Gramavidya News Letter - December 2015

8/19/2019 Gramavidya News Letter - December 2015

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GRAMAVIDYAVoluntary Organization for Research and Dissemination of Alternative Technologies

NEWS LETTER-DECEMBER-2015

#65/108, Doresanipalya, Bilekahalli, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore-560 076

Tel: +91 80 2658 2970; e-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.gramavidya.org

Face book: https://www.facebook.com/ MrinmayeeGramavidya


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Introduct IonThis news letter is the second one in series after March 2014 sharing the journey of

Gramavidya in 2014 to 2015. The experience of events that nourished Gramavidya’s family inthis period are presented here through photographs and brief write-up. Gramavidya lost somedear ones but got connected to many younger minds through its training programmes. The

lecture series that is going on offered by some of the experienced thinkers has added food forthought. Gramavidya is getting ready to welcome 2016 and hope it will be able to celebrate the

same with you all with a common goal.

TRAINING PROGRAMMES:Last year witnessed several activities by members of Gramavidya. The training programs

conducted by Gramavidya have been well received with seven programs in 2014 and eight in

2015. There is a welcome improvement in the awareness on low energy and low emission building technologies (Alternative and Energy Efficient Building Technologies).

Training program at SIRD, Nongsder, Shillong, Meghalaya

Training program at RGRHCL - Koushalya Shaale, Kengeri.

Hands on workshop at PVP college of Architecture, Pune.


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Hands on workshop at SJB School of Architecture and Planning, Bengaluru

The recently developed technology of stabilized adobe is under dissemination since

2010. More than thirty on-site training programmes were conducted in Karnataka, Andhra

Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Gujarat and New Delhi. About 20

buildings have been constructed in Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu using stabilized adobe. This

technology is simple in the sense that it involves the making of traditional adobe with 7-10%

stabilizer. A very homogenous building block is obtained by the process of pugging. A wet

strength of 3.0 - 5.0 MPa is easily achieved. The adjoining pictures show a few examples of

buildings built using the simple modified Adobe mould with removable bottom plate.

Residence of Mrs. Rajashree (2010), Bengaluru Steel Moulds with bottom plate

Pugging of the mix in progress Types of Adobe Blocks


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Making of Stabilized adobe blocks and Community centre at Thimmaiyyana Doddi, Jigani.

Residence of Mr. Ramasubbu at Sittilingi, T.N. Pyramid (Dhyanamandira) MCE campus, Hassan

Homa ge

Sri N. KrishnaGramavidya is deeply saddened with the passing away of N. Krishna after a brief illness, on

October 1st 2015. Krishna was an excellent mechanic, a genuine human being, who fortunately

happened to work with us for the past 38 years. During the first fourteen years he worked in the

department of Civil Engineering, IISc, Bengaluru. Initially, he was involved in the fabrication of

an Electro hydraulic Shake table. Two years later, he worked for a K.S.C.S.T project assisting


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the ASTRA team in development of devices for building technologies. During this period, he

fabricated ASTRAM and ITGE VOTH machine for making pressed mud blocks. After retiring in

1992, he was involved in the development of the MARDINI soil block press. He brought brilliant insights into the development of this machine correcting its shortcomings by dipping

into his vast experience. He was a mechanic of rare brilliance and brought utter dedication to his

work. The work of the ASTRA and GRAMAVIDYA team in the spread of mud block

technology had the underpinning of a silent, unsung stalwart in Mr. Krishna. We at Gramavidya

would like to humbly offer our homage and acknowledge his contribution to the society.

Sri S.Raghuram

We at Gramavidya also regret the passing away of Sri S.Raghuram on 21st December 2014. He

was associated with Gramavidya since its inception. Initially, he worked on the marketing of

ITGE VOTH press through Nityananda Enterprises. Later he moved to Development

Alternatives and worked there for more than a decade. Subsequently, he left that and became a

free lance development consultant. During this period, he assisted in the spread of mud block

technology in Orissa, Uganda, Afghanistan and Srilanka. Later, he became the Secretary of

Gramavidya and started the training programmes on alternative building technologies. It was his

idea that such training programmes will provide sustenance to Gramavidya making it self

sufficient. He travelled widely abroad assisting development activities in various countries.

Unfortunately, his travel tired him out and he developed heart related problems. He did not stop

his travel and the strain took a toll on him and he suddenly collapsed on the way to Uttara

Kannada. We at Gramavidya would like to humbly offer our homage and acknowledge his

valuable services.

Act ivit ies of sidAgAnAhAl l y

The Sidaganahally campus is now brimming with a large number of well grown trees, several

farm ponds and medicinal plants. Recently, in collaboration with “Happy world Foundation” a

tree nursery has been started to grow fruit saplings for distribution to schools and public. About

1500 saplings are now ready. It consists of Jack fruit, Mango, Butter fruit and Bela. Saplings of

timber species like Mahogani (Swietenia Mahagony), Hebbalasu (Artocarpus Hirsutus), and

Vatehuli (Artocarpus gomezianus) were raised and planted in the land. A tree nursery for Honne


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(Pterocarpus Marsupium), Mathi (Terminalia Tomentosa), Alalekayi (Terminalia Chebula) and

Hebbevu (Melia Dubia) has been started recently. A large charcoal plant is now under

construction based on the experience of earlier plant. The new plant is intended to burn 2 tons offirewood in one batch. It is an environmental- friendly design to eliminate harmful volatiles by

burning them in the kiln itself. It is also intended to use the generated thermal energy to heat

water and to produce burnt clay (surkhi). It is hoped that it will be operational by January 2016.

Nursery and sapling activities

Construction of Charcoal burning kiln in progress

Hydraul ic Press for MUD BLoCKSRecently, the second version of a hydraulic press for mud blocks has been designed and

fabricated under the joint Gramavidya-Hunnarshaala collaboration. Two of these machines are

put to use for producing stabilized mud blocks, one at Thirthahalli, and the other at Sarjapur,

Bengaluru. Totally about 40,000 blocks of size 230x230x100 mm and about 10,000 blocks of

size 305x143x100 mm have been produced and used in the buildings as 230mm thick load

bearing walls and 143 mm thick walls in frame structure.

The first version of the hydraulic press developed in the early 2014 and installed at the Anekal

production centre has been able to produce about 55,000 blocks of size 300x200x150 mm and

they have been used in buildings as 200mm thick load bearing walls as well as 150mm thick

walls in frame structures.


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Mardini Hydraulic Press – Version II

Hy Mardini Hydraulic Press – Version I

SiSter inStitutionSGramavidya indeed represents the intersection of several institutions, located at the same place.

They are

MRINMAYEE ---- Research, Training and Testing Lab.

Mrinmayee provides tests for soils from different places for its suitability to produce stabilized

mud blocks. Recently, the local soils at the site of Nalanda University at Rajgir have been tested.

Started in 1988, Mrinmayee has been conducting one-day workshop on Stabilized Mud

Construction (mud blocks, rammed earth and adobe) including other building alternatives.


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Q & A Session SMB with Mardini press

Rammed Earth Block testing

MAHEEMAYA ---- Soil Block Press manufacturing unit

Mardini soil block press Rammed Earth mould Adobe Moulds with bottom plate


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MAHIJAA ------ Design Consultancy firm.

Residence of Mr. Bobby Joseph, Electronic city. Residence of Mr.Thomas and Mrs. Sosha, Vellore.

Residence of Mrs. Rumi and Mr.Rajesh, Electronic City Residence of Dr.Vishwesha Guttal,Vidyaranyapuram.

Residence of Mr.Srikanth, Bsk 6th

stage. Residence of Mr.Raghavendra,Channasandra


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St udent ’S Int er nShIp and pr oj ect wor k

Gramavidya along with Mahijaa is also involved in training youngsters through internship for M-

Tech students of Civil Engineering and Project work for BE students of Civil Engineering and

Construction Technology and Management. Students from the following colleges have utilized

the facilities.

a) Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering – Department of Construction Technology and

Management. Seven students (Undergraduates) in two batches have carried out their

Final year dissertation work during the year 2015.

b) Acharya Institute of Technology. – Department of Construction Technology and

Management. Four students (Undergraduates) in one batch have carried out their Finalyear dissertation work during the year 2015.

c) The Oxford College of Engineering. – Department of Civil Engineering. Two M-Tech

students of Structural Engineering carried out their internship for a period of four months

between August to November 2015 as part of their curriculum.

d) K.S. School of Engineering and Management. – Department of Civil Engineering. One

M-Tech student of Structural Engineering carried out his internship for a period of four

months between August to November 2015 as a part of their curriculum.

e) KNSK College of Engineering, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu – Department of Civil

Engineering. Five students (Undergraduates) in one batch carried out their internship

during the year 2015.

Soil test Mixing and Block making using construction and demolition waste


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MrinMayee Lecture Ser ieSA lecture series has been started to inform interested members of the community on alternatives

in development. They are,

Formation of ASTRA (now CST) and its Journey……. by Prof. K S Jagadish - 31st December

2014.

Alternative Paradigm of Development: Tagore and Gandhi by eminent educationist Sri

Samar Bagchi --- Tuesday 10th March 2015.

Global warning on global warming: why our media response is still lukewarm? by Sri

Nagesh Hegde, a widely respected writer on environmental issues and an eminent journalist ---

Wednesday 1st July 2015


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Education for life by Anuradha and Krishna from Thulir an alternative school at Sittilingi in

Dharmapuri district, T.N. --- 21st

August 2015.

Health and Happiness - A way of life by Dr. M.Ranganath, Mysore --- 16th October 2015.

Int er act Ing wIth Inst Itut Ions

Gramavidya is working closely with Hunnarshaala, Bhuj in carrying out research and

dissemination of alternative technologies. The development of mechanized press for making

stabilized mud blocks has been carried out with the support of Hunnarshaala. Gramavidya also

has interactions with The National Centre of People’s Disaster Prevention(N.C.P.D.P) and in

collaboration with them, the concept of containment reinforcement for stone masonry building

has been implemented in Uttarakhand. About 300 buildings have come up using this idea.Recently, the idea is under consideration for extention to rural areas of Nepal. Shock table

studies are going on in Nirma University in this connection. Gramavidya is also closely

associated with Thulir, an alternative school at Sittilingi in Dharmapuri district, T.N.

EndowmEnt Fund The endowment fund for Gramavidya started in 2014 has reached a sum of eleven lakhs till date.

It is hoped to reach a figure of 25 lakh rupees in the coming years to sustain technology

dissemination, training and research.


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Deta il s of t he t r a ining pr ogr ammes conduct ed:

Sl No. Dates Place Topic01 22nd -25th June 2004 Visthar, Bengaluru

Alternative and EnergyEfficient Building

Technologies

02 9t – 11t September 2004 Visthar, Bengaluru

03 13t -15t March 2008 Visthar, Bengaluru

04 5t -7t February 2009 Visthar, Bengaluru

05 25th – 27

th March 2010 Visthar, Bengaluru

06 25th – 27th November 2010 Visthar, Bengaluru

07 25th – 27

th March 2011 Visthar, Bengaluru

08 2nd -4th May 2011 Visthar, Bengaluru

09 5t - 7t May 2011 Visthar, Bengaluru

10 18t - 20

t July 2011 USD Mysore

11 25th – 27th August 2011 Visthar, Bengaluru

12 27t – 29

t December 2012 Gramavidya, Bengaluru

13 25t – 27t April 2013 Visthar, Bengaluru

14 5t - 7t December 2013 RGRHCL-Koushalya shaale,

Bengaluru

15 19th -21st February 2014 KARNIK-RGRHCL,

Bengaluru

16 27t – 29

t March 2014 RGRHCL-Koushalya shaale,

Bengaluru

17 21st – 23rd August 2014 RGRHCL-Koushalya shaale,

Bengaluru18 27t – 28t October 2014 IMPACT College, Bengaluru

19 10t – 11t December 2014 SJB College, Bengaluru

20 12t – 13

t December 2014 SJB College, Bengaluru

21 18th – 20th December 2014 RGRHCL-Koushalya shaale,

Bengaluru

22 28th February & 1st March

2015

Bhoomi College Bengaluru

23 24th -26th March 2015 Shillong, Meghalaya.

24 2nd – 4th April 2015 Gramavidya, Bengaluru

25 21st – 23

r August 2015 RGRHCL-Koushalya shaale,

Bengaluru26 15

t – 17

t October 2015 BNKU-Koushalya shaale,

Bengaluru

27 27t – 30

t November 2015 PVP college of Architecture,

Pune

Hands on Workshop28 9t – 10t December 2015 SJB School of Architecture and

planning, Bengaluru.

29 11t – 12 t December 2015 SJB School of Architecture and

planning, Bengaluru.


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GRAMAVIDYAVoluntary Organization for Research and Dissemination of Alternative Technologies

#65/108, Doresanipalya, Bilekahalli, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore-560 076

Tel: +91 80 2658 2970; e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.gramavidya.org

Face book: https://www.facebook.com/ MrinmayeeGramavidya

Gramavidya News Letter - December 2015

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