GRAMAVIDYA

Voluntary 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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IntroductIon
This 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 Gramavidyas family in
this period are presented here through photographs and brief write-up. Gramavidya lost some
dear 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 for
thought. 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

Pugging of the mix in progress

Steel Moulds with bottom plate

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

Homage

Sri N. Krishna
Gramavidya 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 21 st 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.

Activities of sidAgAnAhAlly
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 of
firewood 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

Hydraulic Press for MUD BLoCKS

Recently, 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 inStitutionS
Gramavidya 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 Mrs. Rumi and Mr.Rajesh, Electronic City

Residence of Mr.Srikanth, Bsk 6th stage.

Residence of Mr.Thomas and Mrs. Sosha, Vellore.

Residence of Dr.Vishwesha Guttal,Vidyaranyapuram.

Residence of Mr.Raghavendra,Channasandra

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StudentS InternShIp and project work

Gramavidya along with Mahijaa is also involved in training youngsters through internship for MTech 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 Final
year 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

MrinMayee Lecture SerieS

A 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.
InteractIng wIth InstItutIons
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 Peoples 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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Details of the training programmes conducted:

Sl No.
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14

Dates
22 nd -25 th June 2004
9 th 11th September 2004
13th -15th March 2008
5 th -7th February 2009
25th 27 th March 2010
25th 27th November 2010
25th 27 th March 2011
2nd -4th May 2011
5th - 7th May 2011
18th - 20th July 2011
25th 27th August 2011
27th 29 th December 2012
25 th 27th April 2013
5th - 7 th December 2013

15

19th -21 st February 2014

16

27th 29 th March 2014

17

21st 23rd August 2014

18
19
20
21

27 th 28th October 2014

10th 11 th December 2014
12th 13 th December 2014
18th 20 th December 2014

22
23
24
25

28th February & 1 st March

2015
th
th
24 -26 March 2015
2nd 4th April 2015
21st 23rd August 2015

26

15 th 17th October 2015

27

27th 30th November 2015

28

9th 10th December 2015

29

11th 12 th December 2015

Place
Visthar, Bengaluru
Visthar, Bengaluru
Visthar, Bengaluru
Visthar, Bengaluru
Visthar, Bengaluru
Visthar, Bengaluru
Visthar, Bengaluru
Visthar, Bengaluru
Visthar, Bengaluru
USD Mysore
Visthar, Bengaluru
Gramavidya, Bengaluru
Visthar, Bengaluru
RGRHCL-Koushalya shaale,
Bengaluru
KARNIK-RGRHCL,
Bengaluru
RGRHCL-Koushalya shaale,
Bengaluru
RGRHCL-Koushalya shaale,
Bengaluru
IMPACT College, Bengaluru
SJB College, Bengaluru
SJB College, Bengaluru
RGRHCL-Koushalya shaale,
Bengaluru
Bhoomi College Bengaluru
Shillong, Meghalaya.
Gramavidya, Bengaluru
RGRHCL-Koushalya shaale,
Bengaluru
BNKU-Koushalya shaale,
Bengaluru
PVP college of Architecture,
Pune
SJB School of Architecture and
planning, Bengaluru.
SJB School of Architecture and
planning, Bengaluru.

Topic

Alternative and Energy

Efficient Building
Technologies

Hands on Workshop

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GRAMAVIDYA
Voluntary 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

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