Local Green Building Materials

Vasudevan KadalayilDirector & Principal Architect

Ecumene Habitat Solutions Pvt Ltd

“Humanity is now faced with a

stark choice: Evolve or die. … If

the structures of the human

mind remain unchanged, we

will always end up re-creating

the same world, the same evils,

the same dysfunction.”

― Eckhart Tolle

1. Building Industry – Growth

2. What is a Green building?

3. Embodied Energy & Life

Cycle Energy (LC)

4. Embodied Energy of

Building materials

5. System boundaries in the

life cycle of building

materials

6. Local building materials

7. Green & Conventional

building materials

8. References

9. Sources

Contents

Growth Phenomenon

�Population growth rate –

India – 1.41% (2011)

China – 0.49% (2011)

�Between 2025-2030, we will overtake

China’s population

�Every sixth person in the world is an Indian.

�Increasing affluence and affordability

�Unprecedented pressure on natural

resources in India.

Environmental Impacts from Construction

�The building industry at the forefront of

consumption of resources.

�The construction industry growth at 13.3%

CAGR

Urgency to tackle the Building Materials

Industry

Building Industry - Growth

India’s sectorial growth forecast

Changing skyline of Mumbai city

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The use of local, green building materials and products is one of the most

important strategies in the design of a Green building.

What is a Green building?

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Green Building Strategies

Energy Efficiency

Water Conservation

Material Resource

Efficiency

Indoor Environmental Quality

• Low or non-toxic

• Minimal chemical

emissions

• Low-VOC content

• Moisture resistance

• Healthfully maintained

• Systems or equipment

• Recycled content

• Renewable source

• Resource efficient

• Locally available

• Salvaged, refurbished

• Reusable or recyclable

• Durable

Site Selection &

Planning

Embodied Energy & life

cycle energy

Concept of Life cycle analysis process of a typical building material

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Embodied Energy of Building

materials

Raw material

extraction & preparation &

treatment

Main

manufacturing

process for final

product

Construction

& assembly

on-site

Tra

nsp

ort

atio

n

Transportation

Cra

dle

to

Bu

ild

ing

bo

un

da

ry

Source – Values are from J.L Sullivan & J.Hu, “Life Cycle Energy Analysis for Automobiles,” SAE Paper No.951829

System boundaries in a life

cycle of building material

Extraction, preparation

& treatment

Manufacture

Construction &

assembly

Reuse & recycling

Building operation

& use

Demolition & waste

disposal

Cradle to

Grave

Boundary

Building to Grave boundary

Cradle to Cradle boundary

Tra

nsp

ort

atio

n

Transportation

Transportation

Cra

dle

to

Bu

ild

ing

bo

un

da

ryTransportation

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Transportation

Down-

cycling

Up-

recyclingTransportation

Why Local building materials?

Source - http://www.victoria.ac.nz/cbpr/documents/pdfs/ee-co2_report_2003.pdf

Table of transport energy intensities by mode.

Transportation mode Energy Intensity [Mj/Net t km]

Sources

Bulk train 0.3 Collins,1993

General freight trains 0.6 Collins,1993

Branch line trains 1.7 Collins,1993

Costal shipping 1.4 Collins,1993

Bulk carrier, International 0.2 CBRP study,1995

Bulk carrier, mixed cargo 0.4 IDEMAT 96

Utes & panels vans 20 Collins,1993

Rigid trucks 2.5 Collins,1993

Articulated trucks 1 Collins,1993

Rigid plus artic 2 Collins,1993

Road trains 0.5 Collins,1993

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� Using locally produced building materials shortens transport

distances, thus reducing embodied energy and air pollution

produced by vehicles.

� Often, local materials are better suited to climatic conditions

� Local material purchases support local economies.

� Most often, reduces cost

� Supports local man-power skills

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Local building materials -

Bangalore

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Masonry1 Soil cement blocks( Insitu / Manufactured)

2 Honey Comb Clay Blocks / Hourdi Blocks

Wienerberger blocks, Bangalore, Karnataka

Calicut tile Company, Kerala

3 Fly ash blocks (Locally manufactured)

4 Aerated Concrete blocks

Besser Blocks

Axon Blocks

5 Soil cement blocks( Insitu / Manufactured)

Floors1 Granite

2 Natural Stone (Tandur, Cudappah)

3 Terracotta tiles

4 Terrazzo Tiles (Insitu/ Manufactured)

5Ceramic tiles - Murudeshwar Ceramics Limited, Karaikal facility near Pondicherry

6 Athangudi Tiles

Roof1 Hourdi blocks - Calicut tile Company, Kerala

2 Concrete slab with Fly ash & GGBFS (Insitu)

3 Filler Slab (Insitu)

4 Jack Arch roofing with bricks (Insitu)

Bangalore Map – 500km

Basic Guidelines for

choosing Local Materials

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� Heritage: Explore traditional building

materials. Familiarise oneself with local

architectural heritage.

� Distance: Must be sourced/manufactured

from within 500km of the building site.

� Embodied Energy:

� Understand extraction and manufacturing processes

� Explore if data exists on embodied energy

� Environment: Understand environmental

impacts

� Application: Understand the application

process

� Vendor Database: Shortlist vendors

� Specification List: Create a firmwide

specification list

Conventional

Building built with

conventional

building materials

Green building

built with green

building materials

Conventional building Green building

Cement OPC – Ordinary Portland cement

Cement with GGBFS content

Sand River sand Manufactured sand

Aggregate Sourced from quarries Recycled

Steel Industry manufactured/virgin Recycled

Wall masonry Solid concrete block Compressed stabilized earth block with 40% fly ash content

Flooring tile Ceramic Terrazzo tile

Roof finish Concrete roof 30% Green roof & 80% roof floor finished with white coloured glazed broken china mosaic tiles

Insulation material

Polyurethane Straw bale

Doors/windows Al framed window frame & Door made of wood which is not managed by Forest management agency

With FSC certified wood & recycled Al frame

Glazing Clear glass Low e double glazing

Paint Regular paint with VOC content

Low VOC paint

Comparison of Material Specifications – Conventional vs Green Buildings

Green & Conventional

building materials

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Parameters Standard practice Better High performance

Material reduction Typical material use Alternate low-mass, low volume materials

Materials that serves multiple functions & with lesser volume/thickness

Locally manufactured 10% of building materials >50% of building materials >75% of building materials

Locally derived raw materials

5% of building materials >50% of building materials >75% of building materials

Non-toxic Carpet - CRI complaint 1. Carpet - CRI compliant

carpets 2. Paint - low VOC paint

1.Carpet – CRI complaint

2.Paint – Low VOC content3.Adhesives & sealants with low VOC content

Recycled content None 10% of building materials by weighted average

20% of building materials by weighted average

Salvaged - Material None 2.5% of building

materials

>5% of building materials

Rapidly renewable None 50% of materials >75% of materials

Certified wood None 50% of all wood based materials

>75% of wood based materials

Salvaged – Building reuse (if applicable)

Maintain 75% of existing building structure & shell

Maintain 100% of existing building & shell

Maintain 100% of existing structure & shell

with 50% of non-shell ( wall, floor coverings, ceiling system )

To reduce building’s carbon

footprint

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� IGBC Green materials directory

� The University of Bath has developed an Inventory for

Carbon and Energy (ICE). Further information on this system

could be found the following website

http://www.bath.ac.uk/mech-eng/sert/research/.

� In India, research organizations like the Indian Institute of

Science, Bangalore and a few other organizations have

undertaken some pioneering work in this area.

References for Green

Building material

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� http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1701790.ece

� http://www.calicuttilecompany.com/building-blocks.asp

� http://www.besser.co.in/8_block.html

� http://www.wienerberger.in/wall/product-catalogue?p_pubid=1075224019685

� http://athanguditiles.com/

� http://indiamart.com

� http://www.hindu.com/pp/2011/02/12/images/2011021250400301.jpg&w=350&h=261&ei=

rpiMUPiZEYjNrQfcloCQBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=770&vpy=158&dur=1591&hovh=194&ho

vw=260&tx=153&ty=114&sig=101421831221419070169&page=1&tbnh=151&tbnw=225&star

t=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:78

� http://wiki.auroville.org.in/wiki/Roofing_with_Filler_slab&docid=7o3H1h5lmg-

sMM&imgurl=http://wiki.auroville.org.in/w/images/thumb/7/75/Tc3.jpg/300px-

Tc3.jpg&w=300&h=212&ei=AJmMUMTYHc7rrQfGqICICQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=728&vpy

=165&dur=371&hovh=169&hovw=240&tx=149&ty=46&sig=101421831221419070169&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=209&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:78

� http://mrsmopp.com

� http://www.calicuttilecompany.com/product-gallery.asp

Sources

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Thank you

Ecumene Habitat Solutions Pvt Ltd

E mail : vasu@ecumene.in Tel: +91-80-2572-1555 Mob : +91-9448387284

“Humanity is now faced with a stark choice: Evolve or die.

If the structures of the human mind remain unchanged, we

will always end up re-creating the same world, the same

evils, the same dysfunction.”

― Eckhart Tolle