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Housing Settlement through Reinforced Mud Blocks

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Energy Efficient Brick ProductionEEBP; A Swiss Technology Transfer Project in Pakistan

• Unprecedented floods

• Mission Note: Rapid environmental assessment of the flooding in Pakistan

• Out of two million houses, 500,000 in Punjab,180,000 completely damaged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone

• Rapid rehabilitation addressing constraints on time and resources

• Need of locally available, low cost, environment friendly owner driven solution

• Suitable to rural reconstruction mostly made of mud, damaged in floods

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Background

Compressed Earth Blocks Housing Technology

• An energy efficient and environment friendly, low cost, rapid and simple housing solution, providing flood affectees a permanent structure to resume normal life ASAP, avoiding costly transitional solutions

• Aligned with ‘owner-driven approach’ respecting traditional know-how, involving community man power

• Tested proven and accepted by reputed organizations

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Tested and Proven Advantages

• Environment Friendly Mitigates GHG emissions, offsetting the use of fuel wood and Coal needed to fire bricks

• Clay surfaces are cool in summer, warm in winter

• Cost effective uses local resources, men and materials

Produced on the construction site, no transportation cost & breakage

Local indigenous population utilized , minimum of skilled labour only professional supervision

Clay absorbs odours

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Seismically vulnerable, out-of-plane wall forces may result collapse of roof

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Basic Concept- Earth Blocks

• Blocks produced on the principle of densification of raw earth

• Mixed with stabiliser such as cement or lime

• Pressed at 20 - 40 kg/cm2 using manual soil press

• Shape and size of block defined by the equipment used

• Can be used for load bearing construction up to three storeys

Kg/sqcmx14.2233=psi; 284 – 568 psi

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•Application of additional supplements or forces to the soil-making it more waterproof and stronger

•Quality depends on:

• Properties and mix of soil types

• Amount of force applied

• Addition of chemical or natural products

Soil stabilization

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Manual Mould

Mechanical Press CINVA Ram

• Hydraulic Press

• De-airing Extruder

Compression Mechanism

Inter-American Housing Centre (CINVA) in Bogota, Columbia

• Dry Compressive Strength : 20-30 kg/cm2

• Wet compressive strength :10-15 kg/cm2

• Water absorption :<15% by weight

• Erosion :<5% by weight

• Surface characteristics : Smooth surface, no pitting

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Basic Production Principles

Kg/sqcmx14.2233=psi; 284 – 568 psi

Total loading is 10.5 psi (0.74 kg/cm2) against compressive strength of 284 psi

Basic Production Principles (Continued....)

• Mix Preparation• Batching

Type : Shrinkage : Admixture• Gravely Soil : 30-60mm : Cement @ 5 - 10% • Sandy Soil : 15-30mm : Cement @ 5 - 7%• Clayey Soil : <15mm : Lime @ 7 - 10%

• Mixing

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Sandy soil being mixed with cement Clayey soil being mixed with Lime

Basic Design Principles (Continued....)

• Compaction• Filling the mould

• Moulding• Mechanical Press CINVA Ram

• Simple CINVA Ram Manual Hand Mould

• Interlocking CINVA Ram

• Block ejection and stacking

10 Inter-American Housing Centre (CINVA) in Bogota, Columbia

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Stabilized Earth Blocks (SEBs)

• Earthquake Resistant ; Zone-IV• Adopted & Used by: Shelter USA• Block size :12”x12”x6”• Soil ratio : 55 : 40 : 5

(Clay/Silt 55%, Sand/Gravel 40%, Lime/Cement 5%)

• Weight : 20 Kg

Out-of-plane wall forces resisted by RCC frame

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Type of Block Stabilized Unstabilized Std Brick Eqvlnt Comments

Block Size 12”x12”x6”

Rs. 16.0 Rs. 11.0 7 x5= Rs.35 20 Kg

Interlocking 12”x8”x6”

Rs. 13.0 Rs. 9.5 5x5= Rs.25 13 Kg

Standard15.5”x7.5”x 4”

Rs. 11.0 Rs. 7.5 4x5= Rs.20 10.5 Kg

Cost Comparison

Standard

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Costing Items for Two Room Unit

Items : Specifications : Amount•Sub-structure up to DPC level :Burnt bricks, DPC : Rs. 69,365.0•Super structure up to ring beam:Mud blocks, steel etc : Rs.183710.0•Precast roofing system : Beam, slabs, insulation: Rs. 85000.0•Mud block flooring : Stabilized blocks : Rs. 25,250.0•Doors and windows : Iron sheets, angle iron : Rs. 24600.0•Elec, water and sewerage : standard fitting : Rs. 31554.0

Total : Rs. 4,25,979For a three room unit : Rs.5,76,150

Total Plinth Area : 850.0 Sft1150.0 Sft

Rate per Sft : Rs.501/ Sft

Value addition options: Water filter, Biogas plant, Hand pump, Septic tank, & Solar unit

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Re-construction Concept

• Creating Ownership of Stakeholders

• Training of Trainers

•Construction of Model Units at Selected locations

• Incentives for the Early Starters

•Mass Communication- Paradigm Shift through

published material

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Strategic Orientation & Target Settlement

• Geographical Spread- KPK Plain Areas and Punjab

• Through NDMA in Punjab and Sindh rural areas

• Private House owners and Self builders

• Private organizations and NGOs

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Implementation Mechanism

• Social mobilization & identification of priority areas

• Delivery of field trainings to master trainers

• Central coordination mechanism between actors e.g. PDMA, NGOs, CBOs, SHA

• Reporting and monitoring by SHA and actors

Partnership Scenario

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Thanks

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Literature Review

• Rising from the Inundation, Early Recovery Priorities, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

• Mission Note; Rapid Environmental Assessment for flooding in Pakistan, Dr Urs

• Rapid Environmental Assessment Report; UNDAC

• Understanding Stabilized Earth Construction. Volunteers in Technical Assistance, USA

• CSIR Building and Construction Technology: Building Houses with Earth Blocks

• Compressed Earth Blocks - A Summary; Instituto Tierra Y Cal• Compressed Earth Blocks. CRA Terre-EAG, German

Appropriate Technology Exchange, GATE

• Stabilized Compressed Earth Block Technology, TARA Crescent, India• Exploring key changes and developments in post-disaster settlement,

shelter and housing, UN OCHA

• Building Materials and Construction Technologies, UN Habitat

• Interlocking Stabilized Earth Blocks ;UN Habitat

• Compressed Earth Blocks; UNCHS – HABITAT

• Claytec compressed unfired clay bricks; Construction Resources UK18

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Comparison of Roofing SystemLow Cost Houses

Sr. Description Unit Rate / Sq.ft(Rs)

Amount(Rs)

1 Pre-Cast Roofing with Beams, Slab and water proofing Sq.ft 100

2 RCC Slab Sq.ft 160

3 Girder T-Iron with chowka and water prrofing Sq.ft 105

4 RBC (Reinforce Brick Concrete) Slab Sq.ft 125

Construction of 2 Bedroom Low cost housesBill of Quantities

Sr. Description Unit Qty Actual Rate(Rs)

Amount(Rs)

1 Excavation in foundation Cu.ft 863.00 5.00 4,315.0

2 PCC (1:4:8) in foundation Cu.ft 165.00 90.00 14,850.0

3 Burnt Brick work in foundation Cu.ft 360.00 125.00 45,000.0

4 DPC (1:2:4) Cu.ft 35.00 110.00 3,850.0

5 RMB in Superstructure Cu.ft 2,120.00 80.00 169,600.0

6 Ring Beam (1:2:4) Concrete with shuttering Cu.ft 83.00 170.00 14,110.0

7 Pre-Cast Roofing System as per drawing Sq.ft 850.00 100.00 85,000.0

Pre-Cast concrete lintel over door / windows R.ft 50.00 130.00 6,500.0

8 RMB Flooring as per drawing Sq.ft 505.00 50.00 25,250.0

9 PCC (1:4:8) in bathroom flooring Cu.ft 7.50 90.00 675.0

10 PCC (1:2:4) in bathroom flooring Cu.ft 7.50 90.00 675.0

11 Doors and windows ironsheet Sq.ft 205.00 120.00 24,600.0

Sub Total 394,425.0 12 Add Electricity 4% of total cost 15,777.0

13 Add watersupply / sewerage 4% of total cost 15,777.0

G.Total 425,979.0

Total Covered Area (2 bedroom) = 850 Sq. ft

Cost per Sq.ft = Rs. 501

Total Covered Area (3 bedroom) = 1150 Sq. ft

Total Cost @ Rs. 501 / Sq.ft = Rs. 576, 150

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Comparative Analysis and Advantages

Courtesy UN Habitat

Partnership Scenario“InterCooperation” in the selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwao Role of InterCooperationo Identification of needs for re-construction activities and target communitieso Baseline Survey of the target area and knowledge of local construction preferenceso Mobilizing community organizations on environment friendly re-construction techniques in private housingo Organizing training events and supervision of re-construction/rehabilitation processo Dissemination of information on eco friendly low cost housingo Support to EEBP Pakistan at all social mobilization levels

Role of EEBP Pakistano Provision of trainings on eco friendly low cost construction material, mud-cement blocks etc. to house owners, masons and

self help builderso Designing of specific individual trainings for community mobilizers, masons, labour and house owners on environmental

issues, construction techniques and housing designso Demonstration of eco friendly designs through model houses for vulnerable community members, shared communal

buildings etc.o Practical trainings of trainers (lead masons from the target community), masons and labouro Frequency of training events and requirements of the target communityo Support to InterCooperation on all technical grounds under the assignmento Provision of technical services in environment friendly rehabilitation methods in re-construction, communal schemes for

water supply and sanitationo Designing and provision of Trainings on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene promotion (WASH) in rural communitieso Ecological use of construction material (wood and other products) and building methods suitable to local environment 

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