Alternate and low cost construction materials and techniques

Abstract

This study addresses the issue of ever-escalating costs of housing projects by designing affordable, economic residential projects by using low-cost housing materials and adopting new designing techniques and using software likes ETABS and AUTOCAD. In this study, various building methodologies and alternative low-cost building materials are explored and compared with conventional methodologies and materials from the safety, economic, durability, aesthetic and functional point of view. Prefabricated components like precast RC planks, precast hollow concrete panels, precast concrete/ferro-cement panels and alternative building materials like fly –ash sand lime bricks, solid concrete and stone blocks, cellular concrete, laterite blocks, dry-hydrated lime, rice-husk ash pozzolona and hollow concrete blocks are employed. In this study to appraise alternative building materials and technologies for wall and roof construction. This study encompasses the use of sound construction techniques by employing ETABS and AUTOCAD as tools for planning and designing solutions for low cost housing. The Project highlights the benefits of low cost and sustainable building materials over conventional and steel buildings, its scope and application to residential buildings and technology envisaged for the same. The main findings of the study are that consider Rs.225/Sq. ft can be saved by using the techniques discussed above. This proves that using low cost housing technologies is a cost effective construction approach for the industry. Keywords— Low Cost Housing; Precast RC Planks; Precast Concrete; Fly-Ash Sand Lime Bricks; Cellular Concrete; Rice Husk Ash.