Sustainability and Design | Energy Efficient design techniques

In one of our earlier articles, we made a questionnaire on “Energy efficient Techniques”. In this article, we will discuss the answers to each of those questions.

Energy Efficiency Questionnaire

Achieving Energy Efficiency through Urban Planning

Hong Kong | Urban Planning Setup

What is Energy Efficiency? Define Energy Efficient Architecture.

Energy Efficiency implies on using less energy to required for various products and services without compromising on the need of the usage.

“Energy efficiency” and “energy conservation” are not similar.

Let us study with the help of examples:

Examples of Energy Efficiency

When the walls and roofs are insulated, the use of air conditioners and heating systems is reduced while still keeping the indoor environment comfortable.

When a refrigerator or washing machine is replaced by the same appliance that require lesser amount of energy to carry out the same function is called “energy efficiency”.

Examples of Energy Conservation

When a tube light is switched off during day time, it can be termed as energy conservation.

 For what purpose is the significant amount of energy used in homes?

Energy is mainly used for cooling and heating purposes. Air conditioners and heating systems require extensive amount of energy for its functioning.

Hence, designers must design the house in such a way that the use of air conditioners and heating systems can be minimized without compromising on the comfort.

What is to be done in order to avoid the extensive use of air conditioners for cooling?

The orientation of the house/any building should be taken into consideration. Climatological aspects of the place have to be studied before designing the structure.

How important is it for the designers to consider orienting the structure? And why?

Proper orientation will help in regulating the air flow through the structure. It will also help in decreasing the amount of sunlight incident on the house. It depends on the climate of the place.

What can be done in case of countries with extreme cold climate?

In cold countries, it is essential to orient the structure in such a way that the sunlight falls into the space and helps keep the house warm whereas in countries with hot and humid or warm climate, orientation of the building should be done in a way to avoid the sunlight entering the living areas.

Also, use of trombe walls are to be adopted. Trombe walls act as thermal mass. They absorb the heat during the day time and release it at night. This will help in keeping the interior of the homes warm. This could be termed as Passive Heating.

What is Passive Solar Cooling Concept? How can be be incorporated?

Passive Solar Cooling concept in itself is a vast topic.

• By Use of chimneys,
• Wind towers
• Courtyard cooling effect
• Earth air tunnels etc.

What can be done in order to improve the degraded environment?

Environmental quality is of great concern here. Degraded environmental quality degrades the life of living beings on earth. Proper landscaping and horticulture is the key here.

So this was about the environment and the way in which we could reduce the consumption of energy with the use of Passive Techniques.

Now let’s move on with the discussion of Shading devices.

How are shading devices useful to achieve energy efficiency?

Use of shading devices is very important and can be used in a very effective way.

Day lighting employed to lighten the house mainly depends on the design and efficient use of shading devices.

It reduces heat gained by the building which in turn helps to reduce the cooling requirements.

It also enhances the natural lighting in the interior space.

How far can the reduction in consumption of energy be achieved?

In the range of 5% to 15%.

Improvisation in the user visual comfort. It helps in reducing glare and contrast ratios which cause discomfort.

It can also be achieved with the use of materials in building Construction

Which building materials account for high usage of energy?

Extensive amount of energy is used in the production of steel, aluminium, cement, clay bricks, tiles, glass etc.

What can be done to prevent the use of extensive amount of energy for production of these materials?

The production processes and procedures have to be carefully scrutinized. The manufacturers have to make an effort to conserve energy.

This can be done by searching for alternatives of production processes.

Use of cheaper and non-premium fuels can also be undertaken.

What has to be done in order to contribute to Energy Efficiency with respect to use of building materials?

Use of less materials

Use of local materials

How will use of local materials help in achieving energy efficiency?

If we use local materials on site, it will be beneficial in two ways:

First, it will save extensive amount of cost (cost effective)

Secondly, it will save transportation costs since it will be available locally. This will help save the precious fuel.

 Lesser use of high energy materials

Reduction in the thickness of walls (This will help in reducing the building materials required for construction.)

Lessening the finishes used for the interiors as well as the exteriors. This involves a lot of wastage of materials.

Selection of lower energy structural systems

(Some people may recommend using load bearing walls instead of reinforced concrete or steel frames. But that is not very practical. So, we can ignore this aspect because replacing reinforced concrete walls with load bearing walls is not easy. Load bearing walls occupy lot of space.

Today, buying land has become an expensive business. So, utilizing every inch of land becomes very important in order to minimize losses.

And if we are to go for load bearing walls instead of reinforced concrete walls, then the thickness of the walls used for construction will be double of the thickness of RCC walls.

Construction of low rise buildings in place of High rise wherever possible.

Well, how far could this be achieved…??

Let’s discuss this with the help of an example.

Say for a city – Hyderabad/Mumbai

This could be possible if we were to concentrate the core of the city with low rise buildings. The outer ring road of the road could be developed with high rise residential and commercial buildings.

This will help keep the balance of the city. This will help in reduction of pollution, decrease in traffic and also keep the buildings to the human scale.

How will the Thermal Insulation of walls and roofs help in saving energy?

Previously, we talked about how we could reduce the use of air conditioning devices for heating or cooling purposes by following Passive cooling or heating techniques.

But if we are to consider extreme climates (cold/hot), then inspite of following the passive techniques, the need for air conditioning devices still persist.

What can we do to after installing air conditioning devices after installing them? How do we use them in order to save energy?

While installing air conditioning or heating system in a building, heat gain is the factor which is very important to be considered.

Heat gain through walls and roof becomes very important.

Use of proper design techniques

Appropriate choice of materials

Designing roofs with thermal insulation with under deck or with over deck insulation. This will help in reducing the heat gain from roof.

For making walls, cavity walls, hollow bricks or aerated concrete blocks could be used for providing thermal insulation.

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Energy Efficient Methods to be adopted for Town and City Planning

Urban Design and Urban Planning plays a great role in achieving energy efficiency. Planning of towns and cities is an extremely important aspect in order to achieve energy efficiency.

In this article, we will discuss how efficient town planning can help in achieving energy efficiency. We will mainly focus on the architectural planning part of the town planning.

Rectangular Pattern with superimposed diagonals

How does town planning help in resolving the problem of energy consumption?

A town planner has to take into consideration various amenities and facilities that are to be incorporated in a town. For resolving the problem of energy consumption, “Polycentric urban structure” has to be designed.

The centralization of all various important amenities and facilities has to be necessarily incorporated. This will help in reducing the distance of the people travelling from various points in town. The shape and form of the town and the road network should be so designed that the walking distance from any point in town is not more than 7minutes to 10minute walk.

If possible, pedestrianized streets have to be designed in order to create a safe pedestrian environment.

Encouraging travel by foot will help reduce the need for two wheeler and four wheeler vehicles. This will help in saving fuel. Saving fuel will cut travelling costs as well as it will help conserve the non-renewable sources of energy.

Example of Chandigarh City (1.2km x 0.8km) – One sector

Chandigarh City is an excellent example of town planning. Le Corbusier designed the city of Chandigarh in sectors. Sectors were so designed that every sector had self sufficient amenities and facilities to cater to the people. All the hotels, restaurants, shops, malls, schools for kids were at a walkable distance from any point in the sector.

Read more about Chandigarh City Planning here…

In our next article, we will discuss various ways in which we can achieve energy efficiency in building planning and design.

You will find answers to many questions that would come to your mind… Have a look at the questionnaire.

Questionnaire on Energy Efficient Techniques

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Discussion on “How to achieve Energy Efficiency?” | Sustainabity and Design

• What is energy efficiency? Define “Energy Efficient Architecture”.

• For what purpose is the significant amount of energy used in homes?

• What is to be done in order to avoid the extensive use of air conditioners for cooling?

• What is to be done in order to avoid the extensive use of air conditioners for cooling?

• How important is it for the designers to consider orienting the structure? And why?

• What can be done in case of countries with extreme cold climate?

• What is Passive Solar Cooling Concept? How can it be incorporated into building design?

• What can be done in order to improve the degraded environment?

• How are shading devices useful to achieve energy efficiency?

• How far can the reduction in consumption of energy be achieved?

• Which building materials account for high usage of energy?

• What can be done to prevent the use of extensive amount of energy for production of these materials?

• What has to be done in order to contribute to Energy Efficiency with respect to use of building materials?

• How will use of local materials help in achieving energy efficiency?

• How will the Thermal Insulation of walls and roofs help in saving energy?

• What can we do to after installing air conditioning devices after installing them? How do we use them in order to save energy?

The above questions will be answered in our succeeding articles… Do voice your opinions through the comment section.

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Development of Architecture

On the Concept of Life:::
Love and Hope always exist in life and are an indispensible part of life. Death is the ultimate stage of life.

The study has showed that the development of architecture took place on the basis of Life, Love, Hope and death. This might sound a little philosophical but that is how architecture has been born and developed.

Life

Sounds interesting…! Let us open up our imagination and give it a thought. How did architecture actually develop? What was the primary reason for its development?

All of us have read History books in school where we learnt about the stone age man and his gradual evolution to becoming an intelligent creature.

In earlier times, man lived in jungles with the wild beasts. He knew that he had to protect himself from the harsh changing weather and the wild animals around him since he wanted to survive and live safely.

Initially man started looking for ready made dwellings (nature made).

Ggantija Temples | Neolithic Age --- Some of the world's oldest free standing structures

For example: Rock cut caves, dolmen etc.

Early man did not have a permanent shelter. He kept wandering from place to place for food. Wherever, the rock cut caves were not an option, he started using reeds for building huts and saplings for making tents sheathed on bark.

Gradually, the ancient cave man started advancing by trying different building materials for the construction of homes.

And today, all of us are aware of the amazing constructions happening around the world. Various mansions, palaces, skyscrapers, various types of buildings. The advancement in technology has changed the scenario of architecture.

Now let us move on to the next point…

LOVE…

Taj Mahal, Agra, India  – one of the seven wonders of the world. Everyone is aware of the history of the construction of this splendid monument.

Emperor Shah Jahan of Delhi, built this splendid monument as a token of love for his beloved wife Mumtaz.

So this was about “Development of architecture” because of Love.

Next comes HOPE…

What do you think? How could hope have really helped in the development of Architecture.

Well, I will make it easier. Hope falls under the category of Spiritualism. When we pray, we always hope that things would get better.

PRAYING is the key word here…

Various religious buildings such as temples, mosques and Churches have been constructed all over the world. Construction of shrines all over the world has been seen.

Let us take the finest example of HOPE for the development of architecture:

“The Great Pyramids of Egypt”

They were constructed to preserve the dead bodies of royal people in the form of mummies with the only hope that they will secure immortality some day and will come back to life.

DEATH… the ultimate end to LIFE…

It is clearly evident that the result of death and its influence of architecture is towards the construction of tombs and various monumental buildings in the memory of great people.

For example:

Raj Ghat at Delhi was built in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi

Indian War Memorial at Delhi

Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur

Statue of Gomateshwara at Sravanbelgola

“Architecture is indeed a splendid field. It not only provided homes for the living creatures but also shrines for the Gods and tombs for the dead”.

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When students begin studying  Architecture at a University, the first thing that they are supposed to become excellent at, is doing a documentation or a case study. It could be a case study of a small village, town, a villa, a bus-stop, or a high-rise commercial or residential building. A case study is an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, incident, or community. Other ways include experiments, surveys, or analysis of archival information

What is the purpose of conducting a Case Study?

As the term Case Study suggests, it is the study of a particular case that is similar to your topic of design project. Doing a case study will help you understand the various aspects that you have to consider while designing.

Literature Case study

Before you start with your live case studies, first of all do a complete literature case study. Literature case study consists of reading everything you can find on the subject. You can refer books in a library, use Google to look up research papers, check out Standard Code books and statutory laws or from technical journals.

A literature case study would give you a vague idea about your topic. There will be various questions arising in your mind after you are done with your literature case study. To find the answers to those questions, you will have to go for minimum two live case studies….

Always possibly go for more than two different case studies, because a comparative case study of two or more different cases is very important and helpful.

1. While you are doing your first case study, say a Villa, go for a smaller Villa first so that you can figure out the basic minimum requirements.
2. In your second case study, go for an extremely lavish Villa so that you are aware of the maximum requirements you could give.

(Being able to provide maximum or minimum requirements in your design is very important)

If there are some requirements that you haven’t come across while doing your case studies but you went through it while you were doing a literature case study, then try implementing those requirements  in your design.

Eleven most important things to analyze in any Case Study

1. Environment and micro-climate
   Analyzing the surrounding environment and the micro-climate of that place will help understand the reason of the orientation of the structure, the kind of roof chosen and the materials used in its construction.
2. User behavior and requirementsStudying the functioning of a particular place, say a Hospital, is very important; without which you will not be able to figure out the requirements and the area that should be allotted for each of the requirements.Talking to people working at that place (Hospital), will help you figure out if the requirements that are provided are adequate and he area that is allotted is sufficient for its efficient working.
3. Utility and space enhancement
   Study of Utilitarian facilities of a particular case is also important. Various measures taken to enhance a particular space should be analyzed.
4. Form and Function
   Analyzing the reason behind the form of that particular building…and how it merges with the surrounding environment. Form and Function go hand in hand. The form of the building should be able to convey the function of the building. A lot of Architects say “Form follows Function”.As an example, an institutional building should not end up looking like a museum or a disco.Some other Architects might disagree with that philosophy. They’d say that the function of a structure keeps changing but changing the form of the building everytime its function changes is not possible. They say, Adopt a “Universal Design Scheme”.
5. Horizontal and vertical circulation
   Horizontal circulation consists of elements such as the corridors and lobbies. Vertical circulation includes elevators, staircases, ramps etc. The efficiency of the placement of these services should be analyzed.

• Site Planning and Landscape detailing
  Refer to the Article on the blog “A Guide to Site Planning”, which deals with different aspects considered in site planning in greater detail.

• Structural details such as Column and Beam Design, Steel  and Composite structures
  Understanding and analyzing the structural details is also important. For example, large span structures such as Auditoriums use trusses or heavy I-section steel beams and sometimes shell-roofing that involve construction of Ring beams whereas in small span structures, RCC construction is used.
• Building Services such as Fire Alarm system, HVAC, Water supply systems
  The working of Fire Alarm system, HVAC and Water supply systems should be examined and their space requirements are to be analyzed.
• Design detailing considering the Barrier-free environment
  Implementation of the Barrier-free architecture for comfortable access to disabled people. Most public buildings have mandatory accessibility systems for the disabled. Check out Guidelines to the Disability Standards for Access to Premises 200X. (Australian law)
• Socio-economic profile of user group
  It might also be important to find out the socio-economic profile of the people using the services so as to determine their requirements and available resources.
• Parking details and standards
  Measure the allotted parking area on site, say for ten cars, then calculate the average area for each car and compare it with the areas specified in TSS (Time Savers Standards).

Conducting a case study is hard work. Sometimes, it is so small, it could be done in days, but on other occasions, it takes weeks to document and compile all the data. It involves going on-site, meeting and taking to people, lots of traveling, plenty of photography, and some fun. It is the most important of assignments you might get as an architectural students.

This is where you learn from reality, actual stuff, as opposed to only theoretical knowledge. Looking at places first hand  and documenting information would give you many insights and ideas and let you peek into the minds of professional architects and designers who have used years of experience and improvisation to design and create incredible structures.

Case studies of some of the famous Structures mentioned below:

NIT-Trichy | Documentation and Analysis

Case study | SPA – Delhi

VNIT – Nagpur | Energy Efficient Structures

Application of Green Building Technology in India | Thiagaraj Convention Center

Leading the Green Building Movement | TKM College of Engineering (Chennai)

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Stages of Design to be followed in Architectural Thesis Project

In our earlier Thesis articles series, we discussed the following:

1. Introduction to Thesis Project
2. Guidelines for the assessment of the Final Project
3. Thesis topic selection
4. Selection and analysis of the site

 In this article, we will discuss various stages which you have to follow while carrying out your Architectural Thesis Project.

1. Key plan (Conceptual Master plan)

Preparation of a Master plan for your project is the first and foremost stage of design. Allocation of different structures, open spaces, road network has to be carefully done when designing the masterplan. It should comply with all the rules and regulations of the area.

2. Comprehensive Layout plan

3. Discussions and Delegations to be carried out including internal faculty, visiting faculty, professional architects, urban designers etc.

4. Design of Landscape

Landscape can be divided into two parts:

1. Hard Landscape (street furniture design such as benches, railings, lampposts etc)
2. Soft Landscape (Plants, Shrubs and trees)

A proper and efficient design of landscape also plays an important part in the justification of your design. The selection of trees to be used for your design has to be carefully done. Emphasis on the use of trees, plants and shrubs available locally.

Placement of plants, shrubs and trees in a pattern that would suit your design and the surroundings. This would increase the aesthetic appeal of the place.

5. Streetlighting (internal and external)

6. Connectivity to the city

Justify proper connectivity of your project site to the city. It is one of the important factors to be paid attention to while selecting the site and then designing.

a. Proximity to the Airport (important in this case)

b. Proximity to the Transportation Facilities

• i. Roadways
• ii. MMTS
• iii. MRTS
• iv. Highways

7. Check for any kind of need for conservation of the Project and how it can be done.

8. Heritage importance to be studied in detail if any

In case it has Heritage importance, enough emphasis is to be given to the Heritage part of the project

9. Security factors (Security is one of the most important factors to be considered while designing. No matter what kind of structure you are designing, security is of utmost concern.)

For example: A township with Apartments

An apartment township should have a security check at its entrance gate so that undersired persons are not allowed into the township to hamper the peace of the residents of the township.

Another example: An Office Complex

Security entrances and exits are very important and have to designed carefully. In case of an IT Office Complex or a Corporate Office Building, security checks are very strict.

For this reason, the factor of security has to be kept in mind while designing.

10. Eco-friendly green belts

11. Lesser pollution areas

12. Topography of the site

Topography of the site has to be studied. The terrain of the place, the kind of soil and also the depth of water table is to be known. This information will help you design an appropriate foundation for the structure. Studying the terrain could also help you in integrating your design with the surroundings.

Also check: Guide to Site planning

13. Relation to the neighbouring existing built forms

Like I have always said before in a couple of articles, a building should have its character. Apart from representing what it stands for, it should also form a part of its neighbouring areas and should not be left isolated.

For example:

In England, Gothic Architecture is used. The architectural design elements, the colour schemes used for the buildings all form a part of their architectural style. If in between a row of Gothic residences, a mud house was constructed….how would it be? Wouldn’t it ruin the ambiance and look of the entire street and plus it would stand isolated in between these buildings because it would not relate to them in any way.

14. Provision of basic necessities like entertainment zones, economic feasibility and sustainability

Sustainability is a part of Architectural Design. It is not an entirely different subject. The Architect has to aware of what exactly sustainability demands.

Is it the use of local materials?

Is it the use of low cost materials? 

Use of multifunctional spaces in the building which would reduce the consumption of resources.

Understanding and showing sensitivity towards the use of materials used for designing the facade of the structure

15. Preparing 3D views

Preparation of 3D views is also to be considered as the top priority. Sometimes, you might just not like the fact that teachers don’t give much appreciation to the computer work because they don’t realize what it takes to learn it and do it.

But of course, as professionals it is to be remembered that a layman cannot read elevations. He only understands the aesthetic beauty of the structure when it is transformed into a 3D drawing.

16. Report on your Thesis Project

Your report should include the following:

• Research on your project topic
• Literature study of the project
• Literature casestudies of the similar topics
• Your analysis of the casestudies
• Data Collection from TSS or any other books that you refer for following the space standards
• Selection and analysis of the site
• Government norms (Code Book) for that particular site which you have selected
• Live casestudies
• Your analysis
• Comparative analysis of the Literature casestudies as well as Live casestudies
• Your approach towards design
• Explain your innovative ideas/conceptuals followed by your final drawings

17. Policy Suggestions

18. PPP (Public Private Participation)

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Issues concerning Sustainability

Holistic approach to the issue of sustainability is required. Understanding the importance of the development of sustainable environment is very important.

What is Sustainable Development?

Sustainable Development is important for the environmental stability of our Mother Earth… The main focus of Sustainable Development is to preserve the natural resources and use them very cautiously so that we can protect our Mother Earth from devastation…!!

Earth will continue to support life if humans will be able to create a sustainable environment successfully

The definition is based on two concepts:

1. The concept of needs, comprising of the conditions for maintaining an acceptable life standard for all people, and
2. The concept of limits of the capacity of the environment to fulfil the needs of the present and the future, determined by the state of technology and social organization.

Limitless growth (Misconception)

Change in the perception of the people has to be brought about. Growing at the expense of others is a wrong mindset that most of the developed nations keep.

Confuse capital with income

The vital resource such as oil is taken as a source of income. They do not realize that there is a big difference between capital and income. They have mistaken resource as their income. Hence, it is depleting at a great speed.

Environmental point of view

Case 1

Bangladesh

It was a major exporter of jute. But the invention of plastic and its release into the market brought the jute sales to zero. This led to the economy crash of the country.

Case 2

Malaysia – Rubber

Malaysia was a massive exporter of natural rubber. After the invention and release of chemical rubber, industrial rubber, petrochemical rubber, the market for the natural rubber that Malaysia exported went down. This led to the downfall of the country’s economy.

It took 15 years for Malaysia to regain back its economical stability.

Case 3

Ethiopia

British rulers had made their colonies in Ethiopia. The farmers were forced to plant peanuts. The fields in this country majorly had peanuts plantations. But unfortunately there were no rains for the next four years.

The value of peanuts also crashed in the international market which became a major cause for the downfall of the economy of Ethiopia.

Inspite of the economy crash, people in this country are well off and not starving.

Sustainability Issues related to Industrial Sector

1. Production
2. Marketing
3. Retailing

This whole cycle of Production followed by Marketing and then retailing is one of the factor causing unsustainable environment. The new products come into the market and are discarded and run out of fashion in no time. This produces more and more junk which is responsible for the degradation of the environment.

Culture, tradition and Sustainability

Our Indian culture and tradition supports the concept of sustainability. The old building methods that were employed 60 years ago can be termed as sustainable. The architecture blended with the natural surroundings. Use of local materials and local techniques were employed. Different regions had different types of houses depending on the suitability with respect to the climatic conditions of the place.

It is said, “Earth may survive and regenerate without humans and has all the time to recover while we are running out of time.”

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Design Considerations for a Holiday Resort | Architectural Planning

‘Holiday Resort’ is an essential part of tourist places. Everybody prefers a good resort and expects good services.

A good ‘Holiday resort’ is one which satisfies all the requirements of the customers and for this purpose the first essential thing is the design and planning of it. The most important person responsible for creating and designing that space is an “Architect”.

People visiting the holiday resort are generally the tourists and they can be from any part of the world. It is therefore the responsibility of an Architect to design it considering various requirements of various classes of people suiting different habits.

Holiday Resort

The success of every resort is influenced by the following seven factors:

1. Good Location
2. Attractive appearance (Aesthetic appeal of the structure)
3. Good landscape
4. Quick and pleasant services
5. Cleanliness
6. Maintenance
7. Food quality

Let us move on with the discussion on some of the most important factors that are necessary to be considered while designing a “Holiday Resort”.

Good Location

A good location is the dominant factor responsible for attracting business (customers). It is therefore to be remembered that for ventures like these, location is very important. In such cases, the most expensive site is guaranteed to make good business. It has to be located on unsually beautiful locations.

For example: A hill or at the point from where we can get sea or river view from the rooms of the resort.

Attractive Appearance (Aesthetic appeal)

We as Architects are pretty much aware that Aesthetics of the building make a huge difference to its success. Resort is a place where people come to stay and relax and enjoy their vacation in a peaceful and pleasant environment.

Apart from the exterior appearance of the structure, we also have to consider the design of landscape elements surrounding it. In resort design, Landscape Architecture also plays a big role in its success.

When I go to a resort, I select a resort which gives me a feeling of being in the arms of nature. I just love that feel. It refreshes my mind completely.

Apart from concentrating on the external appearance of the structure, interior design is also very important.

Quick and pleasant services

Offering quick services to the customers is the goal of the administration department of the resort. Quick services given by the resort to its customers leaves them with a pleasant experience.

This can only be achieved if the circulation of all the activities in the resort are efficiently connected with one another. Accessibility is the most important factor to be considered for design.

For example:

Care should be taken to see that the time required to reach any service area from the living quarters is not more than 5mins.

Proper connectivity and proximity to the service areas plays an important role in the success of the Resort.

Other factors that contribute towards the success of the Holiday Resort are:

Cleanliness, Maintenance, Food quality etc.

Also check out:

Design of Kitchen Restaurant

Design of Laundry in a Hotel

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How are interlocking pavers made?

Earlier, we discussed the “History of the evolution of Interlocking pavers”. Now we will move on with the discussion how interlocking pavers are manufactured and what materials are used in it. We will also be studying the tests that are carried out to check the strength of a concrete paver.

Materials for the manufacture of Interlocking Pavers

Interlocking Pavers are made from namely four ingredients:

1. Dry mix of gravel
2. Cement
3. Sand
4. Desired color for aesthetic purpose

The ingredients are mixed together by adding very little water to it. The mixture is then moved on conveyor belts and then funnelled into the pavers mold. Pressure is applied to the mixture in the mold and the mold is vibrated. Pressure and vibrations cause the water to set which helps in binding the aggregates together. Further, the mold is removes and perfectly finished pavers are obtained.

Pavers are supposed to have zero slump. Having zero slump proves that the concrete is strong. After the concrete pavers are manufactured, they are sent to the laboratory to undergo slump test.

How is Slump test conducted?

8” tall cone is taken. Concrete is poured into the cone. The cone is turned upside down and removed. The amount the concrete slumps from the original 8” is measured.

For example: If it measures 7”, it is said to have 1” slump.

Three ways in which the strength of concrete can be achieved:

The ingredients in the concrete mixture have to be in correct proportions.

Water

The amount of water in the mixture has be in correct proportion. In the mixture of concrete for making paver blocks, use of water should be as less as possible. It should be used only to bind different ingredients in the mixture. Lesser the water in the mixture, stronger will be the concrete.

Cement

More the content of cement in the concrete mixture, stronger will be the concrete.

Aggregate

Preferably, the size of the aggregate should be fairly bigger. This will enhance the strength of the concrete.

Pressure Test on the concrete block

A point load is placed on the surface of the concrete block. A direct force is exerted on the surface of the block until it fails. The point at which the concrete block fails, the pressure at that point is calculated. It is called failing point.

According to industry standards, pavers need to be able to withstand a minimum of 8500 pounds per square inch. Considering the strength standards, it is to be understood that paving stone driveway is at least four times stronger than the regular concrete driveway.

In our next article, we would be discussing the “Installation Methods of Interlocking Pavers”.

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Interlocking Concrete Pavers

Interlocking concrete Pavers are also called Segmental Pavers. This special type of of pavers have emerged in the United States over the last few decades.

Earlier, brick, clay or concrete was used for paving. These conventional materials used for paving have been replaced by the Interlocking pavers.

If we are to study history, we will see that Segmental pavers have been used since Roman times for thousands of years ago. Romans used Segmental pavers to build roads.

In the mid 1940s, pavers began to be produced out of concrete. The use of interlocking pavers happened for a reason.

Holland lies below sea level because of which the ground in Holland shifts, moves and sinks. This made it clear to the designers that they needed the roads to be made flexible which would help in preventing the cracking of roads.

Interlocking Pavers Driveway

In this case, if poured concrete was to be used, its rigid nature would not be able to take the movement of the ground and would result in cracking of the roads.

It was also noticed that the concrete pavers when laid in sand performed much better than the concrete pavers laid in concrete.

Since the evolution of concrete pavers took place in Holland, they were called as Holland Stones.

The size of the concrete pavers was 4”x8” and was shaped just like a brick.

We will also be discussing the following in our succeeding articles:

1. Manufacture of Interlocking Pavers
2. How do the Pavers Interlock?
3. Installation of Interlocking Pavers on site

Uses of Interlocking Pavers

Interlocking pavers are generally used for:

The paving of footpaths

For the driveway of a Villa, Mansions

As walkways in the landscaped gardens

As paving in the pedestrianized streets in Europe and America

On Railway Stations, Bus Stations etc

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