'Many developers don't give much attention to durability'

Alok Singh

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. But your beautiful house may not last long enough unless you take certain precautions, which are essentially very basic and not very expensive. Amit Gupta, chairman and managing director, Cico Technologies is in the business of materials that enhance durability of cement structures. He discusses with out correspondent some simple and relatively inexpensive ways to make that house of yours last more than a generation. Excerpts:

A house is the biggest investment most people make. How much importance do they give to its durability?

Unfortunately today, a lot of the emphasis is given on the cosmetic aspects such as good tiles and plumbing fittings. Those are mainly being taken care of. But durability and waterproofing of the building generally get neglected. Some awareness is coming up but it is still sketchy and will take some time to come up.

With green buildings coming up, are there green materials as well?

Well there no such classification as such as yet even though a few people are talking of making the buildings green. Some of the materials that come to my mind are, and I did bring them to India when I saw them first, are ceramic and glass crystals. These are mixed with the paint and applied inside as well as the outside the building. They can save 40% of the energy costs of an airconditioned building. These crystals, when applied with the paint, form an insulating layer outside and inside the building. These crystals are also called thermo-sealing crystals. The crystals don't add much to the thickness of the paint either. They can also be applied by mixing with the normal wall plasters. With plasters you get a higher thermal value.

Are these readily available in India?

No. We have tied up with a UK company to bring them in. We had test marketed them but it seems they are too early for this market. In terms of cost, there was not much of a difference especially when they were added to the paint. But not many people took interest in them.

Were these materials being used mainly in the cold countries?

Not really. We had enough case studies of it being used in West Asia. They are using it extensively in Dubai and Doha.

There is a lot of talk about fly ash bricks there days. Do they have the required strength?

The bricks these days don't need to have strength. The strength comes out of the columns, slabs, and the beams. The bricks just provide the wall. These days all buildings are column structures and therefore heavy bricks are not required.

And brick structures are not sustainable keeping in mind the amount of new structures that are coming up. We have to switch to materials like fly ash bricks and pre-fabricated concrete blocks.

Why is durability of structures neglected these days?

It is there in the mind, but many developers and builders don't give so much attention to it. Even though, in terms of cost, spending on durability of the entire structure will probably cost less than one-fiftieth of the cost of doing Italian marble flooring in the house.

And nobody will really compromise on that if they knew the cost of investing in the durability. It is there in the mind but it has not come to the forefront as yet. Our job is to put it across to all.

What special requirements do different parts of the country have in terms of construction materials?

Where there is a greater range of temperature, you need flexible materials to provide the waterproof coating such as resin- or elastomeric-based membranes. Whereas in the more temperate areas you can go for solutions that are more rigid and less flexible, such as cement-based systems. For example, first multi-storied buildings came up in Mumbai, where the roof was treated by what was called brick-bat gobar (cow dung), basically brick bats mixed with cement and laid on the roof. In Mumbai this was very successful because the temperature there does not vary a lot. But when the same solution was replicated in Delhi there were many failures. Simply because Delhi's temperature ranges from is 2º to 45º C, and the waterproofing inevitably cracked up due to thermal expansion.

What are your solutions for improving durability of the construction?

We have certain admixtures that make the concrete dense, so that ultimately the structure is protected from water. Also, these admixtures make the cement very liquid, so that it mixes in the sand and concrete well and that also adds to the strength of the structure.

Further, you can add certain admixtures that make the cement corrosion resistant. You can also apply corrosion-resistant coatings to the cement structures. In very aggressive conditions, such as when sea water is very near the structure, you may have to use epoxy-coated seals as well.

There is a big debate on about what is the construction cost these days? How much do you think it is?

It can start from Rs 1,000 per sq ft and go to any levels. This would include wiring, plumbing, paint etc. however, the bare structure cost is not very high. It would be about Rs 500 per sq ft. this would include walls, floor, etc but no paint. After that there is no end to how much you add to the building.

When doing a waterproofing treatment during the winters, should the night dew be a factor?

Waterproofing should be avoided during the rainy months. In most parts of the country, dew is not a problem. But in north India it is and therefore, water-based waterproofing systems should be done if the treatment is to take place under heavy night-time dew. However, unless the dew is extremely heavy, it is not a problem. Essentially, there should be no running water.