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Low Cost Housing is a new concept which deals with effective budgeting and following of techniques which help in reducing the cost construction through the use of locally available materials along with improved skills and technology without sacrificing the strength, performance and life of the structure.There is huge misconception that low cost housing is suitable for only sub standard works and they are constructed by utilizing cheap building materials of low quality.The fact is that Low cost housing is done by proper management of resources.Economy is also achieved by postponing finishing works or implementing them in phases.
Building Cost
The building construction cost can be divided into two parts namely:
Building material cost : 65 to 70 %
Labour cost : 65 to 70 %
Now in low cost housing, building material cost is less because we make use of the locally available materials and also the labour cost can be reduced by properly making the time schedule of our work. Cost of reduction is achieved by selection of more efficient material or by an improved design.
Areas from where cost can be reduced are:-
1) Reduce plinth area by using thinner wall concept.Ex.15 cms thick solid concrete block wall.
2) Use locally available material in an innovative form like soil cement blocks in place of burnt brick.
3) Use energy efficiency materials which consumes less energy like concrete block in place of burnt brick.
4) Use environmentally friendly materials which are substitute for conventional building components like use R.C.C. Door and window frames in place of wooden frames.
6) By planning each and every component of a house the wastage of materials due to demolition of the unplanned component of the house can be avoided.
7) Each component of the house shall be checked whether if it’s necessary, if it is not necessary, then that component should not be used.
Cost reduction through adhoc methods
Foundation
Normally the foundation cost comes to about 10 to 15% of the total building and usually foundation depth of 3 to 4 ft. is adopted for single or double store building and also the concrete bed of 6″(15 Cms.) is used for the foundation which could be avoided.
It is recommended to adopt a foundation depth of 2 ft.(0.6m) for normal soil like gravely soil, red soils etc., and use the uncoursed rubble masonry with the bond stones and good packing. Similarly the foundation width is rationalized to 2 ft.(0.6m).To avoid cracks formation in foundation the masonry shall be thoroughly packed with cement mortar of 1:8 boulders and bond stones at regular intervals.
It is further suggested adopt arch foundation in ordinary soil for effecting reduction in construction cost up to 40%.This kind of foundation will help in bridging the loose pockets of soil which occurs along the foundation.
In the case black cotton and other soft soils it is recommend to use under ream pile foundation which saves about 20 to 25% in cost over the conventional method of construction.
Walling
Wall thickness of 6 to 9″ is recommended for adoption in the construction of walls all-round the building and 41/2 ” for inside walls. It is suggested to use burnt bricks which are immersed in water for 24 hours and then shall be used for the walls
Rat – trap bond wall
It is a cavity wall construction with added advantage of thermal comfort and reduction in the quantity of bricks required for masonry work. By adopting this method of bonding of brick masonry compared to traditional English or Flemish bond masonry, it is possible to reduce in the material cost of bricks by 25% and about 10to 15% in the masonry cost. By adopting rat-trap bond method one can create aesthetically pleasing wall surface and plastering can be avoided.
Concrete block walling
In view of high energy consumption by burnt brick it is suggested to use concrete block (block hollow and solid) which consumes about only 1/3 of the energy of the burnt bricks in its production. By using concrete block masonry the wall thickness can be reduced from 20 cms to 15 Cms. Concrete block masonry saves mortar consumption, speedy construction of wall resulting in higher output of labour, plastering can be avoided thereby an overall saving of 10 to 25% can be achieved.
Soil cement block technology
It is an alternative method of construction of walls using soil cement blocks in place of burnt bricks masonry. It is an energy efficient method of construction where soil mixed with 5% and above cement and pressed in hand operated machine and cured well and then used in the masonry. This masonry doesn’t require plastering on both sides of the wall. The overall economy that could be achieved with the soil cement technology is about 15 to 20% compared to conventional method of construction.
Doors and windows
It is suggested not to use wood for doors and windows and in its place concrete or steel section frames shall be used for achieving saving in cost up to 30 to 40%.Similiarly for shutters commercially available block boards, fibre or wooden practical boards etc., shall be used for reducing the cost by about 25%.By adopting brick jelly work and precast components effective ventilation could be provided to the building and also the construction cost could be saved up to 50% over the window components.
Lintals and Chajjas
The traditional R.C.C. lintels which are costly can be replaced by brick arches for small spans and save construction cost up to 30 to 40% over the traditional method of construction. By adopting arches of different shapes a good architectural pleasing appearance can be given to the external wall surfaces of the brick masonry.
Roofing
Normally 5″(12.5 cms) thick R.C.C. slabs is used for roofing of residential buildings. By adopting rationally designed insitu construction practices like filler slab and precast elements the construction cost of roofing can be reduced by about 20 to 25%.
Filler slabs
They are normal RCC slabs where bottom half (tension) concrete portions are replaced by filler materials such as bricks, tiles, cellular concrete blocks, etc.These filler materials are so placed as not to compromise structural strength, result in replacing unwanted and nonfunctional tension concrete, thus resulting in economy. These are safe, sound and provide aesthetically pleasing pattern ceilings and also need no plaster.
For more on filler materials check Filler Materials Used in Concrete
Jack arch roof/floor
They are easy to construct, save on cement and steel, are more appropriate in hot climates. These can be constructed using compressed earth blocks also as alternative to bricks for further economy.
Ferrocement channel/shell unit
Provide an economic solution to RCC slab by providing 30 to 40% cost reduction on floor/roof unit over RCC slabs without compromising the strength. These being precast, construction is speedy, economical due to avoidance of shuttering and facilitate quality control.
Finishing Work
The cost of finishing items like sanitary, electricity, painting etc., varies depending upon the type and quality of products used in the building and its cost reduction is left to the individual choice and liking.
If you have a query, you can ask a question here.
i want some more details regarding low cost housing for rural areas
with the complement..i want to say i really like and appreciate that effor made by mr ABC …..i like to be a member and to get such kind of detail on my iD…is it possible????
It can be combined with FRP (The future poroduct) and can redifine the construction. More sharing of information can bring this concept to realization. Kindly email me all related topics.
thanks for detail info. about “LOW COST HOUSING”.
Sir,
I am doing a project on low cost housing.
Kindly inform me whom I can consult regarding the low cost construction details.(Structural Engineers in Government Agencies)
Sir,
I want built my low budget home kindly guide me.
I want to know about adhoc method, design of filler slab & details of rat trap bond.
i want to know about the quality of a building, if we go for low cost building techniques…kindly reply
Dear Sir/Madam.
We have to build about 200 houses for police officers here in Tanzania.so could u be able to provide some information on how we can on this project? and what is your consultation fees?
hi,
dear sir/madam,
pls i need some more details on Low Cost Housing(E.W.S)and Vernacular
Architecture.
thank u for ur detail information…………..
Need ideas of low cost housing and construction methodoligies
Jaya shankar
ilove civil engg.
Dear sir/madam
I am doing a project on low cost housing.
And what are the main pooints to do the project,calculations
Kindly inform me whom I can consult regarding the low cost construction details
Hi,
This is very interesting! What is the possibility in Bangladshi context? Do you have any contacts here in Bangladesh or someone who is following this concept? Please let me know.
Regards,
Nasima
hi,
i want to present something about low cost housing in my college.so can u give me some more information
regarding this low cost housing.
thanks for giving knowledge about buildings
i want more details about low cost housing Advantage or disadvantage and many more
Pl let me know construction techniques for reducing costs in Rural houss
Thanks for your info.
i am planning to build apartments and want to know the best practises in terms of subcontraction. Also pls mention the cost difference between normal and pile foundation.
i am student of jntu i had a seminar on low cost housing and energy effecient in buildings can u post immediately this topics in 2,3, hours so that i can prepare