LOW EMBODIED ENERGY

MATERIALS
Embodied energy
The term embodied energy refers to the energy that is used during
construction.
This includes the energy needed to obtain raw materials; the energy needed
to then turn these raw materials into building materials such as timber,
concrete, steel, or bricks; the energy used to transport the materials; and
finally, the energy needed to power the tools and machinery needed for
construction. 
Energy in basic building materials
Type of material Energy (MJ per kg)

Cement 4.5
Lime 5.63
Lime- pozzolana 2.33
Steel 42
Aluminium 236.8
Glass 25.8
Mangalore tile 6-15 per tile
Energy in masonry materials Energy in masonry

Type Size (mm) Energy in 1

Type of masonry Energy per m3
block or
(MJ)
brick (MJ)
Size of stone 180X180x1 0 Burnt brick 2141
80 masonry
Burnt clay 230X105X 4.25 Hollow concrete 819 (7%C blocks)
brick 70 block masonry 971(10%C blocks)
soil- cement 230X190X 2.60(6%C)
Soil-cement block 646 (6%C blocks)
block 100 3.50(8%C)
masonry 810 (8% C blocks)
230X190X
100
Hollow 400X200X 12.30(7%C)
concrete block 200 15.00(10%c)
400X200X
200
Steam cured 230X190X 6.70(10%L)
block 100
 Energy in transportation

Type of material Unit Energy in (MJ)

Production transportation
100km
Sand m3 0.0 175
Crushed aggregate m3 20.5 175
Burnt clay brick m3 2550 200
cement tonne 5850 100
steel tonne 42,000 100

Total embodied energy in a building

Type of building No. of storeys Embodied energy
& built-up area per 100 m2 (GJ)
R. C. frame with brick in-filled walls 8 421
5120 m2
Load bearing brickwork, R.C. slab, 2 292
Mosaic floor 149.5 m2
Soil-cement block masonry, filler 2 161
slab, terracotta tile floor 160.5 m2
Low embodied energy building materials are those that use less energy and
fewer resources to make, transport and build.
This includes considering resource excavation and extraction from the
Earth, use of manmade materials in production, and complexity of
manufacture. The simpler the process, the less harm done to the
environment.

Factors to be considered while choosing building materials

that are low in embodied energy:
1) How far the materials have to travel (local materials are
better)
2) How many raw materials are used
3) How difficult it is to actually manufacture the product (the
more that is involved, the more energy is used)
4) How much waste occurs during construction
5) If the materials are recycled or recyclable
6) Use materials that come from renewable sources wherever
possible
7) Use efficient design to both reduce the amount of materials
needed and to ensure the materials are energy efficient
(insulating etc)
 Comparison of Various Building Materials

High embodied energy MJ/m3 Low embodied energy MJ/m3

materials materials
Concrete foundation 3180 Aggregate (rubble trench) 150

Fiberglass ceiling insulation 970 Cellulose ceiling insulation 112

Concrete driveway and 3180 Aggregate driveway and 150

sidewalks sidewalks

Comparison of Various Building Materials by Weight

High Embodied Energy MJ/kg Low embodied MJ/kg

Materials energy materials
Particle board cabinets 8 Wood cabinets 2.5

Aluminum (for windows) 227 Wood (for windows) 2.5

Paint 93.3 Clay aliz 0

Types of low embodied energy materials
1)Stabilized mud block

Mixture of soil or and fines,sand, stabiliser(cement/lime) and water

Production of SMB
3 storeyed load bearing

SMB vaults SMB filler slab roof.

2) Compressed stabilised earth

The soil, raw or stabilized, for a compressed earth block is slightly

moistened, poured into a steel press (with or without stabiliser) and then
compressed either with a manual or motorized press.
most of the times, they are stabilised with cement or lime. Therefore, it
is called Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks (CSEB).

Typical linear organization

Some equipment used worldwide

Hydraulic press
astram
Balram

Sustainability and environmental friendliness of CSEB

1) Earth is a local material and the soil should preferably extracted from the site itself or
not transported too far away
2) Earth construction is a labour-intensive technology and it is an easily adaptable and
transferable technology.
3) It is a cost and energy effective material.
4) It is much less energy consuming than country fired bricks (about 4 times less).
5) It is much less polluting than country fired bricks (about 4 times less).
INITIAL EMBODIED ENERGY PER M3 OF POLLUTION EMISSION (Kg of CO2) PER M3
WALL OF WALL
CSEB wall = 582 MJ / m3 CSEB wall = 57.1 Kg / m3

Kiln Fired Brick (KFB) = 2,935 MJ / m3 Kiln Fired Brick (KFB) = 287.6 Kg / m3
 

Country Fired Brick (CFB) = 5,090 MJ / m3 Country Fired Brick (CFB) = 498.8 Kg / m3

INITIAL EMBODIED ENERGY(MJ/m3 of CARBON EMISSIONS (Kg of CO2 /m3 of

materials) materials)

 CSEB are consuming 4 times less energy CSEB are polluting 4 times less than
than country fired bricks: country fired bricks:

CSEB produced on site with 5 % cement = CSEB produced on site with 5 % cement
1,112.36 MJ/m3 = 110.11 Kg of CO2 /m3
3) Timber

Foundation and basic structure cladding

1) The lowest embodied energy can be achieved through timber frame housing, provided
that the timber has not travelled too far - and in fact this can also give low energy in use.
2 Where timber frames are used for new houses in the UK, they are generally clad with
brick –although greater embodied energy savings can be realised with timber cladding.

Roofing
Traditional pitched timber roofs with tile or slate covering have relatively low embodied
energy. Steel framed roofs are not so good and flat concrete and asphalt roofs should be
avoided.

Windows
Timber framed single-glazed windows have the lowest embodied energy, but double-
glazed units have a short energy payback - probably about one year.

Internal partitions
Traditional studwork and plasterboard partitions have low embodied energy, although if
noise insulation is taken into account they may not be much better than a block wall. Avoid
high-tech plastic and/or aluminium partitioning.
In terms of embodied energy, and indeed many other environmental measures, insulation
made from recycled newsprint is excellent
4) Concrete blocks

Concrete blocks are made from cast

concrete, i.e. portland cement and
aggregate, usually sand and fine gravel for
high-density blocks. Lower density blocks
may use industrial wastes as an aggregate

5) Precast concrete
Precast Concrete is a construction product produced
by casting concrete in a reusable mould or "form"
which is then cured in a controlled environment,
transported to the construction site and lifted into
place.
Utilizing a Precast Concrete system offers many
potential advantages over site casting of concrete.
The production process for Precast Concrete is
performed on ground level which helps with safety
throughout a project. There is a greater control of the
quality of materials and workmanship in a precast
plant rather than on a construction site. A precast concrete wall
 6) AAC
Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) is effectively concrete with lots of closed air pockets in
it. It is lightweight and energy efficient, and is manufactured by the process of mixing Fly
Ash, Quick Lime, Cement and Gypsum along with water in a high speed mixer to form a
slurry, a small amount of foaming agent is added and mixed, and poured into moulds, then
are wire cut into blocks or panels.
AAC has moderate embodied energy content and
performs very well as thermal and sound
insulation, due to the aerated structure of the
material and the unique combination of thermal
insulation and thermal mass properties. AAC is
light, does not burn, is an excellent fire barrier,
and is able to support quite large loads.

7) Recycled materials

Using recycled products, or products with recycled content helps the environment and the
economy in several ways.
A significant effect is that of lessening the need for manufacture with virgin, non-renewable
resources, which saves precious resources and also saves manufacturers money
Newspapers can be reprocessed into cellulose insulation, for instance. Plastic milk cartons
can be shredded, melted and reprocessed into toilet partitions. Rubber from automobile
tires can be processed into roofing and flooring materials.
Here is a project designed by Biome in
Malleshwaram, Bangalore in the year 2000. This is a
2 bedroom house on a plot of dimensions 15 feet x
40 feet. Given similar constraints of plot size,
neighbours had already built till the edge of this
plot. To provide for light, ventilation and privacy,
the house has a staircase around a central skylit
court. The court provided the light and air to the
house and also enables the owners to have privacy
from the neighbours and has murals by artist Sanjay
Singh along the stairs.
Designed by Deepak Godhi and built by
Mr.Ranganath this house is a framed RCC structure
with 6″ thick SMB(stabilized Mud Blocks) walls . It
harvests it’s water and has ample daylight. At a cost
of about Rs.600/Sft, it costed much less than a
conventional structure of a similar size at that
time.Besides it also saves money on water, and use
of external energy for ventilation and lighting.
Chitra vishwanath’s residence:

Earth is used as a primary material after looking at

the site and incorporated a basement to procure the
needed mud. This is now the mantra every time she
designs: look for the possibility of getting earth for
the building – which is usually best done by
incorporating a basement. This house is also a
laboratory of ideas: ideas on material use, spaces
suitable for different climates, biodiversity, water
and food. So far, it has no need for fans, recycles
water, harvests rainwater and has a facility to turn
waste into fertilizer. She says “What we love about
our house is that it is always growing on us and
fosters innovation as a partner, thus it is always a
work in progress. After completing our house in
1995, all the work we have done is ecological and
99% using earth.”The house is an earth construction
with stone arches, east light, top lighting and no fans.
The basement provided mud for the blocks & mortar
used in the construction. The building harvests
90,000 litres of rainwater (20,000 from the
neightbours), reuses washing machine water, uses
solar energy for cooking, lighting and water heating.
 The EcoResort is a complex with 24 rooms
ECO-RESORT,BANGALORE and a restaurant located at the outskirts of
Bangalore. It is basically designed as a
village with several independent units and
is built using mud and RCC slab.
Objectives
The resort aims at a 0% waste policy and
use of eco friendly materials. Its objective is
to maximize energy efficiency to avoid
dependence on the government provided
energy and use of recycling processes. It
also aims at being a 100% eco friendly
resort and promote these technologies
amongst the tourist.
Designs, Technologies and Materials
The buildings in the complex are shaped
and oriented in a manner to take complete
advantage of the breeze blowing in the
area and the sunlight, without heat gain.
Consequently a lot of energy is saved from
the cooling and the lightning of the rooms.
The complex is built using stabilized solid blocks (SSB), walls and arches which do not
require any plaster if measures are taken to protect the walls from rainfall.
The concrete slabs are also left exposed without plastering, which has subsequently
saved the use of a lot of cement in the construction. Technologies like arch panel or
SSB vault allows the roofing of spaces and has added to the saving of cement and iron
materials.
The energy requirement for all the rooms is met by the use of wind tower, solar
panels and a bio gas digester which not only supplies gas for cooking purposes but
also is transformed into electricity by a generator.
With the help of these conservation techniques the complex consumes just about
20% of the energy supplied by the government.
Rainwater harvesting techniques have also been adopted to conserve water at the
scale of the roofs as well as the scale of the site itself. The harvested water is stored in
tanks and bore wells. This has helped the resort to be self sufficient in water.
The wastewater from the kitchen or toilets are collected and treated with liacht pits
or common septic tank.
The kitchen is equipped with an oven, which uses compressed and dried waste from
agriculture for burning. It is designed to optimise the production of heat.
The treatment of the swimming pool water is done with specific plants and not with
the use of chemical, which contributes to the resort being eco friendly.
VISITOR’S CENTRE, AUROVILLE
The visitors centre has been built by the former AVBC/Earth Unit in Auroville between 1989 and
1992 with grants from HUDCO and the Foundation for World Education. It is well known for its
architecture and energy-saving construction materials. This centre of about 1200 m2 has been
granted the International Award “Hassan Fathy, Architecture for the poor†in 1992.
Objectives, aims
The visitor’s centre was designed and built by Earth Unit and Suhasini Ayer as a demonstration
complex for alternative technologies such as appropriate building technologies, land reclamation
and afforestation, renewable energies, water management and waste recycling techniques etc.
Designs, Technologies and materials to achieve these goals
The Auroville Building Centre (AVBC) has taken the opportunity to demonstrate and promote the
rich potential of alternative technologies in its construction, with particular emphasis on the use of
mud as a building material.
Appropriateness to the locally prevailing conditions was found to be a major requirement:
1. Appropriate to the climate
2. Appropriate to the skills available
3. Appropriate to the locally available material
4. Appropriate to the energy situation
5. Appropriate to the economic situation
An information office, conference room, exhibition space, video room, restaurant, handicrafts shop
and toilets were accommodated in a structure specifically designed for visitors from all over the
world, with the local climate materials and building skills influencing the design. Special emphasis
was placed on natural lighting and ventilation in the building, as renewable energy sources were to
be used.
Foundation:
Were done with a composite foundation technique, which
comprises of three layers. The trenches were dug to varying
depths depending on the load of the building. The first layer,
which had a depth of about 20-25 Cm’s, was composed of
sand and pebbles in a dry mix, which was compacted using a
hand held rammer. The second layer is composed of blue
metal of the size of 40-45 mm, which was mixed with
stabilised earth mortar and compacted. The third layer is
composed of granite blocks of the size of 300-350mm in
random rubble masonry in stabilised earth mortar up to
ground level and above the ground level up to the plinth
level the construction is in CEB with a DPC in 1:3 cement
mortar with water proofing compound.
This foundation was cheaper and less time consuming than
the conventional fired brick foundation, and most of it could
be done using unskilled labour. The excavations for pillar
foundations were always made up to the clay and gravel
strata, which varied between 75cm and 120cm below ground
level.
Walls:
All the pillars and walls are made from CEB (Compressed
Earth Blocks), which are cement stabilised with 5% cement
content and these were manufactured manually using the
Auram 3000 block maker. The building is made of load
bearing masonry in Compressed Earth Block including the 2
towers one of which is housing a water tank of 50 CuM.
Lintels and overhangs:
Prefabricated ferrocement elements were used for all doors and overhangs, thereby doing away
with the use of wood. A 4m grid using load-bearing pillars and arched or corbelled openings was
made with stabilised compressed earth blocks to reduce costs.
Roofing:
Stabilised soil blocks for domes and prefabricated ferrocement channels were considered as the best
solution to roofing. It was felt the resulting sequence of arcaded and semi-covered spaces would
give a clear sense of direction to people.
Passive solar design:
Special emphasis is laid on natural lighting and ventilation as the building taps only renewable
sources of energy and is not connected to the grid of the Tamilnadu Electricity Board.
The climate is warm and humid. Therefore, natural ventilation is necessary for comfort. However,
during the hottest part of the year when there is almost no breeze, an integrated solar chimney
causes wind draft in the room below. This is a demonstration passive solar ventilation technique.
The energy efficiency in this project is governed by the choke of materials and construction
techniques. Use of arches to span openings is a predominant feature of the building.
Waterproofing:
The waterproofing over the domes is done on an insulation layer made of broken fired bricks mixed
with lime. This is treated with a fermented solution of jaggery and Terminatia Chebula (Kaddukai)
nuts, which is poured over the brick lime jelly and beaten in using wooden mallets. On this, a plaster
of shell lime is done and a final rendering of lime wash is given.
Flat roofs on ferrocement channels have an insulation of brick jelly lime, laid to a minimum thickness
and 3 inches, over which there is a waterproofing plaster of lime cement finished with crazy mosaic
of broken ceramic tiles.
Solar, wind and biomass energy, water management and recycling techniques, mud and
ferrocement technology, and reclamation and afforestation were all integrated in the process.