It is found that cost-effective and alternative construction

technologies, which apart from reducing construction cost by the

reduction of quantity of building materials through improved and
innovative techniques, can play a great role in providing better
housing methods and protecting the environment.

It should be noted that cost-effective construction technologies do

not compromise with safety and security of the buildings and mostly
follow the prevailing building codes.
Foundation:
Arch foundation is used in which walls are supported on the brick or stone
masonry. For the construction of the foundation, the use of available materials
such as brick or concrete blocks can be made to resist lateral forces
buttresses at the corner.
Walling:
Rat trap bond technology is used in the case study. It is an alternative brick
bonding system for English and Flemish Bond. The reduced number of joints
can reduce mortar consumption. No plastering of the outside face is required
and the wall usually is quite aesthetically pleasing and air gaps created within
the wall help making the house thermally comfortable.
Roofing:
A filler slab roofing system is used which based on the principle that for roofs
which are simply supported, the upper part of the slab is subjected to
compressive forces and the lower part of the slab experience tensile forces.
Concrete is very good in withstanding compressive forces and steel bears the
load due to tensile forces. Thus the low tensile region of the slab does not
need any concrete except for holding steel reinforcements together.
Flooring:
Flooring is generally made of terracotta tiles or color oxides. Bedding is made
out of broken brick bats. Various patterns and designs are used, depending
on shape, size of tiles, span of flooring, and client’s personal preference.
Plastering: Plastering can be avoided on the walls, frequent expenditure
on finishes and its maintenance is avoided. Properly protected brick wall will
never loose its color or finish.
 The construction methods of walling and roofing are selected for the detail
cost analysis based on available resources from the interviews. Table 1 and
Table 2 summarize the cost analysis of the traditional construction methods
and the low cost housing technologies in the case studies for walling and
roofing respectively. It is found that about 26.11% and 22.68% of the
construction cost, including material and labour cost, can be saved by using
the low cost housing technologies in comparison with the traditional
construction methods for walling and roofing respectively.
 – Square/Rectangular plans are cost effective.

 – More daylighting and sociable living.

 – Multiple space functioning.

 – Complex roof design means more costs.

 Get rid of stuff/space which doesn’t need.

 – Design for the regional climate.


Structurally Insulated panels (ERS Panel)
 Stabilized earth blocks (SEBS)
 Upcycled shipping containers
 Salvaging used materials – Recycled materials and second hand
fixtures

ERS panels SEBS Upcycled shipping containers

1. Your house will be as good as the plot you are building on and
hence you must select the right plot for your house.
Select the plot that is near to public transport areas.
2. While selecting the plot also take into consideration the
availability of utility services like municipal water supply,
electricity, gas connection, drainage facilities, garbage disposal,
etc.
3. Water supply is very essential for your house and if there is no
adequate water supply available in your plot, then you need to buy
the water for construction which will add a very considerable amount
of money to your construction.
4. Natural drainage facilities should be available for the plot. If
there is no drainage facility available then you may have to create
drainage facilities by incurring more expenses adding to your
construction cost.
5. The plot must be square or rectangle in size so that you can
make use of the entire area of the plot to build your house.
Choosing a square or rectangle-shaped plot will help you build your
house as you want on a good shaped smaller plot helping you to
save on the land cost
6. Select the plot that has no steep slopes or other natural anomalies
that have to be corrected before commencing the construction.
In such plots, you need not do costly surface corrections that will add to
your construction cost.
7. Take into account the level of the plot concerning the plots on all
sides.
Take note of the level of the plot with the level of the abutting road.
If the plot level is lower than the road then you have to bring in soil to fill
the plot to raise its level and increase its height to at least 2 to 3 feet above
the road surface.This will involve spending a lot of money and hence select
the plot that has the right level with the road.
8. Select the plot with a stable sub-soil structure.
Always do soil testing to determine the stability of the soil and plan your
foundation based on the report.If you want to save money on laying on an
elaborate foundation, then you have to select the plot that has a stable and
hard soil structure.
1. Your new construction must be based on a good plan and a well-
laid outbuilding design.

2. Before going for the building plan find out all that you want for in your
home and do your research and find the latest trends in construction,
and building designs.

3. Build according to the plan and do not make alterations to the

original plan or design midway as it will cause loss of material and
labor. This wastage will add to the cost of the construction.

4.When your construction is handled by an experienced professional

he will be able to procure the materials at best prices and help with
your low-cost house construction.

5. Design your floor plan in a rectangular or square form so that it

has a lesser perimeter and consumes up to 20 to 30 % lesser
building materials.
A major part of the construction cost is spent on doors and windows.
With the advancement in construction technology now we can save a
considerable amount by using RCC door frames instead of conventional
wood door frames. Conventional wooden frames are very expensive and
need more labor and other fixtures that add to the cost of the construction.
As a way of achieving low-cost house construction, you can use
readymade RCC Door frames and save a lot of money. These
prefabricated structures add to the
strength of your doorways besides
reducing the cost.Another way of
reducing the construction cost is to
use factory-made flush doors for
internal rooms as well as by using
PVC doors for your bathrooms.These
are very economical to use and
come with different shapes and designs
that will enhance the look of the
house. RCC Doors PVC Doors
A good contractor is necessary for the successful completion of your
home in all the ways you want. Pay more attention and care while
selecting your contractor:

1.Get inputs from all possible sources before selecting your contractor
and this is necessary for a pleasant construction experience.
2. Give preference to a contractor who is in the house construction
industry for a long time.
3.Visit the earlier projects of the contractor and enquire with house
owners and know about the contractor and his way of working.
4.Prefer the one that has his team of workmen for all the works than a
person who engages sub-contractors to complete the work.

This way you can easily reduce the cost of your house construction.
The Glass fiber reinforced gypsum is an Australian technology and this
material is revolutionizing the construction industry. Use GFRG Panels in
your construction and this will give enormous savings in your construction.
The GFRG panels drastically reduce the labor cost, material cost and help
to complete the building work in half the time. This gives you at least 20 to
30% savings in the overall cost of the construction.
Also, Researchers from IIT Madras have found out that this technology can
be used for all structural elements such as walls, floors, and roofs in a
building.