Sangli NGO's technology for Kutch

SANGLI: The Verala Development Society (VDS), a local non-governmental organisation, has used its new housing technology for a rehabilitation project in the quake-affected Kutch region of Gujarat. The project has been sponsored by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO).
The new housing construction technology, named the ‘Hydraform building system'' is in line with the national building regulations, secretary of the NGO, Arun Chavan, said, adding that the stabilised soil blocks produced according to this technology have distinct advantages.
The Hydraform (HF) block, which comes in four sizes, is manufactured by hydraulic compression of a mix, of raw earth, sand and cement. Locally available sandy soil with low percentage of clay can be used for the blocks.
"The HF blocks are eco-friendly as local material, soil, is used for their production, Chavan said.
"For the traditional burnt bricks, very rich loamy soil excavated from river banks is used, which should normally be reserved for agriculture", he adds.
The Hydraform machine is mounted on a sturdy frame. It can be operated on electricity or by diesel engine. It has the capacity of producing four blocks per minute and requires six workers to maintain this speed.
The HF blocks are cured by sprinkled water for 15 days. This geometry ensures strong and uniform interlocking between the horizontally placed blocks, Chavan said.
"It is also possible to make strong reinforced columns without additional cost to make the blocks resistant to earthquake," he added.
Chavan said the construction is both earthquake and cyclone resistant. The HF blocks remain cool during summer and are warm in cold weather, which is because of the peculiar property of soil.
Building with HF blocks is also cheaper as the cost of a conventional burnt-brick wall (with plastering) works out to Rs 35 per square foot as against the HF cost of Rs 23.
What makes this technology cost-effective is that the walls constructed from HF blocks require no plastering or colouring as their natural shades are pleasing to the eye, Chavan said.