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BUILDING A

BETTER LIFE WITH


PAPERCRETE

Papercrete Advantages
Has the appearance of a standard
concrete block
Thermally and acoustic performance is
signicantly higher than other products
currently on the global market

GHD
Mallasandra
Bangalore

Locality Plan

Life could go from this...

Site Plan

To this with papercrete...

ousing is a basic requirement for human


survival.
Owning a house provides
signicant economic security, safety, and
dignity in society. Though progress has been
made in improving the housing in India, including
in Mallasandra (50km north of Bangalore), there
are still some decits in the way in which houses
are built and constructed, particularly in villages
such as this. One of the major issues is the
huge consumption of concrete, which has many
problems when used in high quantities in low
income housing.

FACT
Papercrete is ame
retardant, resistance to
fungal growth and rodent
resistant.

Mould resistant
Construction
technology
and
maintenance techniques requires
minimum training
The blocks perform highly when xings
and renderings are applied
Can be used as a sound-proong
material
Sufcient for roof loads in low-height
buildings
When dry, a papercrete wall can be left
exposed to the elements
Can be painted
Can be rendered / have stucco applied
to its face
Cheap
Load bearing construction block as well
as insulation layer all in one
Consists of 80% recycled materials
New manufacturing industry in the area
creates jobs
The formwork: can be made from
practically anything, including waste
materials such as scrap metal, timber
and plastic. Could be built from textured
materials to add another aesthetic to
the built form
Aesthetically pleasing
Dried papercrete has a rough surface.
This increases its surface area and
provides a very strong bond from one
block to the next
Very high shear strength as a block
Papercrete has the benet of being
a material that involves little cost to
start. The materials are chap and
widely available. Machinery suitable
for small-scale construction is simple,
readily available and easy to design
and construct
Fire resistant
Conforms to any mould can be used
in decorative moulds as well as for
blockwork
Papercrete could be used for simple
furniture in homes provided that wire
mesh is set into the papercrete for
added strength

FACT
Papercrete was rst
developed in the 1930s but
no practical applications
were found. It was rediscovered in the 1980s
and its use as an alternative
building material began
around this time. Papercrete
is slowly gaining a following
as its benets are realised.

FACT
Typical formula in a 900 L
mixer:

730 L of water

30 kg paper

45 kg Portland cement

30 kg of sand
This amount will make 25-30
blocks

We have developed an idea of an alternative


method of construction for the village that is lowcost, user-friendly and uses materials that are
readily available in the community. We propose
replacing the concrete with papercrete
a recently developed construction material
consisting of paper bre with cement or clay.
The paper to be used can come from a variety of
sources that could be obtained from local waste
dumps in the area. The concept is very simple.
You build a mixer, mix the dry ingredients with
water to form a slurry, cast the slurry into blocks
or panels, and let it dry. When it hardens,
papercrete is lightweight (it is 80% air), an
excellent insulator, holds its shape even when
it is wet, and is remarkably strong. Since all of
the ingredients are available in the local area,
the product is also cheap, and re-uses waste
material that would otherwise end up in landll.

Total Waste In Bangalore (Tonnes Per Day)

UNBUILT
In partnership with

Composition
Glass
Plastic
Paper / Cardboard
Metal
Rubber
Organic Waste
Other Biodegradable
Hazardous Hospital
Miscellaneous
Total

Quantity
103.8
220.8
594.2
54.7
357.9
1206.1
332.2
97.5
645.9
3613.1

Percentage
2.9
6.7
16.5
1.5
9.9
33.4
9.2
2.0
17.9
100.0

The Waste Hierarchy

prevent
reuse
recycle
incinerate
landll

Using papercrete in Mallasandra would benet


the community in more ways than housing.
Local landlls are clogged with waste paper and
cardboard, and millions of people in the region
live in substandard poorly constructed housing
or have no housing at all. With papercrete, we
can help solve some of these problems. Rather
than throwing water paper and cardboard into
landlls, we can turn it into a valuable building
material. This is the opportunity to reduce
waste, and create a new manufacturing
industry in the village, creating jobs and a
product that could be used across the country.
The product is also highly sustainable, as it
uses around 80% recycled materials, hence
capturing carbon dioxide emissions by using
waste as the main raw material.

Roof Plan
1:50

Floor Plan
1:50

Step-By-Step Guide

Step 1: Collect Materials


recycled paper
water
cement/clay/sand

Step 2: Deliver Materials to Site


by truck
by ute

Step 3: Preparation
prepare slurry
prepare suboor and formwork for
papercrete slab pour

Step 4: Curing the Slab


allow the slab to dry for 48 hours,
or until dry
prepare formwork for blockwork
typical block size: 310 x 620mm
pour slurry into block forms and
compress. Allow to dry for at least
24 hours

Step 5: Building the Walls


begin building the walls in a
stretcher bond brick pattern
bind each block together with
10mm mortar
allow for door and window openings
install lintels above all openings

FACT

FACT

A straight mix of paper and water


shrinks between 15-25%. The
addition of Portland cement
in equal weight to paper buts
shrinkage to around 3-5%.

There are many alternative mixes,


some of which are not called
Papercrete! One alternative material
utilises clay as a binder instead
of Portland cement. While this is
more environmentally friendly, it is
also associated with a reduction in
strength and other properties.

FACT

FACT

FACT

Papercrete has excellent thermal


insulation properties better regulating
temperatures and reducing the needs
for heating and cooling.

Papercrete is easily manipulated:


channels for electrical and plumbing
services can be cut either at the time
of construction or at a later time.

Varying the mix can greatly affect


the properties of the nal material.
In this way, papercrete can be
customisable, however care must
be taken to ensure an appropriate
mix is used in construction. For
example, the addition of sand or
glass increases the strength of
the material, but the trade-off is
increased weight.

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