank as less cement would be required.
Walls
Plastic bottle bricks can be used in the construction of walls in the same way that brick walls
are made. The only difference between the two would be the price, with plastic bottles
available for free. Therefore the option of building a wall out of plastic bottle bricks will be
far greater than out of conventional bricks.
Design Impact
The housing development project, devised for the Anh Minh district, intends to provide
long-term environmental, social and economic benefits. These benefits will significantly
contribute to the overall improvement of living standards within the community, along with
cultural, health and educational expansions.
Environmental
The current houses in Anh Minh are usually built from bamboo or from red clay brick and
mortar. Often thatched coconut leaves or galvanised steel are used to build the roof but
both materials need to be replaced every 3 – 7 years (Engineers Without Borders, 2012).
This creates inconvenience for the locals, as not only is their time being wasted on replacing
the roof, it costs them money and they are wasting natural resources.
According to Engineers without Borders Australia, the houses are commonly built upon the
ground without any foundation that would otherwise hold the house. It is also said that
construction on stilts is common in Vietnam but further research shows that only 30 - 35%
of the number of houses in Vietnam are using stilts for the foundation of their houses
(Engineers Without Borders, 2012). Stilts are sunk into cement and treated with oil.
However, this is a problem, as Vietnam is known to be one of the most disaster-prone
countries in the world. Disasters that occur with most severe damage are caused by water
disasters or climate-related disasters such as tropical storms, floods, drought, inundation,
salt water intrusion, landslides, storm surge and flash floods (Oanh Luong Nhu, 2011). Water

disasters are extremely serious in Vietnam as most of the population lives in areas
susceptible to flooding. The reason for this is because Vietnam focuses on rice farming and
so therefore it has developed as a nation by exploiting the low-lying river deltas and coastal
lands for water-rice agriculture. Both the broad Red River and Mekong Deltas and the
narrow connecting coastal strip of the country are prone to flooding from monsoon rains
and typhoon storms. Over 70% of the population of Vietnam is at risk of water disasters
(Oanh Luong Nhu, 2011).
The impact on human loss and the economy as a result of these natural disasters are indeed
very concerning. According to (Oanh Luong Nhu, 2011), Vietnam suffered an estimated
annual economic loss equivalent to 1.3% of GDP or USD3.85 billion from 1990-2009.
Therefore, it is important to develop a house that is durable and could minimize the effects
of the commonly occurring natural disasters in Vietnam. The proposed house would be
much preferred than the existing houses in Vietnam as it is durable and does not have to be
replaced every 3 – 7 years. This will have a positive impact on the environment as land
resources for the construction of houses would no longer have to be wasted.
The project, utilising mainly sand filled plastic bottles (recycled materials) are as strong as
bricks and would be much better at enduring strong winds and seasonal flooding when
compared to the current houses in Vietnam. Hence, not only are they strong and can resist
rising water table along with the high salt concentrations that it brings but our design of
house is also environmentally friendly as it uses recycled materials instead of bamboos or
red clay bricks. It promotes green, sustainability and reduces plastic wastes in Vietnam that
was a major concern.
Economic
The economic impact from the proposed design due to its sustainable nature and the
opportunity it provides to produce profit means that it is a cost effective alternative for
homeowners.
The main materials used for the house include cement, plastic bottles and sand. Whilst
cement is cost-effective and plastic bottles are durable and readily available, sand can

initially seem expensive for the local people of Anh Minh. However, when these materials
i.e. cement, sand and water, are mixed together and made into cement and mortar - which
will be required in the process of constructing the proposed house - they are long-lasting,
able to endure concentrated fluids and most importantly they do not require community
involvement. This means that there would be minimal maintenance. According to Engineers
Without Borders Australia, houses in Vietnam are typically one story and on average only
contain 2 rooms (bedroom and living) and commonly they have very little ventilation and no
windows. Generally, each home would be occupied by 4 – 5 people and a typical house in
Vietnam has a length of 8 metres and a width of 5 metres which has a total area of 40m^2.
An estimated cost to construct a typical house in Vietnam is 65 million VND or $3122 USD
(Engineers Without Borders, 2012), which is considered to be expensive for a large number
of people in the Anh Minh region.
The economic situation of the Kien Giang province has been well researched and taken into
consideration. Materials are available locally and can be easily obtained. Sourcing materials
from local distributions and environment minimises transport and total cost. Our proposed
design of house is very cost-effective – 9.7 million VND or $464 USD - with it being
approximately 85% cheaper than building a house made out of regular bricks in the Ah Minh
district. This is a significant reduction in the cost of permanent and long term housing which
will enable many more people in the Anh Minh district to enjoy the benefits of a safe and
secure home. According to Vietnam Travel & Living Guide (Anonymous, Vietnam Average
Salary and Income, 2011), the average wage per person in Vietnam is around 3.2 million
VND ($150) a month. This means that a person who is earning an average income in
Vietnam has now greater chance of buying a house. The manual to build the proposed
design of house is user-friendly meaning that the steps to construct the house are easy for
the local builders to follow. This has a great economic impact on Vietnam in the long term as
it increases the education levels and formal design skills of the local builders that could
potentially create employment and as a result, decreasing the unemployment level in
Vietnam. It is very likely that our proposed design of house will increase the standards of
living of the people in the Anh Minh district.

Due to the commonly occurring natural disasters in Vietnam, Vietnam faces great annual
economic loss. The proposed house design, which is strong and durable, will provide
improved protection against natural disasters and seasonal flooding which will be beneficial
for the economy. Provided the appropriate training for the implementation of the proposed
house, this will allow the people of Anh Minh to continue developing the community, and
improve the educational, cultural, economic and social opportunities available. In turn, this
will ensure the provision of employment opportunities, an expansion in cultural pride, and
breakdowns of social constraints. Essentially, this approach will gradually improve the
general quality of life of the people in Anh Minh district.
Social
The proposed design had the aim to educate and encourage individuals to use recycled
materials for a better and sustainable environment. The people in Vietnam should be aware
how serious waste issues are in their country, but perhaps do not have the tools or
knowledge to fix these issues. Therefore, helping to change the habits of these people will
revolve around an improved standard of living. Health is important and insight is needed
that inadequate waste management practices will create serious health and environmental
problems. In general, community awareness must be brought out and raised.
To increase awareness, it means that our design must be socially acceptable and able to
provide difference. Education is the key, particularly in the designs use but also its
maintenance. In essence, an object of this design will affect the way people run their lives.
Rather than being community based, the design for a house revolves around individual
households.
Implementation of the house is very simple and time efficient. Simple steps can easily be
followed by the locals to construct the house. Educating and training the locals using a self-
explanatory manual will increase employment opportunities and would also increase basic
skills in those areas. The phases of implementation are required to be applied and
effectively integrated throughout the community. It requires mutual cooperation amongst
the various castes, cultures and hierarchies throughout the community. This can then
develop further to allow the people within the community to corporate with each other,

thereby increasing communication. The development program aims to progressively
introduce such interactions, ensuring cooperation amongst the people. The community will
actively get involved in such implementations, throughout the design and construction
phase. The design will break social barriers, encouraging cooperation and societal
development.
On a society scale, ownership of the system and development of skills are resulted from the
involvement of the community to enhance the standard of living in these small villages. The
house design requires construction, which means labour is needed, and jobs are created as
a result. As a result, the skills which are developed can be adapted into other activities.
Recommendations
After building the project design, and after compression testing, there were several things
that could be changed. These things include different designs, different testing or just
increased experience.
Testing it at the UWA facility, the prototype was merely tested for compression, e.g. the
amount it could withstand before crumbling. These showed promising results but if there
were more time, more testing would have been done to better understand all facets of the
plastic bottle brick. Other testing included water testing, placing the plastic bottle brick and
measuring the capacity of water it could withstand. This would be beneficial as Vietnam is
subjected to slow rising floods many times during the year. Even though there is a relatively
low chance of a flash flood instead of the usual slow rising floods, the testing against water
would still be beneficial.
During the compression test, it was recommended by UWA staff that in future, we should
encase a bottle in a cement slab created using a mould and test the compression capacity of
that. This would enable the maximum compression capacity to be better recorded.
Some other tests that we recommend, but were not able to carry out ourselves, are wind
and buckling strength tests. Wind testing would be beneficial as the climate of Vietnam has
many heavy storms and typhoons, 6-8 per season. This would mean heavy winds would
constantly affect building walls. Therefore, if the wall is not able to withstand high winds, it

would not be suitable for Vietnam. A buckling test is also highly recommended as this will
help determine the distance the foundation or wall can sway before collapsing. This is
beneficial as the house will be subject to high winds and slow rising floods, by testing how
much it will buckle, will show if the wall will be able to withstand the varying climate of
Vietnam.
Another change that could be made is the building process of the plastic bottle bricks. When
the prototype was built it was completed with very little building experience or experience
with cement. This forced guessing to occur when mixing all the cement, sand and water.
Therefore, it can be said that through inexperience, the optimal and strongest cement may
not have be used in our prototype. This would in turn give differing results during the
compression test. If there were more time, another plastic bottle brick would most likely
have been made that did not have all the uncertainties and inexperience as the first one
that was made. More accurate results of compression could then be made.
Another change that can be made is the ratio of cement used. If the strength of the plastic
bottle brick was the same as a regular brick, then this would be more beneficial as it would
cost less and less cement would be needed. (Oanh Luong Nhu, 2011)
Design wise, the plastic bottle bricks only took into account two types of modifications. One
without anything in the bottles and only filled with sand. Another modification that can be
tried and tested is bottles filled with water instead. This would probably be stronger than
plastic bottles with nothing filled in them and could possibly be stronger than plastic bottles
filled with sand.
The plastic bottle bricks in our project consisted of building foundations and walls, but
another that can be build may be columns instead of walls or also including all three,
foundations, walls and columns, made from plastic bottle bricks in the one house. This
would enable better stabilisation of the house and again, more wastage in plastic bottles
being reused.
After building the prototype walls and foundations, in wet conditions, it was set aside to dry
for around 3 weeks before testing for the compression started. For the cement to
completely settle, a minimum of 30 days must be allowed for the cement to be the
strongest. The prototype walls and foundations constructed for compression testing was

only allowed to settle for around 3 weeks. This means that data from the compression
testing may be obscure, as the cement was not allowed to settle for the recommended
time. Therefore, in future, the cement must be allowed to settle for a minimum of 30 days
before any testing is to ensue to ensure maximum strength.
Team Reflection
Our team was structured so that there was no team leader; or one person who was in
charge of organising everyone, this allowed our team to find the dynamic of our group that
was the most effective, in which one or two people took control at different stages of the
project. Generally the person who lead the meetings was the person in charge of the
progress report for the week, to make sure we got everything done in our team meetings.
Our team was well balanced in that no one had any particular strengths or weaknesses; we
were all happy to do what was required of us each week and do it well in the time frame
required. The level nature of our team structure meant that there was no hierarchy
established that might put different cultures in positions of power that could cause
dissatisfaction of other team members. There were no major problems that had to be
handled within the team other than things such as punctuality.
In regards to our project, the only major issues that were faced was that our design was not
looked after in the storage room by other people who were not in the course (UEC storage
area also), which then probably affected our testing as it weakened the structure of our
walls. Making the model was also a big issue for the group as none of us had any experience
in making cement or making walls. As a result, the models that were made were perhaps
not of the highest standard, which may also have affected our testing. All of these problems
were worked though, as our team was able to overcome differences to ensure the success
of the project. We were frustrated by the breakages, but realised that we couldn’t control
this, and that there was no way to fix it, and as such, had to carry on with the resources
available. Overall our team worked very well together, and due to not having a hierarchy,
our team was very well functioning and made decisions effectively and swiftly.

Conclusion
EWB devised a project that required reduction of waste in the Anh Minh district within the
Kien Giang province of Vietnam. After brainstorming and comparing the four best ideas
against the criteria made up of the main challenges that were given by EWB and HFHV the
plastic bottle bricks design was chosen to be implemented as the best form of waste
management. This design includes effective usage of both recyclable and non-recyclable
non-organic materials in its design of plastic bottles being as used as “bricks” encased in
cement. This design will be relatively easy to implement with the help of HFHV and can be
completed by unskilled people with success. The design will also have positive implications
for the economic, social and environmental aspects of the society; it will increase unity in
the public, save the citizens money and will reduce the plastic waste in the area. The critical
issues that were to be addressed in a design have all be satisfied in this design; it will act
successfully to reduce the waste issue in Vietnam if embraced by the locals as a valid
building material by the villagers.

Section Distribution
Section Group Member
Acknowledgements Dan Hadler
Executive Summary Jordan Slater
List of Figures and Tables Dan Hadler
Introduction - Vietnam Dan Hadler & Noel Choi
Introduction – The Project Dan Hadler & Noel Choi
Project Development Jordan Slater
Possible Solution Jordan Slater
Our Decision Jordan Slater & Noel Choi
Our Design Olivia Peng
Implementation Langdon Heath
Design Impact Olivia Peng
Recommendations Noel Choi
Team Reflection Jordan Slater
Conclusion Jordan Slater
Section Distribution Dan Hadler
Learning Objectives Noel Choi, Langdon Heath & Dan Hadler
Appendix 1 Langdon Heath

Appendix 5 Olivia Peng
Appendix 6 Group
Appendix 7: Construction Manual (English) Langdon Heath
Appendix 8: Construction Manual Langdon Heath (with help from Thien-Kim

(Vietnamese) Dong and My-Kim Dong)
Bibliography & In-text Referencing Dan Hadler
Editing Dan Hadler & Jordan Slater

Learning Objectives
1. Develop Communication Skills Implementation – How to teach others

Manual – visual/written
2. Develop Enquiry Skills Background

Design Solution
Recommendations
3. Develop Teamwork Skills Team Reflection
4. Develop Project Management Skills Team Reflection
5. Develop Literacy Skills Referencing

Overall Literary Standards
6. Develop Enhanced Creative Thinking Possible Solutions

Design Criteria
7. Demonstrate Sensitivity to Context Background

8. Critique, Analyse and Synthesise Data Background

Implementation
Recommendations
9. Develop an Appreciation for Sustainability Design Solution
10. Develop an Understanding of the Environmental, Background

Social and Economic Context Implementation
11. Develop the Ability to Recognise Common Failures Design Considerations

Testing
Recommendations
12. Appreciate Ill-Structured and Well-Structured Design Criteria

Problems

13. Demonstrate Ability to Frame Ill-Structured Design Design Criteria
Problems Implementation
14. Able to Identify Critical Design Parameters Design Considerations
15. Utilise Conceptual Design Methods Design Considerations

Solution
Manual
Implementations
16. Utilise Systematic Methods to Evaluate a Range of Design Considerations

Designs
17. Appreciate and Apply the Sustainable Design Design Solution

Appendix 1: Equations for Cost of House
House Design
The house design was selected to reflect a typical house in the Anh Minh district due to the
following information.
- Typical house in the Anh Minh district will have two rooms (living and sleeping)
- A 40m2 house currently costs approximately $65million VND in the Anh Minh district
(Engineers Without Borders, 2012)
- 30-35% of houses are built on stilts (Turner, Habitat for Humanity Vietnam
Participants Discussions: Stilts, Mud Bricks, Number of Houses, 2012)
Bird’s eye view:
8m
Window
0.8m
5
m North
Door
1.5m
Corrugated Bamboo sheeting

Cross section:
4.5m
2.5m
Window
0.5m
1m 2m
Door 1.9m
0.4m 0.6m
Wood Flooring

Cost of Materials
The following is a list of the cost of materials required to build this house. All costs
are relevant to the Anh Minh district.
- Cement, 1800 VND ($0.09 USD) per kg. (Engineers Without Borders, 2012)
- Sand (cement), 150 000 VND ($7.20 USD) per m3. (Engineers Without
Borders, 2012)
- Cajuput palm, 42-60 000 VND ($4-5 USD) per m3 (Francisco & Glover, 1999)
- Corrugated Bamboo sheets, 32 000 VND ($1.54 USD) per 1.6m2.
(International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, 2006)
Cost of Foundations
Strip foundations will be used. This means that they will only cover the walls of the house.
The foundations will be mostly (40cm) in the ground and as such the house will only be
slightly above ground level (20cm). This was done due to the majority of houses in the Anh
Minh district (65-70%) not being on stilts (Turner, Habitat for Humanity Vietnam
Participants Discussions: Stilts, Mud Bricks, Number of Houses, 2012)
Dimensions:
8m
0.4m
5m
NB: Depth = 0.6m (3 layers

of foundations)
Total Volume of Foundations

Now by using the previous calculations on the percentage composition of the foundations it
is possible to calculate the volume of cement and plastic bottles required to make 6.864m3
of foundations.
Volume of Cement
Volume of Plastic Bottles
Now using the volume of cement required it is possible to calculate its cost. The ratio of
cement to sand that will be used is 1:3. This has been chosen, as it is a common ratio used in
house construction. (The Engineering Toolbox, n.d)
First the volume of cement (VCe) and the volume of sand (VS) are required:
Now as the cost of cement is in kg using the density of cement as 1500kgm-3 (The
Engineering Toolbox, n.d) the mass of cement required can be calculated:

And then the cost of both the cement and sand required can be calculated.
Cost of Cement
Cost of Sand
Therefore the total cost of the foundations will be:

Cost of Walls
The walls will be 2m high and enclose an area of 40m2. The reason for this is for ease of
comparison. A 40m2 house currently costs approximately 65 million VND (Engineers Without
Borders, 2012)
Dimensions:
2m
2m 2.5m
0.2 0.2
0.2
5m 8m m 5m m
m
NB: There are two lots of the first two walls
Total Volume of all Walls
Therefore the total volume of cement (VC) required can be calculated using the previous
calculations (on pg. 58 - 60) on the percentage composition of plastic bottle brick walls:
Now using the same cement to sand ratio as with the foundations (3 sand to 1 cement), the
total volume of sand (VS), and cement (VCe) can be determined:

Now as the cost of cement is in kg, using the density of cement as 1500kgm-3 (The
Engineering Toolbox, n.d) the mass of cement required can be calculated:
And then the cost of both the cement and sand required can be calculated.
Cost of Cement
Cost of Sand
Total Cost of the Walls

Cost of Wood Flooring
Cajuput palm is readily available in the Anh Minh district at a cost of 42,000 - 60,000 VND
($4-5 USD) per m3 (Francisco & Glover, 1999)
Dimensions:
5m
NB: A depth = 0.1m
8m
The total volume of wood required for the flooring is therefore:
The cost of flooring is therefore given by:

Cost of Roof
Corrugated bamboo roof sheeting was chosen as an environmentally friendly product,
which is available locally in Vietnam (International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, 2006).
Any type of roofing material however can be used. The roof will be made to have a
considerable (≈0.5m) overhang. This is to protect the house against heavy rain, which could
decrease the durability of the plastic bottle brick walls.
Dimensions:
0.5m
Outside walls
6m
≈0.5m
4.5m
The surface area of the roof will therefore be:
However the bamboo sheeting will overlap each other and so allowing an overlap of 16m 2
the total surface area of sheeting required will be 70m2.
Therefore the cost of corrugated bamboo required will be:

Total Cost of House
The total cost of all building materials used in the construction of this plastic bottle brick
house is therefore given by:
It can therefore be concluded that a house made from plastic bottle bricks will be
approximately 85% cheaper than building a house out of regular bricks in the Anh Minh
district. This is a significant reduction in the cost of permanent and long term housing which
will enable many more people in the Anh Minh district to enjoy the benefits of a safe and
secure home.
NB- it is important to note that this is a simplified model which excludes the windows and
doors. It would therefore be an overestimation of the cost of a house made of plastic bottle
bricks.

Appendix 2: Composition of Material
Foundations
Dimension of prototype:
20cm
24cm
27cm
Therefore the total volume is given by:
This prototype contained 9 (600ml) plastic bottles so the total volume of all the bottles is:

Therefore the percentage composition of the prototype can be given by:
Thus the foundations will be made up of 41.9% plastic bottles and 58.1% cement.
Walls
Dimensions of the prototype:
20cm
20cm
49cm
Therefore the total volume is given by:

This prototype contained 17 (600ml) plastic bottles so the total volume of all the bottles is:
Therefore the percentage composition of the prototype can be given by:
Thus the walls will be made up of 52.0% plastic bottles and 48.0% cement.

Appendix 3: Availability of Plastic Bottles
Our research has shown the following information:
- Plastic accounts for 7.69% of total waste in the Kien Giang province (Nguyen X. H.,
2011)
- People living in rural areas of Vietnam produce on average 0.3kg of waste a day
(Nguyen T. , 2005)
- People living in urban areas of Vietnam produce on average 0.7kg of waste a day
(Nguyen T. , 2005)
- Overall each Vietnamese person produces 0.4kg of waste a day (Nguyen T. , 2005)
- 1.7million people live in the Kien Giang province (Habitat for Humanity, 2012)
- The mass of a standard 600mL plastic bottle is 23.83 grams (Anonymous, Plastic
Bottle Stats with Calculations, 2012)
From the above information it is possible to calculate an estimate for the number of plastic
bottles thrown out each year in the Kien Giang province.
The total waste produced in the Kien Giang province per year can be calculated as follows:
Now keeping in mind that plastic accounts for 7.69% of the Kien Giang Province’s total
waste, calculations can be made using a low and high estimate for the percentage of waste
that is made up purely of plastic bottles.
High estimate – 4.5% of total waste is plastic bottles
If the above assumptions are true then the total mass of waste plastic bottles per year in the
Kien Giang province can be given as follows:

Now as we know the mass of a standard bottle is 23.83 grams we can see that the number
of waste plastic bottles per year is given by:
Low estimate – 1% of total waste is plastic bottles
If the above assumptions are true then the total mass of waste plastic bottles per year in the
Kien Giang province can be given as follows:
Now as we know the mass of a standard bottle is 23.83 grams we can see that the number
of waste plastic bottles per year is given by:

Appendix 4: Number of Bottles Required for a Build
Foundations
The total number of plastic bottles required per metre cubed can be calculated using our
prototype.
As discussed in the percentage composition calculations (pg. 58 - 60) the total volume of our
prototype foundations was 0.01296m3. Using this and the fact that the prototype contained
9 plastic bottles we can calculate the number of plastic bottles required per metre cubed as
follows:
Therefore per metre cubed our prototype required 694 plastic bottles. To take into account
any disparities we suggest that per metre cubed 700 plastic bottles will be required.
Walls
The total number of plastic bottles required per metre cubed can be calculated using our
prototype.
As discussed in the percentage composition calculations (pg. 58 – 60) the total volume of
our prototype wall was 0.0196m3. Using this and the fact that the prototype contained 17
plastic bottles we can calculate the number of plastic bottles required per metre cubed as
follows:
Therefore per metre cubed our prototype required 867 plastic bottles. To take into account
any disparities we suggest that per metre cubed 875 plastic bottles will be required.

Appendix 5 – Calculations Related to Prototype Testing
Weight of an Average Roof

Weight of an average roof = 40 lb./ft2 (Anonymous, General Construction Dead Loads, n.d)
1 lb. = 0.4536 kg
40 lb. = 18 kg
1 ft2= 92903.04 mm2
Safety Load Calculations

Load at failure = 28,000 N
2. Sand-Filled Bottle Foundation


4. Sand-Filled Bottle Wall


Compressive Strength Calculations
Safety Load = 26,600 N
2. Sand-Filled Bottle Foundation


4. Sand-Filled Bottle Wall


Appendix 6: Job Safety Analysis

NOTES
PLASTIC BOTTLE BRICKS
63
Construction Manual
Appendix 7: Construction Manual (English)
Acknowledgments
Plastic Bottle Bricks

Pictures originally sourced from:
http://www.habitatvietnam.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=154%3Arainbow-village-housing-water-and-
sanitation-vocational-training&catid=43%3Akien-giang&Itemid=76&lang=en
http://www.downtoearthgarden.com.au/sand
http://www.troop-202.net/Pages/ServiceProjects/EagleProjects/2003_DanL_eagle.html
http://www.del-mar.ws/concrete-wheelbarrow.html
http://naturalchicken.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/easy-peasy-sprouting-for-chickens.html
http://www.evo.com/shovels/bca-arsenal-shovel-w/35cm-saw-tour-blade.aspx
http://explow.com/mdf
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMasons_trowel.jpg
http://www.jinweii.com/product.aspx?id=12
http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/110071288/FACE_MASK_MEDICAL.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anneleroy/6475931767/
http://www.need2build.com/foundation/
ENSC1001
http://www.savoyinstalls.com/foundation
http://www2.worksafebc.com/i/posters/2007/ws%2007_05.htm
CONTENTS
OVERVIEW
64
Plastic Bottle Bricks share many of the great benefits of
Overview 3 a brick construction but are a much cheaper.
Benefits
 Durable
Materials 4-5
 Cheap
 Strong
Equipment 6-8

A plastic bottle brick house can be as much as 85%
cheaper than an equivalent house to construct.
Foundations 9-11 Plastic bottle bricks can be used to build anything that
regular bricks can build.
This manual will show you how to construct foundations
Walls 12-15 and walls using plastic bottle bricks using a 3 phase
system.
Phase 1 – Gather
Safety 16-17
Phase 2 – Prepare
Phase 3 – Construct
ENSC1001
Notes 18-20 The manual will also show you all the materials and
safety precautions you will need to make during your
Materials
65
Plastic Bottles (same volume)
Bagged Cement
Dirt (from the ground)
ENSC1001
Pure (Cement) Sand
EQUIPMENT
66
Wheel barrow or large bucket
Wooden boards (formwork)
Trowels
ENSC1001
Shovel
FOUNDATIONS
Phase 1– Gather
67
This stage involves gathering the bottles required to build
your foundations.
To do this calculate the volume of foundations to be built
and then use the following formula to calculate the total
number of bottles required.
*
Face mask

Now you know how many bottles you need, start
collecting.
ENSC1001
Thin and strong stick
(that fits inside a bottle)
FOUNDATIONS FOUNDATIONS
Phase 2– Prepare Phase 3– Construct
68
1– Fill bottles tightly with sand. 1-Pour 5cm of concrete into mould

2– Dig out foundation area and compact ground.
2– Place bottles firmly (upright) into concrete
3– Fill the mould with concrete until bottles are
covered.
4– Allow 7 days for concrete to dry.
5– Repeat until mould is filled and desired height is
reached.
ENSC1001
3- Use wooden boards to create a mould for the
foundations.
WALLS
WALLS
Phase 2– Prepare
Phase 1– Gather
69
1– Fill Bottles tightly with sand.
This stage involves gathering the bottles required to build
your walls.
To do this, calculate the volume of walls to be built and
then use the following formula to calculate the total
number of bottles required.

Now you know how many bottles you need, start
2– Make sure foundations are in place to build wall collecting.
on.
ENSC1001
WALLS
WALLS
4– Lay the next layer of bottles in between the bottles
Phase 3– Construct
below.
70
1– Lay 2cm of concrete where the wall will be built.
2– Place bottles on top of concrete with a 1cm gap
between each bottle.

5– Spread concrete on top, carefully filling all gaps (as
before).
6– Repeat steps 1-5 until wall is desired size.
7– After 7 days to dry, apply concrete to the sides of
3– Spread concrete on top, carefully filling all gaps. the wall to achieve a smooth surface.
ENSC1001
SAFETY
SAFETY
Cement
Heavy objects
71
Make sure face mask is worn when mixing cement.
Ensure you lift heavy objects correctly.
Use your knees not your back.

Do not get wet cement in your eyes, if you do
immediately wash eyes out with water and see a
doctor.
ENSC1001
NOTES
NOTES

ghi chú
Gạch bằng bình cao su
73
Xây dựng hướng dẫn sử dụng
Appendix 8: Construction Manual (Vietnamese)
Xác Nhận

Hình ảnh từ:
http://www.habitatvietnam.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=154%3Arainbow-village-housing-water-and-
sanitation-vocational-training&catid=43%3Akien-giang&Itemid=76&lang=en
http://www.downtoearthgarden.com.au/sand
http://www.troop-202.net/Pages/ServiceProjects/EagleProjects/2003_DanL_eagle.html
http://www.del-mar.ws/concrete-wheelbarrow.html
http://naturalchicken.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/easy-peasy-sprouting-for-chickens.html
http://www.evo.com/shovels/bca-arsenal-shovel-w/35cm-saw-tour-blade.aspx
http://explow.com/mdf
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMasons_trowel.jpg
http://www.jinweii.com/product.aspx?id=12
http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/110071288/FACE_MASK_MEDICAL.html
ENSC1001
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anneleroy/6475931767/
http://www.need2build.com/foundation/
http://www.savoyinstalls.com/foundation
http://www2.worksafebc.com/i/posters/2007/ws%2007_05.htm
Nội dung
Vật liệu
Khái quát
Gạch bằng bình cao su cũng như gạch bình
74
thườngnhưng rẻ hơn rất nhiều.
Khái quát 3
Lợi ích
 lâu bền
Vật liệu 4-5
 Rẻ
 vững mạnh
Thiết bị 6-8
Nhà làm bằng gạch bằng bình cao su sẽ rẻ hơn nhà
Bình cao su

thường bằng 85%.
Nền 9-11
Gạch bằng bình cao su co thể làm những việc như gạch
Si măng khô
bìng thường.
Vách tường 12-15
Sô tay này sẽ chỉ dẩn cho ban xay dựng nền và tường
nhà bằng cao su bằng ba cách.
Sự an toàn 16-17
Cách 1- Tụ hợp lạ
Cách 2- Chuẩn bị
ghi chú 18-20
ENSC1001
Cách 3- Xay dựng
cát si măng
Hướng dẫn cũng sẽ cho bạn thấy tất cả các vật liệu và
Thiết bị
75
xe cút kít hay thùng lớn
ENSC1001
Xẻng
76
Cách 1– Tự hợp lại
Giai đoạn này liên q
xây dựng cơ sở của
bình bằng cao su. M
mặt nạ

Giờ mình sẽ biết bao
nền.
ENSC1001
cay mỏng và mạnh
Nền
Cách 2- chuẩn bị
77
Cách 3– xây d
1– Pha đất cát vào bình cao su
1-pha si
2– Đào ra nền

2– Để bì
3– Pha s
4– Cho k
5– Lập lạ
ENSC1001
3- Dùng tấm ván bằng gổ để tạo khuôn cho nền
Vách tường
Cách 2- chuẩn
Cách 1- Tụ hợp lại
78
1– Pha đất c
Giai đoạn này liên quan đến việc thu thập các chai cần thiết
để xây dựng bức tường.
Trong cách này mình phải đếm sốlượng bình cao su để xay
vách tường

2– Coi lại nề
Giờ mình biết bao nhiêu bình cao su.
ENSC1001
Vách tường
Cách 3: Xay dựng 4– Để thêm
79
1– Đổ 2cm si măng ngay nơi xay vách tường
2– Để bình cao su ngan 1cm

5– Đổ si m
6– Lập lại
7– Sau 7 n
3– Đổ si măng lên bình cao su đến khi đũ pha khỏi bình phẩn v
cao su.
ENSC1001
Sự an toàn
Si măng Dụng cụ nặng
80
Phải dùng mặt nạ khi trộn si măng. Khi bưng dụ
đừng dùng

Đừng cho si măng ước vào mắt. Nếu có thì rữa liền
bằng nước và thăm bác sỉ.
ENSC1001
ghi chú

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Final Report – Plastic Bottle Bricks

A Report Documenting our Findings in Relation to Waste

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, COMPUTING AND MATHEMATICS

ASSESSMENT TITLE: Group 2 Tute 10 Final Report

NAME STUDENT NUMBER

1. Jordan Slater 21115865

2. Langdon Heath 21136885

3. Olivia Peng 20808555

4. Dan Hadler 21139267

5. Noel Choi 21120991

NO ASSIGNMENT WILL BE MARKED WITHOUT A CORRECTLY COMPLETED COVER SHEET

ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks ii

ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks iii

ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks iv

Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... iii

List of Figures and Tables ............................................................................................... viii

Introduction – Vietnam .................................................................................................... 1

Introduction – The Project ................................................................................................ 4

Project Development ........................................................................................................ 9

Our Design ..................................................................................................................... 16

ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks v

Design Impact ................................................................................................................ 33

Team Reflection ............................................................................................................. 39

Section Distribution ........................................................................................................ 41

Learning Objectives ........................................................................................................ 43

Appendix 1: Equations for Cost of House ........................................................................ 45

ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks vi

Appendix 2: Composition of Material.............................................................................. 54

Appendix 3: Availability of Plastic Bottles ....................................................................... 57

Appendix 4: Number of Bottles Required for a Build ....................................................... 59

Appendix 5 – Calculations Related to Prototype Testing .................................................. 60

Appendix 6: Job Safety Analysis ...................................................................................... 62

Appendix 7: Construction Manual (English) ..................................................................... 63

Appendix 8: Construction Manual (Vietnamese) ............................................................. 73

ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks vii

Figure 2 (Page 3) Waste Collection Percentage in Vietnam (Nguyen T. , 2005)

Figure 3 (Page 6) Waste Minimisation Hierarchy (Kane, 2009)

Figure 4 (Page 7) Stakeholders Rainbow Diagram

Figure 6 (Page 21) Graph of Time Versus Compression for Prototypes

Figure 7 (Page 30) Cross section of the Prototype Design

Figure 8 (Page 31) Diagram of Strip Foundations

Table 1 (Page 8) Description of Rainbow Diagram (previous page)

Table 3 (Page 24) Equipment Required for Building with Material

Table 4 (Page 25) Risk assessment score of building process

Table 5 (Page 26) Cost of New Materials in Vietnam

Table 6 (Page 26) Cost for Normal Building Materials in Vietnam

ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks viii

Geography and Climate

Vietnam as a whole covers a region of

Climate of the Kien Giang Province

ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks 1

ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks 2

Current Waste Management

The amount of waste collected in each

based on the size of the city and the distance Figure 2

ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks 3

Introduction – The Project

Engineers Without Borders

ENSC1001 Plastic Bottle Bricks 4

The EWB Challenge

“The Engineers Without Borders Challenge (EWB Challenge) is an Australasian design

Habitat for Humanity Vietnam

 Demonstrating Christian faith through action;