IIT-M building technology does away with use of beams and columns

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras have developed a technology to build sustainable and affordable houses for the masses without having to build supporting columns and beams.

IIT-Madras has successfully used the new technology that uses glass fibre reinforced gypsum panels to build a two-story building with four apartments in just 30 days.

The technology can be developed to provide good quality, rapid, sustainable and affordable mass housing in a short time, says Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT-Madras.

A team of researchers at IIT-M's civil engineering department used prefabricated panels made of waste generated from fertilizer factories to build the two-storey apartment building, he said, adding that the same technology could be used to construct buildings of up to 10 storeys.

The load-bearing system without beams and columns was developed with a grant of Rs1.23 crore from the Department of Science and Technology and took 10 years to perfect, he said.

The IIT-M research team has been conducting studies on the use of these panels as structural materials for buildings since 2003.

The glass fibre reinforced gypsum panels were originally developed by RBS Australia for use as wall panels. These panels, called Rapidwalls are suitable for rapid erection in buildings and are capable of carrying gravity loads.

The panels are made of calcined gypsum plaster, combined with special additives and glass fibres, to produce GFRG panels - 12m long, 3m high and 124mm thick (with hollow cavities).  

The IIT-M has improved on it, extending application of the product to the entire building, including floors, roofs and staircases, thereby considerably reducing or even eliminating the use of reinforced cement concrete.

The team also collaborated in developing a waterproofing material, which is essential for the durability of the roofs and toilets, said Devdas Menon, professor, department of civil engineering, IIT-M.

The cost of constructing such a high quality building is Rs1,250 per sq ft. However, done en masse, the cost can be reduced significantly as no there is no need for plastering, Menon said.

Researchers used reprocessed gypsum from Kochi-based FACT-RCF Building Products Ltd, which is currently available in plenty, for constructing the demo building.