1. FLY-ASH Bricks are eco friendly as it protects environment though Conservation of top soil and utilization of waste products of coal or lignite based Thermal Power Plants.
2. It plays a vital role in the abetment of carbon-die-oxide a harmful green house gas mass emission of which is threatening to throw the earth’s atmosphere out of balance.
3. It is three times stronger then the conventional burnt clay bricks.
4. Its size of 250 x120 x 75 mm is derived from the modular concept giving perfect finish to both faces, whereby up to 30%cement mortar can be saved during laying and plastering thus reducing the cost of construction.
5. As no clay is used in the manufacture of FLY-ASH Bricks the scope of efflorescence is negligible.
6. It continues gaining strength on watering ever after installation.
7. Loss-due to breakage under standard working condition is less then one percent.
8. Use of FLY-ash Bricks results in 100RFT -8.33sq ft each side, which enhances valuation of built up property.
9. Fly-Ash Bricks is lighter than the conventional clay bricks as it weight around 3 to 3.2 Kgs per bricks.
Comparison between Clay brick and Fly ash Brick
Fly Ash Brick
Less porous More porous
Thermal conductivity 0.90-1.05 W/m2 ºC Thermal conductivity
1.25 – 1.35 W/m2 ºC
Water absorption 6-12%
Water absorption 20-25%
Present Scenario On Fly Ash In India
Over 75% of the total installed power generation is coal-based
230 - 250 million MT coal is being used every year
High ash contents varying from 30 to 50%
More than 110 million MT of ash generated every year
Ash generation likely to reach 170 million MT by 2010
Presently 65,000 acres of land occupied by ash ponds
Presently as per the Ministry Of Environment & Forest Figures, 30% of Ash Is being used in Fillings, embankments, construction, block & tiles, etc.
Building made of fly ash bricks BAMBOO
When you’re considering potential building materials for home construction as a society we tend to focus on two or three commonly utilized and widely accepted building materials: wood, stone or concrete. What you may not realize is that bamboo solutions can be used for much more than just food, musical instruments, medicine, paper and textiles. Uses for bamboo can also include building construction, both in exterior and interior design elements.
Widely used in Asian, Pacific Islander and Central and Southern American cultures, bamboo is a sustainable and sturdy building material. Unlike wood, bamboo (a member of the grass family) regenerates very quickly. It is, in-fact, one of the fastest growing plants in the world, with the fastest growth rate reaching 100cm in a 24-hr period1.
In contrast to tree harvesting, there is simply no comparison to the replenishment rate of growing bamboo.
Bamboo can be harvested every three to six years for construction purposes (depending on the species); whereas trees range from 25 years (for softwoods) to 50 years (for hardwoods). It is important to harvest the bamboo at the right time to maximize strength and minimize damage brought on by pests.
Making more use of bamboo for common building practices would allow forests to regenerate and help to prevent future deforestation efforts.
Bamboo is a very fast growing, renewable and easy-to-grow resource. There are over 1000 species of bamboo.
Bamboo grows in tropical and temperate environments and is very hardy, not needing pesticides or herbicides to grow well. It is a type of grass and grows from it's roots, when it is cut it quickly grows back. Most species mature in 4-5 years. It sequesters carbon dioxide and is carbon neutral.
Benefits of Bamboo
Technically a grass, bamboo has been used in decorations and a number of other assortments, but has only recently been used on a large scale for floors. Perhaps as a result of the sustainable movement, the material has become increasingly popular. However, even though it a sustainable resource, it is also a cost effective one.
Although laminates are cheaper for flooring, most traditional hard wood flooring costs more money than bamboo does.
The benefits of bamboo are many fold. First of all, it is a natural anti-bacterial that will help buildings where there are children or people who cannot be in contact with bacteria for fear of sickness. Another great feature of bamboo is that it is water resistant, which makes it a better choice than many other hardwood floors that can stain or deteriorate when any kind of moisture gets in contact. It is also an extremely durable piece of material that is easy to move, yet still hard enough to provide you with great flooring.
For those who like do it yourself projects, there are a number of options with grooves and tongues that allow for easy installation. Nonetheless, if you want the best fit and installation you might want to hire a professional to do it for you.
Harvesting Bamboo
Luckily the harvesting of bamboo is also sustainable for the earth. The bamboo tree (or grass) is grown in abundance in many parts of the world. In some cases it is even problematic for landowners because they are unable to access all of their land. In any case, the bamboo is a material that is perfect for sustainable construction. They can offer great quality hardwood floors, but they do not cost much to the environment at all.
Overall, sustainable bamboo flooring is a great option for improving the building or construction plans for any project. The bamboo is a great anti-bacterial and it is also water resistant. Both of these features make it a superior product to many of the other hardwoods that are used today. Many of the rare trees that are used for wood flooring are unable to regenerate in the way that bamboo has. If you want to change the world and provide yourself with a sustainable home, then bamboo flooring is one great way to go. Not only that, but it is a much more practical product as well.
There are also a number of other benefits to choosing bamboo solutions over wood including:
Strength and Durability
Thanks to its unique composition, bamboo is naturally designed for strength...
Unlike wood, bamboo has no rays or knots, allowing it to withstand more stress throughout the length of each stalk.
Bamboo’s sectional anatomy, both as a cane and on a microscopic fiber level, enhances its structural integrity.
The high silica content in bamboo fibers means the material cannot be digested by termites.
Bamboo contains different chemical extractives than hardwood, which make it better suited for gluing.
As a result, in structural engineering tests bamboo has been shown to have...
Higher tensile strength than many alloys of steel
Higher compressive strength than many mixtures of concrete
Higher strength-to-weight ratio than graphite
Fast Regeneration
Trees used for conventional wood take 30-50 years to regenerate to their full mass. In the meantime, there is less oxygen produced, less carbon dioxide consumed, and more soil runoff in the spot where the tree was harvested - all producing harmful environmental effects. When it comes to sustainability, bamboo has traditional lumber beat in every category...
Bamboo is clocked as the fastest growing plant on Earth. Some species have been measured to grow over 4 feet in 24 hours.
A pole of bamboo can regenerate to its full mass in just six months!
Bamboo can be continuously re-harvested every 3 years, without causing damage to the plant system and surrounding environment.
During the time it takes to regenerate, the bamboo plant's root system stays intact so erosion is prevented.
Continuous harvesting of this woody grass every 3-7 years, actually improves the overall health of the plant.
Why use Bamboo
Reducing cost per uses of bamboo
Increasing jobs
35% higher oxygen emission into the atmosphere than trees
40% more CO2 absorption than trees
No fertilizer or pesticides required for growth
Establishing an extensive root system into soils, which in turn draws in and stores double the amount of water into watersheds, thus preventing soil erosion.
Saving The World's Forests
Forests cover 31% of all Earth’s land.
Every year 22 million acres of forested land is lost.
1.6 billion people’s livelihoods depend on forests.
Forests are home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity.
Trees used for timber take 30 to 50 years to regenerate to their full mass, whereas one bamboo plant can be harvested every 3 to 7 years.
Internally and externally, uses for bamboo offer a wide array of sustainable building solutions.
Internal Uses for Bamboo:
Flooring
Support columns
Electrical wire coverings
Interior walls
Eco-friendly products for kitchen and bath
External Uses of Bamboo:
Structural frames
Corner posts
Girders
Joists
Studs
Braces
Tie beams
King posts
Purlins
Ridgepoles
Rafters
Sheathing
Roofing
Exterior walls
Because of the nature of the plant, it is susceptible to deterioration agents such as insects, rot, fungi, and fire. It is important to treat the structure, inside and out. Untreated, sections of the bamboo would need to be replaced every 2 to 3 years. Some of the best preventative measures include:
“Bamboo poles should be stored horizontally, laid above ground and supported to prevent sagging or bending.
Bamboos should be stored in a dry, shaded and well cooled area, laid in shelving type system with the first layer not less than 50 centimeters above ground level for good air circulation. Smoking fires or heating bamboo in kilns can protect the canes from insect attack. Applying chemical coating such as are kerosene, diesel oil containing DDT and varnish can protect the canes from termites, beetles, wet rot and fungus attack.”
Bamboo solutions are a highly sustainable, cost-effective and beautiful construction material for homes. It can be used throughout the entire structure (inside and out) and if preventative measures are utilized, can last for many years. It is no wonder that Asian and Central and South American cultures have grown to rely upon this hearty grass for so many facets of their lives. One can only wonder what other uses we will find for bamboo as North America adopts an increasing focus on sustainable building.
The Future of Construction
Green building is a movement dedicated to the transformation of practice in the design, operation of built environments. The objective is to reduce the negative impacts of built environments while creating healthy, comfortable, and economically prosperous places for people to live, work, and play. - U.S. Green Building Council
Green construction has been championed as the way of the future -- providing jobs, cutting energy consumption, and making efficient use of sustainable resources. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, as things stand now in the United States buildings account for...
39% of total energy use
12% of the total water consumption
68% of total electricity consumption
38% of the carbon dioxide emissions
The very dense fibers in each bamboo cane give the plant extreme flexibility, allowing it to bend without snapping. In earthquakes, a bamboo forest is actually a very safe place to take shelter, and houses made of bamboo have been known to withstand 9.0 magnitude quakes. For thousands of years bamboo has been the go-to building material for most of the world.
HAND MADE SCHOOL IN RUDRAPUR (case study)
Hand made school
Place: Rudrapur, Bangladesh
Architects: Anna Heringer, Eike Roswag Date: 2005
BACKGROUND
To understand the greatness of this building, it is unavoidable to look into the regional situation. 80 percent of Bangladesh's population lives in great poverty in rural areas, usually in clay houses without foundations. An average lifetime of a house is 10 years. The village elite are using brick, therefore the social hierarchy is clearly reflected in the used materials as well. The architects of the project faced this fact, that for the locals the earth house is not attractive, although it is cheaper to maintain. But finally they decided to take up the challenge of using local materials to explore a new building dynamics in the design of earth-wall constructio
The school for the children of Rudapur was hand-built by local craftsmen, pupils and teachers working in collaboration with European volunteers. The building itself has a very simple and beautiful form, which is inspired by traditional village house character.. Its thick walls are made of reinforced straw and clay mud, and plastered with clay plaster and painted with a lime-based paint. They mixed earth, water, straw. (low straw contect) with the help of cows, then made mud-balls and stacked one on top of the other the mud walls. One
layer was approximately 65cm. This method called cob, but improved with some new development, such as, after one layer the required thick of wall got shaped by spades. After a drying period (1 week) the next layer could be applied. To protect the structure from damp, double layer of locally available PE-film were used, and the building has brick foundation. The roof construction is made from bamboo (local materials as well) and the roof is covered with non-insulated sheets of plate. Finally a very pleasant climate, high-level designed interior was created. The building has organic shaped cavities, which can be created due to the easily tailored properties of the wall material.
Project aims
It is particularly important to improve the quality of living in the rural areas in order to counteract the continuing popula- tion migration to the cities. The primary potential for developing building in the rural areas is the low cost of labour and locally available resources such as earth and bamboo.
The project’s main strategy is to communicate and develop knowledge and skills within the local population so that they can make the best possible use of their available resources. Historic building techniques are developed and improved and the skills passed on to local tradesmen transforming in the process the image of the building techniques.
Concept and Design
METI aims to promote individual abilities and interests taking into account the different learning speeds of the school children and trainees in a free and open form of learning. It offers an alternative to the typical frontal approach to lessons. The architecture of the new school reflects this principle and provides different kinds of spaces and uses to support this approach to teaching and learning.
On the ground floor with its thick earth walls, three classrooms are located each with their own access opening to an organically shaped system of ‘caves’ to the rear of the classroom. The soft interiors of theses spaces are for touching, for nestling up against, for retreating into for exploration or concentration, on one’s own or in a group.
The upper floor is by contrast light and open, the openings in its bamboo walls offering sweeping views across the sur- roundings, its large interior providing space for movement. The view expands across the treetops and the village pond. Light and shadows from the bamboo strips play across the earth floor and contrast with the colourful materials of the saris on the ceiling.
Building construction and techniques
The building rests on a 50cm deep brick masonry foundation rendered with a facing cement plaster. Bricks are the most common product of Bangladesh’s building manufacturing industry. Bangladesh has almost no natural reserves of stone and as an alternative the clayey alluvial sand is fired in open circular kilns into bricks. These
are used for building or are broken down for use as an aggregrate for concrete or as ballast chippings. Imported coal is used to fire the kilns.
Aside from the foundation, the damp proof course was the other most fundamental addition to local earthen building skills. The damp proof course is a double layer of locally available PE-film. The ground floor is realised as load-bearing walls using a technique similar to cob walling. A straw-earth mixture with a low straw content was manufactured with the help of cows and water buffalo and then heaped on top of the foundation wall to a height of 65cm per layer. Excess material extending beyond the width of the wall is trimmed off using sharp spades after a few days. After a drying period of about a week the next layer of cob can be applied. In the third and fourth layers the door and window lintels and jambs were integrated as well as a ring beam made of thick bamboo canes as a wall plate for the ceiling.
The ceiling of the ground floor is a triple layer of bamboo canes with the central layer arranged perpendicular to the layers above and beneath to provide lateral stabilisation and a connection between the supporting beams. A layer of planking made of split bamboo canes was laid on the central layer and filled with the earthen mixture analogue to the technique often used in the ceilings of European timber-frame constructions.
The upper storey is a frame construction of four-layer bamboo beams and vertical and diagonal members arranged at right angles to the building. The end of the frames at the short ends of the building and the stair also serve to stiffen the building. These are connected via additional structural members with the upper and lower sides of the main beams and equipped with additional windbracing on the upper surface of the frame. A series of bamboo rafters at half the interval of the frame construction beneath provide support for the corrugated iron roof construction and are covered with timber panelling and adjusted in height to provide sufficient run-off.
Finishes and fittings
The exterior surface of the earth walls remains visible and the window jambs are rendered with a lime plaster.
The framework constructon of the green façade to the rear is made of bamboo canes seated in footings made of old well pipe and with split horizontal timbers as latticework. The interior surfaces are plastered with a clay paster and painted with a lime-based paint. The ‘cave’s are made of a straw-earth daub applied to a supporting structure of bamboo canes and plastered with a red earth plaster. The upper storey façades are clad with window frames covered with bamboo strips and coupling elements hung onto the columns of the frame construction. A fifth layer of cob walling provides a parapet around the upper storey forming a bench run- ning around the perimeter of the building and anchoring the upper storey frame construction and roof against wind from beneath. A textile ceiling is hung beneath the roof is lit from behind in the evening. The cavity behind the textiles ventilates the roof space.