You are on page 1of 13

2

SUSTAINABILITY AND
PROJECT
DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS.

a) 10 BUILDING MATERIALS USED FOR


SUSTAINABLE DESIGN. b)
EXPLANATION ON A GRIHA CERTIFIED
PROJECT.

NIYATI V. WAGHELA
A70058918007
MBA-REUI, RICS SBE
AMITY UNIVERSITY, MUMBAI
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

Introduction
The concept of sustainable building incorporates and integrates a variety of strategies during the
design, construction and operation of building projects. The use of green building materials and
products represents one important strategy in the design of a building.

What is a green building product or material?


Green building materials are composed of renewable, rather than nonrenewable resources. Green
materials are environmentally responsible because impacts are considered over the life of the product1
Green building materials offer specific benefits to the building owner and building occupants:

o Reduced maintenance/ replacement costs over the life of the building.


o Energy conservation.
o Improved occupant health and productivity.
o Greater design flexibility

Using green building materials and products promotes conservation of dwindling nonrenewable
resources internationally. In addition, integrating green building materials into building projects can help
reduce the environmental impacts associated with the extraction, transport, processing, fabrication,
installation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of these building industry source materials.

Overall material/product selection criteria:

o Resource Efficiency
o Indoor Air Quality
o Energy Efficiency
o Water Conservation
o Affordability

List and brief of Building materials used in construction for sustainable design practices

Cement/Concrete

1. Fly Ash based light weight Aerated concrete blocks

For sustainable development, the concrete industry needs an alternative binder to the Portland cement.
Such an alternative is offered by the fly ash-based concrete, as this concrete uses no Portland cement;
instead, utilizes the fly ash from coal-burning power stations to make the binder necessary to
manufacture concrete. The main benefit of fly ash for concrete is that it not only reduces the amount of
non-durable calcium hydroxide (lime), but in the process converts it into calcium silicate hydrate (CSH),
which is the strongest and most durable portion of the paste in concrete.2

The use of fly ash in concrete has a couple environmental considerations.

1Ross Spiegel and Dru Meadows, Green Building Materials: A Guide to Product Selection and Specification, John
Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1999. https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/greenbuilding/materials/#global
2 https://www.everything-about-concrete.com/fly-ash-concrete.html

2
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

o The first is lowered carbon dioxide emissions.


o Another is less water usage. This is because the shape of the material is more spherical and
which make it easier to work thus reducing water needs by up to 5%.
o Workability, concrete is easier to place with less effort.
o Ease of pumping, pumping requires less energy and longer pumping distances are possible.
o Improved finishing, concrete is creamier with clear sharp architectural patterns easier to
achieve.

Manufacturers- Dlite Blocks Pvt. Ltd., Akola,


Eco Green Products Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad
The Winery is
gravity fed, the fly
ash concrete is
earth-insulated,
and provides the
consistent cool
temperatures and
air quality critical
to fermentation
and barrel aging.

Project- Bodega Bauer Winery | Architect- Field Architecture | Location-


Mendoza, Argentina

According to criterion 15 of Evaluation system of GRIHA criteria, 6 points are awarded for Utilization of
fly-ash in building structure.

2. Ferrocement

Ferrocement is a building material composed of cement, sand, water, aggregates and metallic mesh
and rods. The metallic mesh can be replaced by jute or wooden or bamboo mesh. It is strong,
economic, fireproof, earthquake resistant, rust-free and does not rot or blow down in storms. Ferro
cement has a broad range of applications which include construction, sculpture, repair of existing
artefacts and boat-building. It is also used in the construction of roof channels, doors, water tanks, toilet
pans, slabs and biogas plants.3

Advantages of using Ferrocement as a building material

o Basic raw materials are readily available in most countries.


o Fabricated into any desired shape.
o Low labour skill required.
o Ease of construction, low weight and long lifetime.
o Low construction material cost.

3 https://www.anupamakundoo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/booklet-exploring-ferrocement.pdf

3
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

o Better resistance against earthquake.4

Manufacturers- JA Desai Ferrocements Pvt Ltd, Mumbai


Aptech Engineering Pvt Ltd, Bangalore

Indian architect
Anupama
Kundoo has
unveiled a
prototype house
that can be built in
just six days using
Lego-like blocks of
a material called
ferrocement

Project- low-cost modular home | Architect- Anupama Kundoo |


Location- 2016 Venice architecture biennale

According to criterion 16 of Evaluation system of GRIHA criteria, 4 points are awarded for Reduce
volume, weight, and time of construction by adopting efficient technology (for example, pre-cast
systems, ready mix concrete, and so on)

Metals

3. Recycled Steel

Globally, the construction industry accounts for more than 50 percent of all steel produced. With so
much dependency on this specific type of material, steel products that take advantage of modern
recycling methods have the potential to impact industry sustainability in a huge way.

The benefits of recycled steel mimic that of newly produced steel. When compared to wood, these
advantages include increased durability, little to no long-term maintenance and resistance to adverse
weather. Moreover, all steel scraps can be recycled at the end of the day and reused in other steel
products.5

Manufacturers- Paras steel industries, Delhi

4 https://theconstructor.org/concrete/ferrocement-in-construction/1156/
5 https://schooledbyscience.com/6-energy-efficient-green-building-materials/

4
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

The diagrid facade


comprised of
triangulated steel
frame was designed
to use 21% less steel
than traditional
buildings of it's type.
Also impressive is
the statistic which
states that 90% of
the 10,480 tons of
steel used is derived
from recycled
material.

Project- Hearst Tower | Architect- Fosters + Partners | Location- Midtown Manhattan, New York City,
New York

According to criterion 25 of Evaluation system of GRIHA criteria, 2 energy points are awarded for
Resource recovery from waste.

Masonary Units

4. Compressed Stabilized Earth Block (CSEB or CEB)

CSEB is commonly known as CEB, Compressed Earth Block, wherein mud, sand, silt & clay are mixed
in an appropriate proportion which is put in a frame of block size 24 X 24 cm (other customized shapes
are available with different machines), which are then compressed to a high pressure of 20 – 40
Kg/cm2 to generate blocks. CSEB is a new advancement over adobe construction and approximately
55% of all Indian homes still use raw earth for walls.

Advantages of CSEB

o A locally available material as well as bio-degradable material


o Limits deforestation as firewood is not used for production of CSEB
o Cost efficiency - Produced locally, with a natural resource and semi skilled labour, almost
without transport, it will be definitely cost effective.

Manufacturers- Earth Blocks India pvt. Ltd, Bangalore


Auroville Earth institute, Puducherry

5
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

A 4m grid using load-


bearing pillars and
arched or corbelled
openings was made
with stabilised
compressed earth
blocks to reduce costs.

Project- Auroville Visitor’s Centre | Architect- Auroville Design Consultants | Location- Auroville,
Puducherry

According to criterion 3 of Evaluation system of GRIHA criteria, 2 energy points are awarded for Soil
Conservation.

5. Fly Ash Bricks

o Fly ash bricks are light weight material compared to clay bricks, so it is suitable for multi storey
building, less weight means Less stress on building, safety assured.
o Low absorption of heat, FAB (fly ash bricks) absorbs less heat than normal bricks, it keeps your
building cool even in summer, hence most suitable for Indian conditions.
o Less mortar required in construction, because all bricks are machine made and even in shape.
o High compressive strength compared to normal bricks – No more wastages during transport.
o Less porous, absorbs very little water, whereas burnt clay bricks absorbs more water during
construction and Saves money on water during construction and even keeps your building
strong during rainy seasons.

Manufacturers- Kansal Building Solutions Pvt. Ltd,New Delhi,


UltraTech Cement Limited Building Product Division Mumbai.

Project- The Auroma French Villament | Architect- Trupti Doshi | Location- Auroville, Puducherry

According to criterion 16 of Evaluation system of GRIHA criteria, 4 points are awarded for Reduce
volume, weight, and time of construction by adopting efficient technology (for example, pre-cast
systems, ready mix concrete, and so on)

6
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

6. Stone

o Stone is a naturally occurring and a long-lasting building material. Some Stone structures built
hundreds of years ago are still in existence without much abrasion.
o Stones are good against weathering hence they can be used to construct exterior walls, steps,
exterior flooring etc.

Manufacturers- Jatin Stones, Rajasthan


Aditya Stonex, Udaipur

The Therme Vals is


built from layer upon
layer of locally quarried
Valser Quarzite slabs.
This stone became the
driving inspiration for
the design, and is used
with great dignity and
respect

Project- The Therme Vals | Architect- Peter Zumthor | Location- Graubünden, Switzerland.

Mortars and Plasters

7. Pozzolanic material- Surkhi Mortar

o The Surkhi mortar contains lime, surkhi, and water. Surkhi is typically used as an adulterant or
fine aggregate. Occasionally half amount of surkhi and half amount of sand is also used.
o It is finely grounded powdered burnt clay which is free from impurities and admixtures.
o It imparts more strength than sand and is very easily available in the market at very cheap rates.
o Many of our big old irrigation and power dams in India, which still serve us efficiently, were built
with this lime-surkhi mortar. By developing economic, simple, wide-spread lime and surkhi
production, many unemployment problems were solved and produce fine, efficient, versatile
building materials with tremendous savings and reductions in building costs throughout the land.
Manufacturers- Akaansha enterprise, Uttarakhand
Kesarjan Building centre pvt. Ltd.,Ahmedabad.
In Bhakra Nangal Dam
Project, scientifically
made Surkhi (burnt clay
pozzolana) was used
about 100 tonnes per
day at the rate of 20%
cement replacement.

Project- Bhakra Nangal Dam | Location- Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.

7
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

Timber

8. Engineered Wood

o Wood is one of the most famous building materials used around the world.
o But in the process of conversion of raw timber to wood boards and planks, most percentage of
wood may get wasted.
o This wastage can also be used to make structural parts like walls, boards, doors etc. in the form
of engineered wood.
o Unlike solid wood, engineered wood contains different layers of wood, usually the middle layers
are made of wood scraps, softwoods, wood fibers etc.6

Manufacturers- Archidply Industries pvt. Ltd.,New Delhi.


Mutha Industries Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai.

The 3000 sq ft. house consists of two wooden louvered structures set inside of a
functioning coconut plantation. Structural framing for the house was built of ain
wood, a local hardwood, and was constructed using traditional interlocking joinery.

Project- Palmyra House | Architect- Bijoy Jain, Studio Mumbai | Location- Nandgaon,India

According to criterion 18 of Evaluation system of GRIHA criteria, 4 energy points are awarded for Use
of renewable energy utilization.

6 https://theconstructor.org/building/green-building-materials/7028/

8
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

Recycled Wastes

9. TetraPak Roofing Material

The roofing sheets made from used TetraPak cartons are an alternative to the fibro-cement and
metallic roofing sheets. The carton consists of six layers of material shot pressed together. Aluminium
and paper layers are sandwiched alternatively between four layers of polyethylene. The paper can be
separated from the used carton using a hydra pulper by converting it into a pulp and can be used as
raw material for the paper industry. The remaining residue can then be used to produce rigid boards,
sheets and corrugated sheets made of aluminium and polyethylene.

Manufacturers- Sahas Zero Waste, Bangalore


Chabbria Textiles Processors pvt, ltd.,Vapi,Gujarat.

The roof of the building is made up of


tetrapak roofing material and is a
single south facing plane intended to
mount solar panels on. A lower layer of
the roof provides an air gap for hot air to
run through and escape. On the roof
sheeting are also mounted fine water
sprinklers which spray the roof
intermittently to cool it during the summer
months.
Project- Mozaic Design Studio | Architect- Dean D’cruz, Mozaic | Location- Alto Porvorim, Goa

According to criterion 25 of Evaluation system of GRIHA criteria, 2 energy points are awarded for
Resource recovery from waste.

9
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

Finishes

10. Non-VOC paints

o Non-VOC paint or green paint is recommended over VOC containing paints.


o Presence of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in paint reacts with sunlight and nitrogen oxide
resulting in the formation of ozone which can cause severe health problems for the occupants.
o If non-VOC paint is not available then try the paint with very low-VOC content in it7
Manufacturers- Akzo Nobel India Ltd, Navi Mumbai
Bergers Paint India ltd, Mumbai

According to criterion 26 of Evaluation system of GRIHA criteria, 3 energy points are awarded for Use
of low VOC paints/adhesives/sealants

7
https://theconstructor.org/building/green-building-materials/7028/

10
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

EXPLANATION ON A GRIHA CERTIFIED PROJECT-


GRAPE COUNTY RESORT, NASHIK

Location: Khambala, Nashik | Site Area : 21,433 sq.m | Built up area : 1475 sq.m | Typology :
Resort | SVA GRIHA rating : 5 star

Integrated Design Team:

Client : Green Spaces Realtors | Nashik Architect : Ar. Sanjay Patil and Ar. Shabbir Unwala | Green
Building Consultant : VK:e environmental LLP, Pune

11
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

The following strategies were adopted to reduce the impact on the natural environment:

Landscape –

o Protection of all 50 existing trees on site.


o Total 538 new native trees and 6,437 shrubs have been planted.
o Total 61% of the paved area on site is either soft paved or shaded by trees to reduce the urban
heat island effect.

Architecture and energy-

o Natural contours of the site have been retained to avoid unnecessary cutting and trenching of
the site.
o Earth berming has been incorporated in the resort design.
o Internal layout shows placement of non-habitable zones along eastern facades of the cottages,
dining and banquet hall.
o Cumulative WWR (Window to Wall Ratio) of the project is 23.27%.
o The reduction in overall insolation through the fenestration, against the SVAGRIHA
benchmarks, is 55.42%.
o Over 73.24% of total living area falls under day-lit zone.
o Installation of solar photo-voltaic system of capacity 30 kW (more than minimum threshold limit
as prescribed in SVAGRIHA i.e. more than 2.5 kW for this project)

Water and waste-

o The project meets 100% of the total building water demand for over 2 days, through rainwater
harvesting.
o STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) based on reed bed system treats 100% of sewage generated
from the project. The treated water from STP is reused for irrigation purpose.
o Reduction in landscape water demand by 88.49%, below the SVAGRIHA base case, has been
achieved due to installation of sprinklers and drip irrigation system as well as plantation of only
native and naturalized trees.
o Reduction in building water demand by 57.95%, below the SVAGRIHA base case, has been
achieved due to use of low-flow plumbing fixtures and aerators.
o No dependency on any external water supply source like local planning authority, even in
summers due to creation of water reservoir as an outcome of efficient rainwater harvesting
scheme/plan.
o Provision of vermi-composting pits on site to treat 30 cu.m. organic waste generated from site.

12
SUSTAINABILITY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

Materials-

o Use of construction materials with recycled content, include: » PPC (Portland Pozzolana
Cement) having fly ash content in the range of 15-35%. » Reinforcement steel with 50%
recycled content.
o Reduction in overall embodied energy by 67.77%. Materials used in building envelope include: »
AAC (Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) blocks for Northern and Southern walls of cottages, having
average 68% fly ash content. » Godhra bricks and Basalt stone locally procured from Mhasrool
in Nashik, in dining and banquet hall. » Fiber cement boards for wall and roof of cottages. »
Refurbished wood for internal layer of roof in cottages.
o 100% furniture, flush doors, door frames and other wooden materials in the project interiors
made up of refurbished wood.
o Use of low-energy flooring materials for 92.10% of the total area of the site. Materials such as
rough Shahabad, natural Kota stone and ceramic tiles with 13% recycled contents have been
used in the project.

Lifestyle-

o Provision of dedicated and clean toilets for service staff.


o Initiatives have been adopted to create environmental awareness on green lifestyle and to
enhance biodiversity of site and surrounding areas.
o Use of eco-friendly housekeeping products

13

You might also like