Fiza Hiroli

Gaury Padmachandran
Shreetha Hegde

URBAN HOUSING
LOW COST HOUSING TECHNIQUES

1. INTRODUCTION

Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing cost are
deemed “Affordable” to a group of people within a specified income range. In India, the
technology to be adopted for housing components should be such that the production
and erection technology be adjusted to suite the level of skills and handling facilities
available under metropolitan, urban and rural conditions.(P.K.Adlakha and H.C.Puri,
2003)

1.1. Building Cost

The building construction cost can be divided into two parts namely:

 Building material cost : 65 to 70 %

 Labour cost : 65 to 70 %

Now in low cost housing, building material cost is less because we make use of the
locally available materials and also the labour cost can be reduced by properly making
the time schedule of our work. Cost of reduction is achieved by selection of more
efficient material or by an improved design.

1.2. Low Cost Housing

Low Cost Housing is a concept which deals with effective budgeting and following of
techniques which help in reducing the cost construction through the use of locally
available materials along with improved skills and technology without sacrificing the
strength, performance and life of the structure.

There is huge misconception that low cost housing is suitable for only sub-standard
works and they are constructed by utilizing cheap building materials of low quality. The
fact is that Low cost housing is done by proper management of resources. It is also
achieved by implementing various alternative techniques of construction.

Ar. Laurie baker is one who worked on cost effective construction techniques as its
best. Baker showed, in fact, that sustainable technologies when adopted with care and
creativity, could lead to a unique architectural expression, one that moved the expert
and the layman alike. Proper materials is the basic need to develop any construction
technique.Brick, wood, stone are three major materials which can be used in India for
any type of construction.

Prefabrication as applied to `Low Cost Housing

Advantages of prefabrication are:

1. In prefabricated construction, as the components are readymade, self supporting,
shuttering and scaffolding is eliminated with a saving in shuttering cost.
In conventional methods, the shuttering gets damaged due to its repetitive use because
of frequent cutting, nailing etc. On the other hand, the mould for the precast
components can be used for large number of repetitions thereby reducing the cost of the
mould per unit.

3. In prefabricated housing system, time is saved by the use of precast elements which
are casted off-site during the course of foundations being laid. The finishes and services
can be done below the slab immediately. While in the conventional in-situ RCC slabs,
due to props and shuttering, the work cannot be done, till they are removed. Thus,
saving of time attributes to saving of money.

4. In precast construction, similar types of components are produced repeatedly,

resulting in increased productivity and economy in cost too.

5. Since there is repeated production of similar types of components in precast

construction, therefore, it results in faster execution, more productivity and economy.

6. In prefabricated construction, the work at site is reduced to minimum, thereby,

enhancing the quality of work, reliability and cleanliness.

7. The execution is much faster than the conventional methods, thereby, reducing the
time period of construction which can be beneficial in early returns of the investment.
Concept of prefabrication / partial prefabrication has been adopted for speedier
construction, better quality components & saving in material quantities & costs .

Some of these construction techniques & Materials for walls, roof & floor slab,
doors & windows are as follows:

In Walls:-

In the construction of walls, rammed earth, normal bricks, soil cement blocks, hollow
clay blocks, dense concrete blocks, small, medium and room size panels etc of different
sizes are used. However, bricks continue to be the backbone of the building industry. In
actual construction, the number of the bricks or blocks that are broken into different
sizes to fit into position at site is very large. which results in wastage of material poor
quality. Increasing the size of wall blocks will prove economical due to greater speed and
less mortar consumption, which can be achieved by producing low density bigger size
wall blocks using industrial wastes like blast furnace slag and fly ash. Several
prefabrication techniques have been developed and executed for walls but these medium
and large panel techniques have not proved economical for low rise buildings as
compared to traditional brick work.

Precast RC plank roofing system:

This system consists of precast RC planks supported over partially precast joist. RC
planks are made with thickness partly varying between 3 cm and 6 cm. There are
haunches in the plank which are tapered. When the plank is put in between the joists,
the space above 3 cm thickness is filled with in-situ concrete to get tee-beam effect of
the joists. A 3 cm wide tapered concrete filling is also provided for strengthening the
haunch portion during handling and erection. The planks have 3 numbers 6 mm dia MS
main reinforcement and 6 mm dia @ 20 cm centre to centre cross bars. The planks are
made in module width of 30 cm with maximum length of 150 cm and the maximum
weight of the dry panel is 50 kg. Precast joist is rectangular in shape, 15 cm wide and
the precast portion is 15 cm deep The above portion is casted while laying in-situ
concrete over planks. The stirrups remain projected out of the precast joist. Thus, the
total depth of the joist becomes 21 cm. The joist is designed as composite Tee-beam
with 6 cm thick flange comprising of 3 cm precast and 3 cm in-situ concrete. This section
of the joist can be adopted up to a span of 400 cm. For longer spans, the depth of the
joist should be more and lifting would require simple chain pulley block. The completely
finished slab can be used as intermediate floor for living also In residential buildings,
balcony projections can be provided along the partially precast joists, designed with an
overhang carrying super imposed loads for balcony as specified in IS: 875-1964, in
addition to the self load and the load due to balcony railings. The main reinforcement of
the overhang provided at the top in the in-situ concrete attains sufficient strength. The
savings achieved in practical implementations compared with conventional RCC slab is
about 25%.

2. JUTE AND COIR

Jute cultivation has been in practise in India for as far as 800 BC. Production of jute is
mainly concentrated in West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya and Andhra
Pradesh. There are 33 odd districts spanning all over West Bengal, Bihar, Assam and
Orissa which accounts for 98.41% of total area under jute cultivations and 98.45% total
raw jute production in India. Historically, the coir industry started and flourished in
Kerala which has a long coast line, lakes, lagoons and backwaters providing natural
conditions required for retting.

However, with the expansion of coconut cultivation, coir industry has picked up in the
States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura,
Pondicherry and the Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
through the efforts of Coir Board. India accounts for more than two-thirds of the world
production of coir and coir products. So as India is a leading producer of jute and coir,
they can be used as:

1) Coir-CNSL Board: The Coir-CNSL Board is a wood alternative which can be used for
surfacing, door and window shutters, partitioning, false ceiling, panelling, furniture,
cabinets, packaging, etc. It is a single layer flat pressed class Medium Density Fibre
(MDF) Board. It has low water absorption, negligible change in dimensions due to water
absorption, workable with normal wood working tools, paintable, pre-laminable, and
nailable and screw able.

2) Coir-CNSL Thermal Insulation Board: This is a composite material, which utilizes the
coconut fibres as re-enforcing material and CNSL as the natural binder]. The density of
the board is kept low and therefore is suitable for moderate temperature insulation.
3) Jute-Coir Composites: Jute-coir composite provides an economic alternative to wood
for the construction industry. It involves the production of coir-ply boards with oriented
jute as face veneer and coir plus waste rubber wood inside.

4) Coconut and Wooden Chips Roofing Sheet: Coconut fibre and wooden chips are
soaked in water for two hours and then the water is drained off. Later these are mixed
with cement and laid over a corrugated mould and kept under pressure for 8 to 10
hours. After demoulding, these are cured and dried before use. Also use of Cashewnut
Shell Flour was a major development as filler.

3. FLY ASH

The mineral residue produced by burning coal and the fine glass powder recovered from
its gases is called Fly Ash. The major constituents of fly ash are silica, alumina and iron.
Coal fired electricity generating plants are the primary producers of fly ash nowadays. In
the first half of the year 2011-2012 out of the sixteen states placed under survey five
have generated more than five million tonne of fly ash. The state of UP was the top
producer of fly ash producing more than nine million tonnes of fly ash.

Fly Ash can be substituted for many constituents in building materials making it the ideal
choice for alternate building material. Some of them are discussed as under Fly Ash Brick
Fly Ash Brick is a construction material, masonry unit comprising of Class C Fly Ash and
water. Due to the high concentration of calcium oxide in Class C Fly Ash, the brick can
be described as self-cementing. These properties make fly ash bricks energy efficient,
mercury pollution resistant, lower water penetration, light weight, thermal insulation and
cost effective (it costs 20% less than traditional clay brick manufacturing).

The only major disadvantages of using fly ash brick is that there is very less information
on its toxic fume emission. Also it contains many unhealthy elements like silica,
aluminium, iron oxides, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. Its mechanical bonding is weak
and presents poor outlook.

4. AEROCON PANELS

Aerocon panels are the inorganic bonded sandwich panels made of two fiber reinforced
cement sheets engulfing a light-weight core consisting of Portland cement, binders and a
mix of silicaceous and micaceous aggregates. The use of Fly ash and its substitution for
timber based products makes the panels environmental-friendly. The property attributes
are eco-friendly, faster construction, no wet plastering and on-site curing, light weight,
high thermal insulation, fire resistant, excellent sound reduction properties, water and
termite and weather resistant, suitable for Seismic and Cyclone prone zones, relocatable,
thin walls (space saving), smooth finish, minimum foundation or ground preparation
required and easy workability.

Recently in a project called “Mass Housing” under “VALMIKI” scheme sponsored by Govt.
of India for improving the living conditions of slum dwellers in Mumbai was completed in
a very short span of time using aerocon pa els demonstrating its prowess.
 5. Stabilized compressed earth blocks are made of mud stabilized with 5%
cement/lime etc. and compacted in block making machine with no burning. A good
walling material as burnt bricks and is economical, stronger, energy saving and
simple to manufacture.

i. Non erodable mud plaster:

The plaster over mud walls gets eroded during rains, which necessitates costly
annual repairs. This can be made non erodable by the use of bitumen cutback
emulsion containing mixture of hot bitumen and kerosene oil. The mixture is pugged
along with mud mortar and wheat/ rice straw. This mortar is applied on mud wall
surface in thickness of 12 mm. One or two coats of mud cow dung slurry with
cutback are applied after the plaster is dry. The maintenance cost is low due to
enhanced durability of mud walls.

6. Clay red mud burnt bricks produced from alumina red mud or bauxite, an industrial
waste of aluminium producing plants in combination with clay. Posses all the physical
properties of normal clay bricks and solves the problem of disposal of the waste product
and environmental pollution. In addition, they have good architectural value as facing
bricks due to their pleasing hues of color.
7. Precast stone blocks of larger size than normal bricks are manufactured by using
waste stone pieces of various sizes with lean cement concrete and enable a rationalized
use of natural locally available materials. Shaping stones in this manner, enables speedy
construction saves on cement, reduces thickness of stone walls and effects overall saving
by eliminating plasters on internal/external wall surfaces.

8. Precast concrete blocks made to similar dimension of stone blocks without large
size stone pieces, but using coarse and fine graded cement. They have excellent
properties comparable to other masonry blocks, are cheaper and facilitate speedy
construction and especially suitable where quality clay for bricks making is not available.

Cost effective appropriate technologies are:

A) Random rubble masonry in mud/cement mortar placed in excavation over thick

sand bed. Rubble pointing above ground level in stabilized cement mortar. Use of lean
cement concrete mix 1:8:16 for base with brick masonry in 1:6 cement mortar footings.
Use of lean cement concrete mix as above for base and over burned bricks masonry in
cement lime mortar (1:2:12) footings. Arch foundations in place of spread foundations.
FOUNDATION COSTS:

Normally the foundation cost comes to about 10 to 15% of the total building .It is
recommended to adopt a foundation depth of 2 ft.(0.6m) for normal soil like gravely soil,
red soils etc. It is suggested to adopt arch foundation in ordinary soils. In case of black
cotton and other soft soils, it is recommend to use under ream pile foundation which
saves about 20 to 25% in cost over the conventional method of construction.

ARCH FOUNDATION

This type of foundation was used in olden times where in spread foundation is replaced
by inverted arch .

It reduces the construction cost up to 40%

Advantage of this is-In soft soils that the depth of foundation can be greatly reduced;
disadvantage is that the end piers have to be specially strengthened by buttresses so as
to avoid the thrust to arch action tending to rapture the piers junction.

PLINTH:

It is recommended to adopt 1 ft. height above ground level for the plinth and may be
constructed with a cement mortar of 1:6. The plinth slab of 4 to 6″ which is normally
adopted can be avoided and in its place brick on edge can be used for reducing the cost.
By adopting this procedure the cost of plinth foundation can be reduced by about 35 to
50%.

WALLS:

Brick work in 1:6 cement mortar using bricks from black cotton and inferior soil
stabilized with fly-ash.
Rat-trap bond brick work in 1:2:12 cement lime mortar/1:1.5:3 cement sand mortar.
Hollow concrete block masonry in cement mortar.
Compressed mud blocks masonry in mud mortar.
Stabilized mud blocks masonry (4% cement or lime) in stabilized mud mortar.
Sand lime brick walls in 1:6 cement mortar.
FAL-G sand block with 1:6 cement mortar.
While laying bricks, the manner in which they overlap is called the bond.

The rat-trap bond is laid by placing the bricks on their sides having a cavity of 4 (100
mm), with alternate course of stretchers and headers. The headers and stretchers are
staggered in subsequent layers to give more strength to the walls.
This technology has about 25% overall-saving on cost of a building of traditional 9"
construction. The structure has proven its strength to go up to three floors with the
support of brick columns. With this technique there is reduction in cost of the wall by
25% as with conventional English bond (9’’thk wall) 350 bricks are required per cu. m
whereas in Rat-trap bond only 280 bricks are required and also the reduced number of
joints reduces the mortar consumption.

BRICK JALI:

The common burnt brick is one of man’s great inventions. all over the world, with only a
few exceptions, nearly all bricks are roughly the same shape and size - that is about 9 x
4.5 x 3 inches.

In many of these situations listed above a “JALI” is just as effective. Far from being a lot
more costly than the basic wall, if made of brick it can be less costly than the house wall.

Soil cement block technology

this method of construction of wall is by soil cement blocks in place of burnt bricks
masonry. It is an energy efficient method of construction where soil mixed with 5% and
above cement and pressed in hand operated machine and cured well and then used in
the masonry. The overall economy that could be achieved with the soil cement
technology is about 15 to 20% compared to conventional method of construction.
Concrete block walling

In view of high energy consumption by burnt brick it is suggested to use concrete block
(block hollow and solid) which consumes about only 1/3 of the energy of the burnt bricks
in its production. Concrete block masonry saves mortar consumption, speedy
construction of wall resulting in higher output of labor, plastering can be avoided thereby
an overall saving of 10 to 25% can be achieved.

ROOFS:

Domes and vaults in brick or stabilized mud block with appropriate mortar.
Upgraded thatch roof on appropriate frame work.
Pre-cast RCC “L” panel
Precast RCC cored units in M15 concrete.
Precast RCC channel units in M15 concrete
Precast Waffle units in M15 concrete
Burnt clay tube roofing in vault form.

Filler slabs

Partly precast RCC planks and joist in M15 concrete.

Partly precast RCC joist and brick panels
Partly precast RCC in hollow concrete blocks
Thin RCC ribbed slabs
Ferro cement channels
Brick funicular shell on edge beam
Bamboo reinforced concrete
Brick funicular shells with RCC edge beams
Brick jack arched over RCC joist
Precast RCC cored units in M15 concrete.
Precast RCC channel units in M15 concrete

FILLER SLAB TECHNIQUE:

The filler slab is based on the principle that for roofs which are simply supported, the
upper part of the slab is subjected to compressive forces and the lower part of the slab
experience tensile forces. Concrete is very good in withstanding compressive forces and
steel bears the load due to tensile forces. Thus the lower tensile region of the slab does
not need any concrete except for holding the steel reinforcements together.
Therefore in a conventional RCC slab lot of concrete is wasted and it needs extra
reinforcement due to added load of the concrete which can otherwise be replaced by
low-cost and light weight filler materials, which will reduce the dead weight as well as
the cost of the slab to 25% (as 40% less steel is used and 30% less concrete).
The filler slab is a mechanism to replace the concrete in the tension zone. The filler
material, thus, is not a structural part of the slab. By reducing the quantity and weight of
material, the roof become less expensive, yet retains the strength of the conventional
slab. The most popular filler material is the roofing tile. Mangalore tiles are placed
between steel ribs and concrete is poured into the gap to make a filler slab. The
structure requires less steel and cement and it is also a good heat insulator.
Conventional tests by different institutions and laboratories has proved the load bearing
capacity of filler slab and found it no less in performance from the conventional R.C.C.
slab. Since filler roof tiles are firmly bonded to and covered by concrete, it does not
collapse under the impact of say, a coconut falling on the roof.

Saving on cost

The savings on cost can be from 15 per cent to 25 per cent. But designing a filler slab
requires a structural engineer to determine the spacing between the reinforcement bars.

Thermal insulation

The air pocket formed by the contours of the tiles makes an excellent thermal insulation
layer. The design integrity of a filler slab involves careful planning taking into account
the negative zones and reinforcement areas.

Lintels and Chajjas

The traditional R.C.C. lintels which are costly can be replaced by brick arches for small
spans and save construction cost up to 30 to 40% over the traditional method of
construction.

Case histories in India Demonstrations Construction Using Cost- Effective &

Disaster Resistant Technologies – BMTPC’s Initiatives

BMTPC has been promoting cost-effective & environment- friendly building materials &
construction techniques in different regions of the country. During recent past the
council has been laying emphasis on putting up demonstration structures utilising region
specific technologies . Such efforts for demonstrating innovative technologies have
created a much better impact and helped in building up confidence and acceptability in
private & public construction agencies, professional & contractors. Details of the major
projects handled by them are given as under:-
1. Demonstration Housing Project at Laggerre, Bangalore, Karnataka.

 Clay jalli in ventilators

 Others
 External Cement plaster
 White wash on internal walls
 Water proof cement paint on external walls
 Precast Ferro cement lofts , shelves , chajjas.
Typical Plan of A Unit

2. Demonstration Housing Project at Dehradun, uttarakhand

Technologies / Specification Foundation

Step footing in solid concrete blocks

Walling
Solid /Hollow concrete blocks
RCC plinth, lintel, roof level band, vertical reinforcement in corners for earth quake
resistance
Roof/Floor
RCC planks & joist with screed
IPS flooring

Doors & Windows

Pre-cast RCC door frames
Wood substitute door shutters
Fly ash polymer door shutter for toilet.
Cement jalli in ventilators and windows

Others
Internal and external pointing
White wash on walls
Precast ferrocement chajjas

Conclusion

Mass housing targets can be achieved by replacing the conventional methods of planning
and executing building operation based on special and individual needs and accepting
common denominator based on surveys, population needs and rational use of materials
and resources. Adoption of any alternative technology on large scale needs a guaranteed
market to function and this cannot be established unless the product is effective and
economical. Partial prefabrication is an approach towards the above operation under
controlled conditions. The essence lies in the systematic approach in building
methodology and not necessarily particular construction type or design. The
methodology for low cost housing has to be of intermediate type- less sophisticated
involving less capital investment.
References

 Affordable Housing Materials & Techniques for Urban Poor’s S. S. Shinde1 , A. B.

Karankal

 Prospects of Low Cost Housing in India Swaptik Chowdhury, Sangeeta Roy

 Affordable Housing for Urban Poor Prepared by National Resource Centre SPA,
New Delhi Supported by Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation
Government of India.

 “Faster Production of Stone Blocks and Concrete Blocks‟, CBRI-Annual Report,

1999-2000.

 Garg R.K., `Sustainable Human Settlements and Cost Effective Housing

Technologies.‟ BMTPC

 Garg R.K., Garg N. K. & Batra Y. K.(2004), Sanitation and Waste Water Disposal
Systems inRural Areas, Journal of Indian Building Congress, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2004;
Seminar on “Up gradation of Housing & Amenities in Rural Areas”, Bhubaneswar,
December, 22nd-23rd2004. BMTPC.

 Gupta B.S., Jain S.K., Hira B.N. “Trapezonpan Roofing/Flooring Scheme”, Indian
Concrete Journal, July 1982, India.

 Hira B.N. & Negi S.K., Journal of Indian Building Congress, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2004; ;
Seminar on “Up gradation of Housing & Amenities in Rural Areas”, December,
22nd-23rd2004. at Bhubaneswar Appropriate Building Techniques for Rural
Housing. BMTPC.

 IS 4326: Earthquake Resistant Design and Construction of Materials, 1993

 Lal A.K., `Hand Book of Low Cost Housing.‟

 National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy, 2007, Govt. of India.

 `Standards and Specifications for Cost Effective Innovative Building Materials and
Techniques.‟ BMTPC.

 Study on Low Cost Incremental Housing for UP State.‟ BMTPCD, Adlakha and
Associates.

 Verma. N., 1985, CBRI Building Research Note No. 34 on Low Cost Sanitation for
Rural & Urban Houses.