New technology blocks will change construction industry face
Samik Dasgupta
Traditional bricks are taking a battering. The launch of interlocking blocks by Brick Tech Systems could replace the old concept of construction houses using bricks at a much cheaper price.In this technology, which has its origin in South Africa, the blocks are machine pressed and cost Rs 2 per block. Though the cost per block is double that of a traditional brick (which costs Re 1 per brick), the dimensions of the block are three times the size of the brick, at 9"by 8.5" by 4.5". The blocks are manufactured by using soil, the composition of which can vary. The average composition of the soil used for these blocks are 53 per cent sand, 7 per cent coarse aggregate, 20 per cent silt and 20 per cent clay. Normally, lime or cement is used as a stabilizer. If the composition has a dominance of clay, then lime is preferred as a stabilizer and if the clay composition is less, cement is preferred. The technology is available in two forms. One of them is the hand machine and the other one is the hydraulic
machine. The quantum of blocks produced varies with the machine used. The hand machine can give a output of 2,000 blocks per day whereas the hydraulic machine can give a minimum output of 2,500 to a maximum of 25,000 blocks per day, depending on the requirement.A specialty of the technology is that the blocks do not have to be carried to the site of construction. They can be manufactured at the construction site itself, thus reducing the freight charges. Bernard Rudden of Brick-Tech-Systems Pvt. Ltd. says: "Using this technology, a unskilled female worker can make the block by herself and can also construct the house, using a helper as a aide, at the maximum." The speed of construction is also much faster as compared with the construction of the traditional house. Says Rudden: "A one room house can be constructed in a single day."Another feature of the houses constructed of these blocks is that they are dry stacked i.e they need no mortar as the binding stuff. And this saves a big cost in the making of a
house. S. Magesh of Hydraform India (Pvt) Ltd, marketing the machines for ``Tengl'' a sister concern of L&T says: "The dimensions of the blocks are 9"by 8.5" by 4.5" and its weight is 10.5 kg, which makes it equivalent to three traditional bricks not only in size but also in strength." This also adds additional strength to the house made of these blocks. The requirement of water for manufacturing these blocks is also minimal as compared to those of the traditional bricks. The curing (sprinkling of water) in the case of these blocks, is for a period of 10 days as compared with larger number of days for the traditional brick. So, it is the best thing to be used in places of water scarcity, especially semi-arid and arid places. The technology is very good for countries like India who are prone to seismic movement, as houses constructed of the these interlocking blocks are able to withstand the shocks of small tremors and earthquakes, compared with traditional houses. Explains Rudden: "The traditional houses
made of brick and stacked motor, are fixed and cannot move against each other to absorb the shock. But the houses made of interlocking blocks can absorb the shock by moving tangentially against each other thus preventing the house from collapsing." The adiabatic nature of the blocks keeps it cool in summer and warm in winters. "So, it is always pleasant to live in the houses constructed by this blocks", he says. The life of the compressed blocks is almost 75 years as compared with the traditional bricks which has 30 years of age.Apart from the process, the houses made of the compressed blocks are, too, very eco-friendly. If more than 7-10 per cent cement is used as a stabiliser, then no finishing is needed in the house. The paints for painting the houses are also environmental friendly. They are made from recycled materials, and not chemicals as in traditional houses. The only disadvantage attached to the use of compressed blocks is that they cannot be used for basement construction. Says Mahesh : "The
requirement for basement is RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) having a very high density, which is not available in the case of compressed blocks." The company is selling the technology as a revolutionary concept in building construction and hopes to change the face of the construction industry in the country.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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