Other Walling Materials

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Compressed Earth Blocks

CEBs are masonry units, made with earth/soil by compressing the soil mix in a manually or mechanically operated press. Depending on the soil press, they are available in various sizes, including the conventional burnt brick size of 230 mm x 115 mm x 75 mm. Given the same thickness of wall, a CEB wall (with internal plaster) has slightly better thermal performance than a burnt brick wall (both sides plaster). CEB walls also enable better humidity control, especially if exposed. The variable nature of soil makes this a sensitive material to work with, but with an appropriate soil mix and adequate production quality control, CEBs are a high quality viable walling option. The Stabilised CEB is well suited for load bearing houses of a scale normally witnessed in rural areas. It is a more durable option than the conventional earth-based technique of sun-dried adobe blocks common in rural areas.

CEBs have lower embodied energy and CO2 emissions due to minimal use of high energy materials like cement and non-requirement of firing, unlike the burnt clay bricks. Also they have the least environmental impact as they don’t use top soil, which can be restored after extracting lower layers of earth. In addition, it is thermally more efficient than other masonry options and aesthetically appealing due to their superior finish and good blending with traditional building practices in rural areas.

Stone Masonry

Natural building stones have been extensively used for the building construction in India. They are used most commonly as random rubble stone masonry for foundations and in some parts, also additionally for wall construction. Another form of their use is as dressed stones – ashlar masonry – for walls. The major challenge for stone masonry is its design to resist seismic forces. This involves the use of stones in a particular manner which holds the wall together and also their anchorage with the roof and walls (in case of stone foundations).

Compressed Earth Blocks

Stone masonry

Laterite blocks

Laterite blocks

Laterite stone have traditionally used after directly extraction from the naturally occurring laterite sources, after which they are cut into brick-like shapes for use as walling units. Recently, there has been advancement in using laterite in the form of interlocking bricks used to construct walls without the use of cement mortar. Laterite stone is ground and filtered using a sieve, which is then mixed with 5% cement mixture and a chemical setting agent. This mixture is then machine compressed to form high density interlocking bricks. They are manufactured in two widths of 6 inches and 8 inches; and are also available in varying lengths. Each interlocking brick has grooves and locks on its sides which can be fitted with each other to form a block wall that does not need cement mortar for bonding.

They have lower embodied energy due to use of natural locally available materials- stone and wood. The only energy spent is in transportation of materials. The high recyclability factor – especially in case of interlocking blocks which don’t use connecting mortar is a bonus.