LOW COST CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES IN WALLS

Especially techniques used in Kerala

A
DISSERTATION

Submitted for the partial fulfillment of the degree of

BACHELORS OF ARCHITECTURE

Session - 2012-13

Under the Guidance of

Ar. Vinita Maheshwari

By

Supriya Ojha

Submitted to:

Hitkarini College of Architecture and Town Planning,

Jabalpur (M.P.)
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Literature work embodied in the Dissertation entitled LOW COST

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES IN WALLS for the partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

of B.Arch, from Hitkarini college of Architecture and Town Planning, Jabalpur, is a bonafide work of

Miss Supriya Ojha, and has been duly completed by her under my supervision and guidance. The piece

of work is original and has not been submitted to any other institute in part or full for award of any

degree.

Date: Supervisor

Mrs. Vinita Maheshwari

 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the Dissertation work entitled LOW COST CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN WALLS which is being submitted by me for the partial fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of

Architecture is an authentic record of my own review of literature. The matter embodied in this

dissertation submitted by me has not been submitted for any other academic qualification in full or part

at any other Institute.

Date: SUPRIYA OJHA

Place: HITKARINI COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
AND TOWN PLANNING, JABALPUR
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I feel honored in expressing my sincere gratitude to all those without whose kind
assistance and guidance this report of mine would not have been in the present shape.
Amongst the series of such personalities, first of all I would like to owe my sincere
thanks towards my venerable guides Mrs. Vinita Maheshwari and Prof. A. Saniyal,
Principal, Hitkarini college of Architecture and Town Planning, Jabalpur, for their kind
help, astute guidance, unceasing patience and constant encouragement. I feel indebted
for their timely able guidance and support (ethical and moral both). Availing their rich
experience I have completed my review of literature in nearly perfect professionalism.

To ignore or to quote the indirect, invisible and constant support provided by my

family especially my elder sister cannot be justified as the same cannot be expressed in
words; its a matter to realize and nothing beyond that.

Date: (Supriya Ojha)

 INTRODUCTION
Every Builder or architect understands the importance of reducing the construction cost. The
difference between what a product costs and for what it can be sold is the profit. Lowering the cost
without sacrificing the quality gives you a better chance to earn an adequate return on the money and
time put into the building. In a building, the wall constitutes the major volume of construction of about
35% to 40%, bringing down the cost of construction of walls can bring forth a substantial monitory
benefit by using materials and technologies that do not require any process of factory manufacturing.
The cost over there can be saved. Since we are living in the world of rising prices, considering the cost
of an ordinary conventional wall containing cement, sand, aggregates and steel, the need to adopt Cost
effective technology in walling has become imperative, so that constructing a house is within the reach
of common man by using materials that can be prepared fast on site and constructed fast too.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The problem regarding the construction cost has assumed formidable proportion in countries. So the
ways to control costs of construction of walls in buildings is needed in terms of technologies,
materials, techniques etc used for walling. The aim of this dissertation is to make a study on the new
methods of walling and to find out how they can help to reduce the cost of construction of buildings.

SCOPE OF WORK
The Dissertation Work is targeted on various walling techniques mainly on the Indian houses,
especially on the houses in Kerala. The materials and technologies identified would be such that there
are no processes in the factory and only site preparation and construction is satisfactory. Whether it is
Indian or global, the goal behind the construction is to create customer satisfaction, probably by
reducing the cost of construction of walls and keeping the better quality. The methods of cost-
effectiveness in construction will help in better solving the problem of price control.
 LIMITATIONS

The dissertation work will include the study of the Cost- effective construction techniques and
materials used in walls, with On-site preparation, that does not include any industrial process. Cost-
effective techniques of other structural members are not included.

METHODOLOGY

The process includes both literature study and comparative study on the cost of construction walls of
the some of the existing buildings. The types of materials used in the walls and up to what extent they
could control the cost is also dealt with. New technologies used in the cost-effective construction of
walls are also being discussed.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. MATERIALS
1.1. BAMBOO
1.2. STRAW
1.3. CORDWOOD
1.4. RUBBLE

2. TECHNIQUES
2.1. Cob
2.2. Adobe
2.3. Rammed Earth
2.4. Wattle and Daub
2.5. Earth bags

3. CONCLUSION

4. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. MATERIALS
 1.1.BAMBOO

On-site preparation and construction :-

It does not need any manufacturing in factories.

Preparation on the site involves only the cutting of bamboo to obtain desired lengths.
No skilled labor is required to handle bamboo.
Any learned mason can teach another mason how to deal with the material.

Inference :-
There is versatility in construction.
Since there is no particular sort of manufacturing or preparing required for bamboo, money at
that part is saved.
Since highly specialized labour and machinery is not required, money for that is also saved.
Construction period is also short.
Thus construction cost is reduced by 30-35%.

1.2.STRAW:

On-site preparation and construction :-

For preparing a straw bale wall, bundle of straw tightly bound with twine or wire.
Bales are commonly finished with plaster.
Row of straw bales are stacked one on top of the other (often in running-bond) on a raised
footing or foundation.
Bale walls can be tied together with pins of bamboo, wood, wire, etc.

Inference :-

Straw is an abundant agricultural waste product.

Requires little energy to bale and transport for construction.
Stacking of the bales take very less time.
Saves in construction cost by 30%.
 Bamboo house at Wayanad

Bamboo shaped to make joints

INSPIRATIONS architects
office at ernakulam made of
bamboo
Straw Bales stacked

Construction using
Straw Bale

1.3.CORDWOOD:
 On-site preparation and construction :-

Logs are cut on site to desired length.

They are laid with consistent mortar gaps protruding no more than 1 inch on the inside and
outside.
A layer of mortar is spread and then insulation poured in between. Then more logs follow on
top.

Inference :-

It is an economical use for log ends or fallen trees in heavily timbered areas.
Construction is very fast.
Construction cost is reduced by 20%

1.4.RUBBLE:

On-site preparation and construction :-

Walls are made by randomly placing stone and not following any particular course.
Smaller stones may be used in areas where the natural stone shape is rounded.
The walls are built up to the desired height and at intervals, large tie-stones or through
stones are placed which span both faces of the wall.

Inference:

Most walls are constructed from stones and boulders cleared from the fields during preparation
for agriculture (field stones) but many also from stone quarried nearby.
This can be done very fast and the wall is complete in minutes.
This saves 30-40% of the money.

CORDWOOD
Construction
using Cordwood

Construction using cordwood

 RUBBLE

Random Rubble wall

Stone House at
Chavakadu, Trissur
2. TECHNIQUES
VARIOUS TYPES OF MUD WALLING ARE :
Cob
Adobe
Rammed Earth
Wattle and Daub
Earth bags

2.1. COB:

On-site preparation and construction :-

With only a little water form a very large lump of

A row of these cobs of mud are laid neatly side-by-side.
When three or four courses have been laid, one above the other, the sides are smoothed over so
that the holes and cracks disappear.
Inference :-

Locally available material may be used.

Too much labor is not required either.
Thus cost is reduced to a great extent.

2.2. RAMMED EARTH:

On-site preparation and construction :-

Two parallel planks are held firmly apart by metal rods and clips or bolts, or by-small
crosspieces of wood.
Stiff mud is thrown in between these two planks and rammed down with either a wooden or
metal ramrod.
When one section is completed and hard the two planks are raised up and a second course of
rammed earth is repeated over the first and it goes on until the whole wall is completed.

Inference :-

The use of mud reduces the cost of the wall by 15%.

COB
 Cob wall
section

With only a little water to form a very stiff mud, a large lump of it - as much as you can hold
together between your two hands - is roughly moulded into the shape of a huge elongated egg. The
usual size is anything between 12 to 18-inches, (30 to 40-cm) long and about 6-inches (15-cm) in
diameter.
A row of these cobs of mud are laid neatly side-by-side - preferably somewhat pressed together.

Then another row of cobs is laid on top. This second layer obviously lies in the depressions
between the lower rows of cobs.
House with walls made of cob
 RAMMED EARTH

Rammed Earth site preparation

Banasura earth resort in Wayanad
 2.3. ADOBE:

On-site preparation and construction :-

Clay and sand mixed with water. Sometimes chopped straw or other fibers are added for
strength.
The mixture is then allowed to dry in the desired shape.
Sometimes adobe is stabilized with a small amount of cement or asphalt emulsion.
The adobe bricks are laid in course just like normal bricks to form the wall.

Inference:

Very less effort is required in making the bricks.

Made in very short time.
The cost of the wall is reduced by 15%.

2.4. PRESSED EARTH BLOCKS:

On-site preparation and construction :-

On site Machine Compressed blocks.

Using a small amount of stabilizer.

Inference :-

Hard physical work is required in making blocks.

But time for making the blocks is less.
So cost is reduced by 10%.
 ADOBE

Adobe Moulds

Adobe Moulds
Adobe Brick Wall At
Wayanad
PRESSED EARTH BLOCKS

On-site preparation of
Pressed Earth Blocks
 2.5. WATTLE AND DAUB:

On-site preparation and construction :-

Strips of bamboo made first as a framework.

Then simply covered with plaster and the wall is ready.

Inference:

It is fast and therefore inexpensive.

There is not much material cost involved.
Neither is labor intensive.
Cost of wall is reduced by 20-25%.

2.6. EARTHBAGS:

On-site preparation and construction :-

The bags can be filled with local, natural materials, which lowers the embodied energy.
The fill material is generally of mineral composition and is not subject to decomposition.
The bags are simple stacked together to form walls and even arches.
Later he edges may be finished off with mortar.

Inference :-

The material requires very less input in expertise and can be easily constructed.
There is saving of 30-35% in the cost of construction.
 WATTLE AND DAUB

Wattle and Daub wall

components

Wattle and Daub

construction
 EARTHBAGS

Laying Earth bags to

make wall

Finishing wall
after laying
Earth bags
 2.7. RAT TRAP:

On-site preparation and construction :-

The rat-trap bond is laid by placing the bricks on their sides having a cavity
With alternate course of stretchers and headers staggered in subsequent layers to give more
strength to the walls.

Inference:

Strength is equal to standard 9" brick wall, but consumes 20% less bricks
The overall saving on cost of this wall is about 25%.
 RAT TRAP

Comparison of conventional wall

with Rat-trap bond wall

Rat Trop Bond

Courses
Vertical Rod for extra
stability
3. CONCLUSION
Man has always built with natural materials. Building with mud /earth, the most natural
of all building materials, poses a special challenge. Architecture today, is dominated by
cold hard, machine made building materials. While all previous attempts to replace
these with a more plastic, environment- friendly material have resulted in a negation of
the structural/technical dimension of Architecture, building with cost effective locally
available materials offers the unique possibility of a innovation as well as saving in cost.
As a an exploration into the possibilities of building material is especially relevant in a
country like India where more than 80% of the population are sheltered in structures
built with biomass and other locally available materials.

The environmental impacts of going against nature and using materials that cost a lot of
money can be disastrous because materials that are expensive may also consume a lot of
embodied energy and a lot of input in terms of manufacture and labour.

Therefore cost effective design is important at every level of human life. The individual,
urban and rural neighborhood and whole nations shall adopt cost effective strategies for
the development of our economy and environment.

Thus we owe it to the future generation.

4. BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS

HOUSES- How to reduce building costs- by Laurie Baker

MUD- by Laurie Baker
Building with Earth- by Gernot Minke
Rubbish Maker- by Laurie Baker
Rural House Plans- by Laurie Baker

ARTICLES

Cost effective technologies in India- by Nilanjan Sengupta

WEBSITES
www.wbdg.com
www.costeffectiveconstruction.com
www.google.com
www.yahoo.com
www.wikipedia.org