J. Environ. Nanotechnol.

Volume 6, No.2(2017) pp. 110-114

ISSN (Print): 2279-0748
ISSN (Online): 2319-5541
doi:10.13074/jent.2017.06.172263

Waste Materials as A Supplementry Building Material for Low Cost Housing

Ambikesh Singh1, Md Irfan2, Atul Pandey3, Vikas Srivastava4*
1,2,3,4*
Department of Civil Engineering, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences,
Allahabad, U. P., India.

Abstract
This paper presents the approach to minimise the cost of house especially in rural area which shares
about 69% of total population. In India, agriculture contribute is about sixteen percent (16.11%) of total
GDP .At present cost of construction is increasing day by day due to hiking material price and non-
availability of manpower (Skilled and Unskilled). In rural sector per capita income is quite low then that of
urban area. In rural areas to provide shelter being basic need is a great challenge both at economic and
engineering level. To develop means for affordable housing especially in rural areas is need of the day and
to be focused at all the relevant levels. This work is on various materials which are easily available in rural
area in the form of waste materials like Earth, Bamboo, Straw, Fibers, Rice Husk, Fly ash, PVC, etc. which
is easily available and much cheaper then that of replaced construction materials, also Use of these
materials will save the environment.

Keywords: Earth, Bamboo, Straw, Fibers, Fly ash, PVC, Rice Husk, Sustainability, Rural, Development,

1. INTRODUCTION environment. It is frequent practice and

dangerousfor a public health.Commission for Environmental
Cooperation
Indian population expanding by 1.2%
every year, to provide a shelter to all has long Cement plants are a significant source of
been a problem for government. To provide the sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon
economical houses is a major concern to the monoxide which cause environmental impacts
government as 23.6% of the country’s population such as ground-level ozone, acid rain, global
leaves below the International poverty line which warming lung diseases, cardiovascular disease,
is $1.90per day (World_Bank). Majority of effect on central nervous system etc.
Indians are living in a congested houses for their
housing need. India is an Agricultural based The use of natural materials like earth,
country and industrial developing country which straw, bamboo, Coir, Jute, sisal etc. is an old
produces large amount of by-product in the form practice in India. These materials are easily
of waste but after some processing these waste can available locally and easy workable which also
be utilized as a replacement for the conventional reduces the cost. Also industrial wastes like PVC,
building material which can reduce the overall fly ash and rice husk possess pozzolanic
cost of housing and also conserve the properties which can act as excellent substitute
environment. material. This paper approach to bring together the
studies of these materials keeping in mind their
In India, burning agricultural waste, such as availability, affordability and workability.
stalks, leaves and husk, continues to be the easiest
and inexpensive way to eliminate the volume of 2. LOW COST SUPPLEMENTARY
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
combustible waste material. Open air burning of
biomass produces 40% of carbon dioxide, 32% of These are the material which are easily
carbon monoxide (CO),20% of particulate matter available and cheaper then that of conventional
(PM), and 50% of polycyclic aromatic construction materials. These materials can classified
hydrocarbons (PAHs) released into the into Natural and Man made products.
*
Vikas Srivastava
email: vikas_mes@rediffmail.com
 Ambikesh Singh et al. /J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Vol. 6(2), 110-114, (2017)

2.1 Natural Supplementary Materials and considered as an environmental problem as its burning
Methodology causes breathing problems. In India there is a lots of
scope for straw in construction sector. The majority of
2.1.1 Earth small grain grown in India is wheat and rice. Rice straw
has the highest opaline silica content (20 %) in
Earth is the oldest and most used construction combination with a large amount of phenyl propanoid
material. But its widespread use is hindered due to the structural polymer called lignin, this abundant
limitations like Seepage, Erosion due to water, agricultural waste has all of the properties one could
Termites and insects attack, High maintenance ever expected of some of the best insulating material.
requirement etc. but now a days these problems are Straw bales have a low embodied energy. Sunlight was
overcome by using Compressed Earth block, Bitumen the main energy source for growing plant which means
cutback plaster, dagga-cement Plaster. that very little energy was used to manufacture the
product. The only energy needed to make a straw bale
i) Compressed Earth block is in the bailing process and the transportation to the
worksite. Other insulation materials, such as fiberglass
It is also known as pressed earth block. It is simply requires much amount of energy to produces. Straw
compressed soil at high pressure typically around 3,000 bale hoe can least over 100 year if maintained properly
psi[https://goo.gl/9D0rwp] is applied in compression and the .Straw bales are 100% biodegradable so when the time
original soil volume reduces by about half. Compressed comes straw bales can be plowed back into earth.
earth block is generally mechanically pressed to form a
block out of an appropriate mix of non-expansive The following are the some construction alternatives
inorganic subsoil. In the tropical environments, constructed with straws and straw bales
polycarbonate varnish is required to avoid the erosion
due to wet weather. These CEB is a good replacement i) Thatched Roofing
for conventional kiln burnt brick.
It is locally available and effective roofing
ii) Bitumen cutback plaster alter-native. One of the advantage of thatched roof is
stability to the temperature of the roof. Because of their
Bitumen cutback plasteris developed by size and mass they are slow to warm up and cool down
Central Building Research Institute, India. This plaster (https://goo.gl/nDGAKP,buildingwithawareness.com).
is used to cover mud wall and protect it from rain. It is In places where temperature variation is high this can
economical and effective which cost Rs. 25/m2 be a great advantage. By treating it with copper
(CSIR,https://goo.gl/8tZhmq).This plaster is prepared Sulphate solution, its life can be extended by reducing
the effect of bio-degradability. Additional layer of
by mixing hot bitumen and kerosene in a 5:1 ratio, and
treatment on the surface by using phosphorylated spray
then combining one part of that mixture with 20 parts
or CNSL oil imparts water proofing, fire resistance,
of fermented soil and wheat straw. Water is added and
termite and insects proofing and enhance weathering
the whole mixed together thoroughly. This type of
resistance (Chowdhury and Roy, 2013).
plaster is applied in two layers, first directly applied on
wall and second coat after complete drying of first
ii) Straw panel
layer. Another coat of mud-cowdung slurry (gobri)
with cutback is appied on drying of second layer.
It is revealed that Straw panels is used for wall
iii) Dagga-cement Plaster
of low-rise buildings and as a partition wall of high-rise
buildings. It is lightweight (33kg/m2) hollow panels
It is found that Dagga cementis another
which is made of 70% of straw,35%-50% of gypsum
proprietary plaster. In which a mix of two parts sand to
product and 10%-20% of wood product and glass fiber
one part clayey soil to 0.2 part cement by volume is
as a reinforcing materials.The properties of this product
used which gives more durability. This produces a
is - Dry Shrinkage ≤0.8 mm/m, Sound Insulation ≥
good weather-resistant plastering mix
40db and Water Absorption 22% (ICM, Beijing).
(https://goo.gl/KPqp2l, wikipedia.org/wiki/sisal).
iii) Roof Insulation
2.1.2 Straw
In a conventional Roof structure straw bales
The dried stems from harvested small grains may be insulated, taking advantage of its high
produces straw. As India ranks second worldwide in insulation values and good acoustic properties
farm output so the waste output is also high. Straw is (https://goo.gl/nDGAKP,buildingwithawareness.com).

111
 Ambikesh Singh et al. /J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Vol. 6(2), 110-114, (2017)

2.1.3 Bamboo (Bambuseae) members to protect against rain, wind and animals, to
offer privacy and to provide plane bracing to ensure
Bamboo is an eco-friendly, highly renewable overall stability of structure.
source of material. India is the second largest producer
of bamboo after china. These two countries together iv) Bamboo Roofing
have more than half of the total bamboo resources
worldwide. As a grass, bamboo grows much faster than The simplest form consists of a bamboo purlin
wood. Moso bamboo is the primary species which is and beams, supported on perimeter posts. Halved culms
used in field of construction which can grow up to are laid convex side down, edge-to-edge,spanning from
119 cm in 24 hours and 24 m high in 40 to 50 days. It the ridge to the eaves. A second layer, convex side up,
takes about 3–5 years for bamboo to reach full maturity is then laid to cover the joints. Another way is use of
(Sharma et al. 2014).136 species of bamboo is found in bamboo corrugated sheet coated with resin can used as
India. Fifty-eight species of bamboo belonging to 10 roof alternativeBamboo Corrugated Roofing Sheet is
genera are distributed in northeastern states. Bamboos best suitable for roofs (Rinku and Vidya, 2009).
are called poor man’s timber because they found in
grate abundance. Bamboos have extraordinary 2.1.4 Fiber Cement Composites
strength,hardness and lightness it is available in range
of sizes and they achieve their maturity in short period Considerable effort has been taken worldwide
of time. Bamboo can be used in different form in the to utilize the local natural and industrial waste material
construction to cut the cost because it is every much as a supplementary material in the construction
easily available and satisfy all the requirement to cut industry in the various way like mixing it with concrete
the cost of house or mixing it with adhesive material to make board for
various furniture and essentials for houses. These
The following are the some construction materials in mixing with concrete improves the
alternatives constructed with bamboo properties of concrete as well as the use of these
material leads to the proper disposal of waste which
i) Bamboo Board also reduces the loss due to improper disposal and
harmful effects on the environment.
Bamboo board is made by lining thin strips of
bamboo parallel to one another and heat pressing them 1. Bagasse
together. They are generally made of three or more
layers thick for stability. Bamboo board comes in Bagasse is a fibrous material which is obtain
different grades, which are determined by when the from sugarcane after crushing and extracting juice from
bamboo is harvested, the age of the plant, and the it. Since it is a by-product of the sugarcane industry, the
amount of rain among other environmental factors quantity of by-product is almost equal to the amount
which affect the hardness. The multilayer design make produces. So the large amount of these waste is utilised
it more durable, strong give more resistance to wraping as a fuel to operate the sugar mills which is very
than other conventional board. These board can be used harmful to the environment and the remains dumped
for Partition wall, Flooring, kitchen top, doors and but these waste can be a good replacement for the
windows etc. construction materials.
Some ongoing products are
ii) Bamboo flooring
i) Bagasse-Cement Boards and Panels
Bamboo has been used as an alternative of
flooring because of its characteristic similarity to other The developed product is eco-friendly and the
hardwoods. A Bamboo flooring is typically made by process utilizes sugar cane bagasse and ordinary
slicing mature bamboo poles into strips. These poles Portland cement. The properties of this boards passes
are crosscut to length and then sliced into strips the requirements of general purposes high density
depending on the width desired and by using adhesive board which can be utilised for furniture, partition wall,
and nails it is fixed on the floor. door-window etc. it is also a cost effective replacement
for the conventional hardwood.
iii) Bamboo Walls
ii) Bagasse-PVC Boards
The most extensive use of bamboo in
construction is for the walls and partitions walls. This building board uses sugarcane bagasse
Bamboo wall frame requires an infill between framing and PVC as a binding material. PVC is the most widely

112
 Ambikesh Singh et al. /J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Vol. 6(2), 110-114, (2017)

used resin in making different articles for building increase of voids. Despite its excellent properties,
applications like doors, electrical fixtures, sanitary coconut fibre as an enhancement of concrete is unlikely
items etc. to replace steel for the vast majority of structures.

2. Jute and Coir iv) Jute Coir Composites

Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber. The word Jute coir composites provides an alternative
'jute' is probably arises from an Oriya word jhuta or jota for wood which is economical and easily available. . It
(https://goo.gl/crInpO,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jute_cultivation). Jute involves the production of coir boards with oriented
is one of the most affordable natural fibres and is jute as face veneer filled with coir and waste rubber
second only to cotton in amount produced. Almost wood.
eighty five percentage of the world’s jute cultivated in
the Ganges Delta. Production of jute is mainly
3. Sisal
concentrated in West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Assam,
Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh. West Bengal, Bihar,
Sisal it’s botanical name is Agave sisalana
Assam and Orissa accounts for 98.41% of total area
(https://goo.gl/KPqp2l, wikipedia.org/wiki/sisal). This
under jute cultivations and 98.45% total raw jute Fibres have been used to toughen bricks and pottery
production in India (http://coirboard.gov.in). since the very beginning of civilization. Now it is used
Coir or coconut fibre, is a natural fibreextracted from in concrete as a fibre reinforcement material to improve
the husk of coconut.India accounts for more than two- the mechanical properties of the concrete.
thirds of the world production of coir and coir products.
So as India is a leading producer of jute and coir, so 2.2 Industrial Waste as Supplementary Materials
they can be a best solution for low cost housing.
The following are the some alternatives for the It is the waste product obtained from
construction industries as a by-product. These waste generally
Hazardous to health and create more problems to
i) Coir-CNSL Board: environment due to dumping of these by-product. Like-
Fly ash, PVC, Ferro-Cement, Rice husk ash etc.
The coir- cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL)
board is an alternative for a hardwood which can be 2.2.1 Fly Ash
used as a door, windows, furniture, packaging,
Flooring. It is a single layer flat pressed Medium Fly ash is a by-product obtained from
Density Fibre Board. It has low water absorption and industries where coal or lignite is burnt like thermal
very less change in dimensiondue to water absorption, power plant, steel, sugar, fertilizer industries etc. The
and easily workable as normal hard wood board. Fly Ash is a class of artificial pozzolans, and generally
comes in the category of non-conventional building
ii) Coir-CNSL Thermal Insulation Board: material (Harison et al. 2013). Fly ash now a days used
in manufacturing of Bricks and blocks and as a
This is a composite material, made by coconut replacement for Fine aggregates and cement in
fibre as a reinforcing material and cashew nut shell concrete.
liquid as the natural binder. Due to Low density it is
suitable for moderate temperature insulation. 2.2.2 PVC

iii) Coconut and Wooden Chips Roofing Sheet PVC is a by-product of the plastic industries.
As a non-degradable material it is very harmful for the
Coconut fibre and wooden chips are soaked in environment. PVC plays vital role in construction
water for two hours and then the water is drained off. industries as electrical and sanitary items. It is also used
Later these are mixed with cement and laid over a a binding material with different fibres. Pure PVC
corrugated mould and kept under pressure for 8 to 10 board is a good and economical replacement for the
hours. After demoulding, these are cured and dried wood ply board. PVC board have long life and does not
before use.The addition of coconutfibres significantly affected by water and termites, no any additional
improved many of the engineering properties of the treatment is required. Fire resistance is also same as the
concrete, notably torsion, toughness and tensile normal wooden ply board.
strength.The ability to resist cracking and spalling were
also enhanced. However, the addition of fibres 2.2.3 Ferro-Cement
adversely affected the compressive strength, due to
difficulties in compaction which consequently led to

113
 Ambikesh Singh et al. /J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Vol. 6(2), 110-114, (2017)

Ferrocement can be classified as a thin walled 5. Utilisation of Agriculture waste will reduce the
high strength cement based composite material. It is emissions of hazardous gases and save the
made of cement mortar reinforced with layers of wire environment.
mesh which is closely bound together to create stiff 6. Utilisation of Natural binder material reduce the
structure unit with high performance, light structure consumption of cement which cure environment
and strength. The only disadvantage of the Ferro- from emitting more than 500,000 tons per year of
cement is its high rate of shrinkage and creep when sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and carbon
using rich mortar. It can be used for Precast unites, monoxide.
water tank,roof etc.
REFERENCES
2.2.4 Rice Husk Ash
Chowdhury Swaptik, RoySangeeta, “Prospects of
India is one of the world’s largest producers of
Low Cost Housing in India,Geomaterials”, 2013, 3,
white rice contributing about 20% of world’s total rice
60-65 http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/gm.2013.32008
production. During milling of Paddy about 22-25 % of
the weight is collected as a husk Published Online April 2013
(https://goo.gl/fVO48Z , Ricehuskash.com/details.htm). (http://www.scirp.org/journal/gm)
The husk contains about 75% organic volatile matter CSIRhttp://www.csir.res.in/EXTERNAL/HEADS/achievem
and 25% of the weight of this husk is converted into ents/Rural/tech/detail.asp?g=2&s=7&t=1
Ash during the burning in Plants and mills as a fuel, Coir Board, http://coirboard.gov.in/
which is known as rice husk ash. It contains about 85% Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Fact
to 90% amorphous silica. About 20 million tonnes of sheet,Burning Agricultural Waste: A Source of
RHA is produced annually which cause grate Dioxins, 2014.
environment threat causing damage to the land, air and Harison, Alvin , Srivastava, Vikas , Gupta, Chandra
soil on which it is dumped. So it is used as an Bhan, Fly Ash as Supplementary Cementious
alternative building material is used like Sandcreate Material in Portland Pozzolana Cement Concrete,
block and admixture. IJETT, 6(3), (2013).
https://goo.gl/KPqp2l, wikipedia.org/wiki/sisal.
3. SUMMARY & CONCLUSION https://goo.gl/fVO48Z , Ricehuskash.com/details.htm
https://goo.gl/crInpO,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
In this study, alternative construction materials / Jute_cultivation
and methodology were studied and following https://goo.gl/nDGAKP,buildingwithawareness.com/ea
conclusios were drawn rth-plaster-for-straw-bale-homes/
https://goo.gl/bVAQuX,en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthen_
1. According to the potential discussed materials and plaster
methods to be used as a replacement component https://goo.gl/9D0rwp,en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compress
of the conventional one. ed_earth_block
ICM, Beijing, Environment friendly Building Material
2. All the materials discussed are easily available in
Technologies for Low Cost Housing, P.R.China.
rural India and result in reduced the cost of
Sharma, P., Dhanwantri, K. and Mehta, S., Bamboo as
construction.
a building material, Int. J. Civil Eng. Res., 5(3),
3. Aapproximately 30% of the total cost of 249-254(2014).
construction consist of Transportation Taur, Rinku and Devi Tvidya, Low cost housing,
cost.Accordingly materialsshould be chosen International Conference on ‘Advances in Civil
which may easily beavailable in the region. Structural and Geotechnical Engineering (ACSGE-
4. Utilisation of Agriculture waste will give extra 2009)’, 25-27, 2009, BITS, Pilani, India.
earning to farmers. World_Bank_https://goo.gl/KJdAChhttp://www.worldb
ank.org/en/topic/poverty/brief/global-poverty-line-faq

114