*
A 500 square feet flat that costs nearly Rs. 6 lakhs.
* Built in 30 Days Flat
* IIT-M uses gypsum panels to put up apartment block
* No beams and columns..!
The
cheap & eco-friendly home has been designed by the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Madras which hopes it has delivered a model for housing
projects that can be used by the central and state government for the poor.
The 4 apartments on 2 storeys, built in just 30 days.
Will the building stand? It will, built as it is using glass fibre reinforced
gypsum panel technology.
The technology, says Mr. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director,
IIT - Madras, said,' ' where the 4 demo
flats have been built, can be developed to provide good quality, rapid,
sustainable and affordable mass housing in a short time.
Mr. Devados Menon, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT-M said, "We hope it will be a game changer in
addressing the housing shortage"
The
IIT Madras university has offered to train builders in copying its model.
The
house has been set up for display on campus. Instead of bricks, the flat is
made of gypsum reinforced with glass fibre. It can be assembled in a month.
Gypsum
is an industrial waste material that is easily available.
According to Mr. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, the building
technology, that does not use beams and columns, took ten years to develop and
received a grant of Rs 1.23 crore from the Department of Science and
Technology.
A research team at IIT-M’s Civil Engineering Department
developed the building using pre-fabricated panels made from waste generated by
the fertiliser industry. Buildings up to 10
(TEN) storeys can be designed using this load-bearing system without the
need for beams and columns.
Since 2003, the IIT - M research team has been
conducting studies on the use of these panels as structural parts for all
components of the building.
These components were originally developed by RBS
Australia for use as wall panels.
IIT-Madras team has done one better. The research group
extended the application of this product for an entire building, including
floors, roofs and staircases, significantly reducing the use of reinforced
cement concrete. The team also collaborated in developing a water-proofing
material.
''This is essential for the durability of the reinforced
panels, especially for roofs & toilets", said Mr. Devdas Menon
The cost of constructing such a high quality building is
Rs, 1,250 per square feet. However, done en masse, the cost can be reduced
significantly as no there is no need for plastering, Mr. Menon said.
The panels for the ‘demo building’ came from Kochi -
based FACT - RCF Building Products Ltd, using reprocessed gypsum that is
available in plenty.
The flats, with a carpet area of 269 square feet each,
are intended for the economically weaker section (EWS), and another two (2),
with a carpet area of 497 square feet each, can be built for low-income groups.
Inaugurating the building, Mr. T. K. A. Nair, Advisor to
the Prime Minister, said, This technology can put a roof over the heads of
millions. The challenge will be to convince people to adopt the
technology."
Contact:
IIT
Madras - CIVIL ENGINEERING
Mr.
Devdas Menon
Email:
dmenon@iitm.ac.in
 |
| Mr. Devdas Menon, IIT Madras |
Dr. Devdas Menon
Professor, Structural Engineering Division
Personal Web site: http://www.devdasmenon.com/
SRC: The Hindu
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