Re: [cityfarmers] home construction using laterite bricks vs Compressed Earth Blocks

[Siddartha Sikdar]

Sainath

While I do not know the answers to the questions you have raised, thanks for sharing some experiences on earth construction.

Do you know exactly where in Auroville is the Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks workshop organised?

 

With respect

Siddartha

On Fri, May 17, 2013 at 5:06 PM, Sainath Shanbhag <sainath....@xilinx.com> wrote:

 

Hi all,

I am planning to construct a house in Karnataka, Konkan area near Shimoga.

We have laterite bricks around this place. However as per the local people, of late the quality of laterites present in market is not so good.
The local contractor at Shimoga told me that construction cost is 60% more for Red bricks compared to Laterite.

Is there a simple solution(compression test) to quality control the laterite brick ?

While looking for sustainable solutions, I came across Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks - which is mud with 5% cement/lime(Choona) compressed and cured - no heating.
Auroville has pioneered in this. Has anyone attended their class.

Has anyone tried the solutions with compressed stabilized earth ?
What is the cost/quality advantage of "Compressed Stabilised Earth" vs Laterite vs Red Bricks.

Thanks,
Sainath

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[Gautam Hemmady]

http://www.earth-auroville.com/ should give all the answers. Auroville has not pioneered any of these (most are variants of traditional methods with/without modern improvements) but they have certainly researched and standardized many techniques and hold regular workshops.

I have some of their documents in pdf form from a while ago in case anybody wants (will have to look for them but they should be somewhere).

 

Gautam

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[Siddartha Sikdar]

Thanks Gautam. Will appreciate you sharing the docs.

With respect

Siddartha

[Sachin Jadhav]

That will be nice Gautam

Laterite is definitely cheaper and environment friendly than brick, provided they are made locally. However just mud house would be great only thing you may not get labourer for lot many days to complete the house in time. However if you keep it simple it will be really nice to have mud house.

Shreesh, it was way to expensive made for you, probably contractor made out that you are a city guy with big vehicle and pocket full of money. :)

Process of escavating lateriate is very simple as it is surface quarrying and not subsurface or heavy excavation required. More so traditionally also, the home were made out out laterite blocks and mud. Mud is very good mortar and there is not need of cement for such construction. Because of laterite being porus it helps to keep the house warm in winter and cold in summer. However if you plaster both (in and out) side, they you loose all the properties.

Traditional house material in Konkan

- Floor made up of Laterite gravel and compacted with light soil / clay mixture with cow dung on top of it.

- Wall made up of

   - Bamboo

   - Thatch (paddy straw)

   - stems of Dinda / Gajkarni (Leea macrophylla)

   - mud

   - mud block (called mapa in local marathi)

   - laterite rock

   - black stone

- Roof made up of solid whole or carved wood with

   - Thatch (paddy straw)

   - Bamboo mats

   - Coconut mats

   - Mangalori tiles

Most of the housed were made up of combination or mud, wood, stones untill recently everyone find making a traditional houses too difficult. Even if you ask old people they will find it difficult to digest that you can make house without cement. strange isn't it  :)

In fact material was good indicator then of the finantial well being of a family.

The simplest and faster was thatch house, also is was the cheapest - so most poor proffered it.

They could graduate to mud or mud block house only some in family starts getting better job

Next step was having roof with mangalori tiles

Laterite house were also expensive in those days.

Stone was a rare commodity, as its carving was the most expensive and time consuming. Hence you will find only temples, forts, house of king / sardar  / very rich made out of it.

Warmly

Sachin

[Sachin Jadhav]

I highly recommend you books by laurie becker on the subject. He has given good examples on it with pictures. There is one complete chapter on morter itself which even has mud, lime as medium of morter and its diff combinations.

Search online, if you don't find then I will send you.

-Sachin

On May 21, 2013 3:59 PM, "Sainath Shanbhag" <sainath....@xilinx.com> wrote:

Hi Sachin,

Thanks for the detailed reply.

Would love to make a mud house, but my relatives would drive me out of the town for doing that. :)
As you mentioned, getting laborers is real difficult.
People at these places use contractors who then gets laborers from somewhere and complete the house on time.

Can you detail on the mud mortar for the laterite based construction.
Does it need lime and jaggery. What percentage?

I wish there are people around who know how to use lime mortar (instead of cement).

Thanks,
Sainath

[Siddartha Sikdar]

Laurie Baker books free here :) 

With respect

Siddartha

[Shrikrishna Puranik]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g02x3fdLa8&list=PL02B49B4AEF763278

  

Best regards,

Shree

[Nishandh M]

This might not be of help, but
TERI - Tata Earth Research Institute website used to have details on earthen blocks,
I couldn’t find it in the website in recent days, since the website is revamped.

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Nishandh M

Product Designer at Castalia Research Labs.

Amateur in Ecosystem Ecology.

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[Ashwin B S]

Hi All

I am planning to construct using Stabilized Earth Blocks in Bangalore and confused on below 

- Should I go with Laterite bricks or Stablized Earth block 

- There are architects who are charging around Rs.2000 - 3000 per sqft for these constructions , which I feel is too high 

- Not sure why Eco concept house cost is going beyond conventional home

Any reference / architects in Bangalore will help me 

Rgds

Ashwin B S