Preamble

The following technologies on ‘Shelter Products’ have been developed by Development Alternatives and are desirable for the following reasons:

§     They provide a means of employment and income generating opportunities, utilizing locally available materials, skills, manpower and management methods;

§     They provide building materials for making pucca structures, that will improve the standard of living, by enhancing the self-assurance and confidence of the rural dwellers, who otherwise live in tattered and thatched, wobbly huts, at present, and

§     They provide an opportunity for enterprise development, inherently low in monetary cost;

§     They utilize renewable energy sources

§     They are self-sustaining and promote self-reliance.

The advanced program involves development and dissemination of the Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK) technology, which was first developed in China as an energy efficient, environment-friendly and economically viable means of producing high quality bricks.

Click on image to enlarge

A ‘Building Center’ is a grass-root level technology transfer mechanism for propagating cost effective and environment friendly building technologies. The main objectives are:

§     Function as a technology transfer center in the field of housing, building & development that disseminates information on cost effective and environment friendly technology, especially in rural areas;

§     ‘Skill Upgradation & Training Center’ for masons, artisans, carpenters and other building work force trades in various cost effective and environment friendly building materials & technologies

§     Manufacturing & Distribution Outlet’ that makes available building components to end user, including public agencies and individual home builders;

§     Provide ‘Design Consultancy & Services’ for matching technology to local situations

§     Undertake field studies for development of appropriate, cost-effective and environment friendly building materials and construction techniques adapted to local situations

At present, we shall focus on the following ‘Shelter Technologies’:

§     Compressed Earth Blocks Technology

§     Micro-concrete Roofing Tiles Technology

§     Concrete Block Technology

§     Ferro-cement Roofing Technology

---

Sankalp VSBK

Vertical Shaft Brick Kilns (VSBK) provides for cleaner brick production. Current technologies for brick production such as clamps, downdraught kilns and Bull’s Trench Kilns (BTK) consume large quantities of fuel such as coal, firewood and other biomass inputs. The devastating effect of the pollution caused by huge amounts of emissions from the brick industry has attracted the attention of regulatory agencies, who have issued deadlines after which the polluting kilns have either to clean up or to close down permanently.

VSBK Technology represents a very high-energy efficient method of firing bricks resulting in an energy saving of 30 % compared to BTK and more than 50% compared to clamps. The fired quality is better than the quality of bricks fired in other traditional kilns such as clamps.

---

Sankalp MCR Tile Maker

The Sankalp/TARA Tile Maker is used to produce micro-concrete roofing tiles (MCRT).

Roofs with MCR Tiles will resist cyclonic, high wind velocities. The MCR mix consists of 1 part cement, 2 parts of graded sand, and 1 part of stone grit, smaller than 6 mm in size.

---

Compressed Earth Blocks

The Compressed Earth Block (CEB) Technology offers a cost effective, environmentally sound masonry system, suitable for a variety of applications in walls and roofs to make strong and durable buildings.

The primary inputs needed are human and sunlight energy and ordinary soil as the raw material.