Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF NOTHERN PHILIPPINES

Tamag, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

RAINWATER COLLECTOR BLOCK

A Material Innovation Research

Presented to
Ar. Rommel Feliciano
Course Facilitator

College of Architecture

In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements in the Subject
[BLT 141] Building Technology 5 – Alternative Building Const’s System

Presented by:
DACQUEL, HEINRICH
PAMO, SHERILYN H.
PERALTA, MA. CELINE C.
PIANO, SANDRINA MARIE D.
UNARCE, JESSIECA C.
BS Architecture 4C
February 3, 2022
 Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 3

ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... 5

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY .......................................................................................... 6

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ......................................................................................... 8

OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................ 8

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY........................................................................................... 8

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY .................................................................. 9

HYPOTHESIS ........................................................................................................................... 9

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ............................................................................... 10

MATERIAL INNOVATION................................................................................................... 14

APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................... 16

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 INTRODUCTION

World’s population has been constantly increasing and so has the water demand. However,

supplies from water resources are limited and estimated to be 2% from the total available water

in nature. The population growth has a direct influence on the water supply demand rates. The

rate of the growth in the urban area is about four times that of the rural areas. Based on this

fact, the concept of sustainability must be considered in planning and management of the

available water resources. With the development and growth of urban populations, the paved

and roof area will increase and this situation is ideal for implementing rainwater harvesting

techniques. Rainwater harvesting has been the main source of water supply for potable and

non-potable uses in the old days because the water supply systems were not developed yet. The

method of harvesting rainwater at that time was simple and primary. Usage of the collected

water volume from rainwater harvesting was direct and without any treatment. The rainwater

was mostly collected from roofs and some was collected directly. Based on the size of the

catchment, rainwater harvesting systems can be divided to medium and small. The medium

size is a system which collects rainwater from catchment areas in educational institutions,

airports, army camps, and others. Small systems collect rainwater from the roof of

houses. Water can be also collected from open areas and stored in a depression of land or

basins. The storage from the rainwater harvesting system can be used for portable and non-

potable uses. It is preferable to integrate the rainwater harvesting systems with the existing

conventional water supply systems. This will help to meet the increasing demand of water

supply and contribute to the sustainability of the water supply.

Thus, in this study, the method of harvesting rainwater will be collected from a block at the

same time the reliability of harvesting rainwater will meet 100% of water demand. The

importance of this study relies on the fact that the approach and results presented in this work

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can be replicated in regions with high water stress to achieve feasible, reliable, and

economically viable solutions for water supply based on rainwater harvesting.

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 ABSTRACT

This research was conducted to innovate a material that can collect rainwater and recycle it for

different household purposes. The researchers came up with various ideas, gathered related

information, experimented with the possible materials, performed preliminary digital

modelling until they finally created a 3D model through SketchUp which resembles a concrete

hollow block. The presumed materials were concrete and recycled plastic wrappers and

containers. The rainwater will then be collected straight to the blocks and through the tubes

inside. Based from the studies carried out and the accomplished innovation, the harvesting of

rainwater has the potential to assist in alleviating pressures on current water supplies and storm

water drainage systems. Moreover, it can be used for indoor non-potable water replacement

such as toilet flushing, evaporative cooling, etc. The rainwater collector block will be one of

the many tools to meeting the growing water demand and can serve as a sustainable material

innovation capable of serving its purpose.

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 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Access to water is essential for drinking and bathing, agriculture and industrial uses. It is also

essential for the health and maintenance of natural ecosystems and the services that they

provide. A significant proportion of water used for these purposes is sourced from rainfall.

Rainfall patterns around the world vary, from lush jungle environments with regular rainfall to

arid desert regions that can go years without precipitation. Many environments and ecosystems

experience seasonal rainfall patterns, with wet periods of the year followed by several months

of dry weather. The purpose of rainwater harvesting is to store excess water during rainy

seasons for use in drier periods. Rainwater is ideal for toilet flushing, clothes washing, bathing

or showering and garden irrigation. Replacing water from water mains with rainwater in these

activities offers the biggest contribution to water savings as they use a large volume of water

year-round. Other uses include vehicle, yard and household cleaning.

Filtered, untreated rainwater should only be used for non-drinking purposes. Rainwater is

generally less reliably safe for drinking than water from water mains which is treated to be fit

for human consumption. Drinking and food preparation contribute only a small amount to the

average household water consumption and therefore offer little in the way of water saving

opportunities anyway.

‘Save Water Brick’ is a biodegradable brick that absorbs rainwater for consumption. Contrary

to the conventional clay bricks used for construction, the Save Water Brick design is actually

designed to help channelize the water in order to avoid wastage. First of all the brick is made

of a mixture of discarded plastic bottles and dried rotting leaves that are molded into bricks.

On the outer surface of the brick are funnels that collect rainwater for consumption which is

then channelized and supplied to nearby plants or underground tanks. A very eco-friendly

concept, but I doubt the practicality of the idea. I personally don’t think the bricks will be sturdy

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enough to be used for building or house constructions, but maybe other small and temporary

constructions like a roof top of a garden or so. As long as we have an environment friendly

product, all designs are always welcome.

Using fallen leaves and discarded plastic bottles, two designers have created a recycled material

that could turn buildings into automatic rainwater collection systems. Thousands of gallons of

free water fall on roofs, parking lots, and sidewalks every day only to flow directly down the

drain. Rainwater collection systems are often bulky and (in some regions) illegal. But with the

Save Water Brick, your home and other buildings could collect this precious resource

automatically.

The biodegradable bricks are intended to be used in the outermost wall of a structure, and

feature funnels that help to direct the rain water into a desired area instead of merely absorbing

or shedding the water, like most traditional bricks. While there’s no doubt that these multi-

purpose bricks are an eco-friendly building material, there is some doubt as to whether they’ll

truly be able to withstand four seasons of precipitation and temperature changes.

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 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aimed to determine the performance of rainwater collector blocks. Certain places

have extreme weather, flooding in some areas caused by continuous rainfall. The rainfall will

be such a waste of water. Therefore, what is the performance level of rainwater collector blocks

for later use?

OBJECTIVES

• To meet rising demand of water needs.

• It can be used for non-drinking purposes.

• It prevents urban flooding due to excess rain.

• To reduce soils erosion.

• To supplement ground water supplies during lean seasons.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The importance of this study relies on:

To People: It will help them save water for other purposes like flushing toilet.

To Community: It will help prevent flooding due to excess rain and reduce soil erosions.

To Architecture: It produces additional building material that helps the community.

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 SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study is focuses on rainwater harvesting through a rainwater collector block and is only

limited to building structures in areas which are prone to heavy rainfall.

HYPOTHESIS

This design proposes bricks of a new concept by uniting wasteful leaves and wasteful plastic

and manufacturing them into bricks. It is possible to reproduce continuously resources thrown

away by wasteful leaves and wasteful plastic and the supply of raw materials also has a great

nature-friendly meaning. As bricks produced in this way have strong absorptiveness, they are

possible to reproduce/recycle in that they absorb lowing water after rain and it is saved in

subterranean water or tanks for storing.

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 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is defined as the collection of water from surfaces on which rain

falls, and subsequent storage of this water for later use (Sustainable Earth Technologies, 1999).

Rainwater harvesting is a common practice in the countries and areas where the annual

precipitation is high and pure drinking and usable water is scarce. All over the world,

economical condition has prompted the low-income groups to harvest the rainwater for

household and essential uses. As the population of the world increased, irrigation, the most

water consuming human activity, as well as domestic water usage increased, leading to a

consequence of crisis of water supply in different region. Among other available alternative

sources for water supply, rainwater harvesting has become the most economical solution for

the water crisis (Boers and Ben-Asher, 1982).

According to Kim et al. (2005), rainwater harvesting may be one of the best methods available

to recovering the natural hydrologic cycle and enabling urban development to become

sustainable. The harvesting of rainwater has the potential to assist in alleviating pressures on

current water supplies and storm water drainage systems. Rainwater collection has the potential

to impact many people in the world.

Rainwater collected in active systems is typically used for irrigation or for indoor non-potable

water replacement (e.g. toilet flushing, clothes washing, evaporative cooling, etc.). The type

and complexity of treatment systems depend on the intended use of the harvested water as well

as the water quality and permitting requirements in a particular location. (TWDB, 2005).

Rainwater is also harvested in large rural areas such as Honduras, Brazil, and Paraguay as an

important source for domestic water supply (United Nations Environmental Programme,

1997). In Thailand, there is evidence of rainwater collection from roofs or gutters into jars

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(Prempridi and Chatuthasry, 1982). In Asia, the history of RWH dates back to the 10th Century

(Global Development Research Center, 2002). It is also popular in rural Australia, parts of

India, Africa and parts of the United States.

Rainwater harvesting studies all over the world

Kahinda et al. (2008) defined RWH as the collection, storage and use of rainwater for small

scale productive purposes. Crotchety (1991) defined it as the collection of runoffs for

productive use. Oweis (2004) defined it as the concentration of rainwater through runoff into

smaller target areas for beneficial use. Mati et al. (2006) defined RWH as the deliberate

collection of rainwater from a surface known as catchment and its storage in physical structures

or within the soil profile.

Rainwater harvesting is an ancient practice has been increasingly receiving attention in the

world, fueled by water shortages from droughts, pollution and population growth (Nolde 2007;

Meera and Ahameed 2006).

Runoff may be harvested from roofs and ground surfaces as well as from intermittent or

ephemeral watercourses and thus water harvesting falls into two broad categories: Water

harvesting techniques which harvest runoff from roofs or ground surfaces named RWH and all

systems which collect discharges from water courses named flood water harvesting (Critchley

et al. 1991). RWH technologies and systems can be classified in several ways, mostly based

on the runoff generation process, size of the catchment and type of storage.

Sturm.M et.al in their paper entitled Rainwater Harvesting as an Alternative Water Resource

in Rural Sites in Central Northern Namibia described the results of the investigations on

rainwater harvesting (RWH) in central northern Namibia which are part of the trans

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disciplinary research project CuveWaters. On the basis of hydrological and technical as well

as social and cultural conditions, appropriate solutions for RWH are developed, discussed, and

evaluated. Main objective is to analyze their technical and economic feasibility as well as their

affordability for future users. In detail, two small-scale RWH systems are examined: roof

catchments using corrugated iron roofs as rain collection areas and ground catchments using

treated ground surfaces.

Ravikumar et al (2003) describe the roof top rainwater harvesting in Chennai Airport using

GIS. They explain the estimation of surface runoff using SCS method and design of rainwater

harvesting structures in Chennai Airport Terminal buildings. Thematic maps were digitized in

map Info GIS software and roof drainage delineation was done in GIS environment. Based on

the topography and lithology of airport, the artificial recharge structures like recharge shaft,

recharge well and recharge pit were designed and located.

Anand (2000) in his study conducted in Bidar district of Karnataka revealed that the major

problems/reasons for non-adoption or partial adoption of watershed technology include, lack

of capital for contour bund and land leveling, unawareness of technology for compartment

bunding and live bunds, lack of knowledge and hard sub-surface soil in opening of ridges and

furrows and plantation of horticulture and forest tree species.

In conclusion, as men are becoming environmental responsible, rain water harvesting is

gaining popularity leading to eco-conservation and constructive use of natural resource.

Surface and groundwater resources are being utilized faster than they can be recharged.

Rainwater harvesting is an old practice that is being adopted by many nations as a viable

decentralized water source. Individual rainwater harvesting systems are one of the many tools

to meeting the growing water demand. Rainwater harvesting is an environmentally sound

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solution to address issues brought forth by large projects utilizing centralized water

management approaches. Population growth all over the world is causing similar problems and

concerns of how to supply quality water to all. It is no denying that sustaining and recharging

the groundwater along with judicious use of the limited fresh water resources is the need of the

hour. If sufficient measures are not taken up immediately, we will face a crisis which will be

detrimental to the very survival of mankind.

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 MATERIAL INNOVATION

Structural reinforcement

Concrete blocks are one such construction materials

which help in achieving cheaper as well as faster

construction than conventional bricks. The concrete

blocks used in this innovation are inspired by the

hollow concrete blocks.

Rainwater collector

Concrete hollow block

Front View

The Rainwater Collector Block is designed to form a part of a building’s regular building

system. The standard size of a rectangular hollow blocks is made of Portland cement and

aggregate, sand and fine gravel are used as a raw material. This block has 2 large hole and a

half large hole in the middle for structural reinforcement shaft.

Hollow concrete blocks are more commonly

used in masonry construction. It accelerates

the construction process, saves cement and

steel and reduces the work expenses at the

construction site. These blocks lower the

natural weight of masonry constructions and

Plastic Tube improve the physical properties of walls,

Waterproof plasterboard
such as noise and thermal insulation. They

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also provide facilities for concealing electrical conduit, water and soil pipes. The Rainwater

Collector Block has the same properties with the Hollow Concrete Block but with an additional

purpose, that is to collect rainwater.

Top View

During rainy season, the rainwater collector will be open.

The rain will fall down to the plastic tube, going down to

the bottom of the wall structure. At the bottom, there is a

water drainage that collects all the water collected from all

the blocks, going to the reserve tank to use for the flushing

Plastic tube of toilet and other purpose of the non-drinkable water.

Section x’-x

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 APPENDICES

https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/bitstream/handle/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-

2034/1_SULTANA-THESIS.pdf?sequence=15&isAllowed=y

https://www.mtu.edu/peacecorps/programs/civil/pdfs/jean-charles-theses.pdf

https://www.ijser.org/researchpaper/RAINWATER-HARVESTING-RWH-A-

REVIEW.pdf

http://dl.lib.uom.lk/bitstream/handle/123/11477/chapter02.pdf?sequence=3

https://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/bitstream/handle/1840.4/8170/NC-WRRI-

425.pdf?sequence=1

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