About the project
Before the invention of cement and concrete, natural materials, including clay, straw, hemp, and bamboo were used for the construction of traditional Indian homes. At present steel and cement are being used for home construction. The carbon footprint (CO2 emission) of these cement industries is very high in addition to the many disadvantages associated with reinforced concrete compared to mud In the earlier years, mud houses were widely constructed and people lived in these mud homes were very healthy. The clay dig out from the land for foundation was used for the home construction. In addition, various materials including limestone, cow dung, cow milk, jaggery, sugarcane, were added and left it without disturbance for many days under sunlight to assist fermentation. All these organic material help enhance strength as well as breathable characteristics for maintaining comfortable temperature and humidity inside during summer as well as winter. Though the modern construction materials , cement and steel are also being extracted from the earth, these materials are subjected to excessive pressure and temperature during manufacturing. In this proposal, standard specimen will be developed with appropriate traditional construction materials and suggested traditional methods. Various types of clay will be considered and similarly various organic materials for the fermentation will be explored based on the availability at various geographical regions. These developed materials will be evaluated for all the required building material characterization including rigidity, compression and shear strength ability to absorb sound, resistance against moisture, insects, water, drag, ability to maintain comfortable temperature and humidity. Developed material will also be evaluated for its earthquake resistance. Developed material will be used for construction of one home with actual size and laboratory condition results of the specimen will be correlated with actual conditions. In this work, traditional floor tiles (Athangudi) will be developed through handmade process and surface temperature of tile under various climate conditions will be measured and compared with machine made modern ceramic tiles. Cold surface temperature of the tile can significantly affect blood circulation in foot, which can cause floor foot nail. Clay roof tiles (Teracotta) having different shape and geometry will also be developed and its heat resistance, weather durability and insulation characteristics will be measured and compared with brick roof.
Current requirements No. of PhD Student required: 1 (full time)