DrK M Soni

Chief Engineer, WZ-I, CPWD,Mumbai

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Low costhousing
For low height structures?
Forlowincomegroup?
Forpublic
Evenforgovernment housing
For simple structures?
For rural
housing? Or
Foralltypeofstructures?

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Value Engineering
Value engineering also adopts methods of
adopting design, materials and labour just
suitableforthestructureandachievingeconomy in
overallconstruction.

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Acceptance of low cost housing
concept
low housing concepthas still not been accepted
bymajorityofarchitectsandengineers.
Possiblereasons:
Simple(architecturalfeaturesmakeitcostly)
Low specifications (rich specifications make it
costly)
Low acceptability among middle income group and
high income grouppeople

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Discussiononlow costhousing
Deliberatedonlyduringfinancialrecession.
Budgetisthemainconstraint
Budget,aconstrainttowhom?

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Examples
When mass housing is required and financial
resources are limited like Indira Awas Yojana or
similar otherschemes.
When mass housing schemes are required after
naturaldisasters,particularlyduetolimitedtime
andfundsavailableforconstruction.
When recession is there and lower middle class
finds difficult to purchase the flats due to their
financialconstraints.

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Commonalities
commoninallabovesituationsisfinancial
constraint
forpoororlowermiddleclasspeople.
(maynotbeacceptabletomanyengineerswhoare
believersof lowcost housing but isareality.)
Whydon’twetalkaboutlowcostMetro,lowcost
flyovers, low cost bridges, low cost airports etc.

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Inference
 Low cost housing reflects that it is the housing of low
cost and though it may have nothing to do for whom
the housing is made but general concept is that low
cost housing is for poor and it is very difficult to
change the existing concept.Some of the engineers
and administrators have started calling it as
affordable housing which is again for them who
cannot afford a good house at a higher cost.

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So, one way is let us accept it that low cost
housing is for the poor masses and develop
design and specifications accordingly and
for general housing deliberate on economic
housing.
Or
go on calling low cost housing as a
misconcept that it is for poor massesonly.
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Common methods adopted
in low cost housing as per
availableliterature

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Reduce the type and depth of
foundation
Depth anywhere from 50 to 60 cms for isolated
footings
Provide isolated footings in place of raft
foundation
Provide raft foundation in place of pile
foundation
Highly non technicalideas
Pleasedonottrywithoutproperevaluation

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Reduce the wall thickness
From 230 mm to 150mm
Adopted in unauthorised and non engineered
constructionforloadbearingconstruction
Adopted by some private builders in framed
constructionforallinternalandexternalwalls
Non technicalidea
Cannotbeadoptedduetotechnical,maintenance,
comfortconsiderations

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Reduce the plinth height
Infewyearstheroad levelcomesatparwith
plinth level and plinthdisappears.
Non technicalidea
Has many functionalproblems

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Use of mud/soil stabilised blocks
May have @ 5%cement
Canbeusedafterthe economy isestablished

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Use of some other materials
Mud
Thatch
Stone
Framelessdoors
Mudplaster
Low cost housing in such case will need to be
dividedfurtherinruralandurbanlowcosthousing

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Use of hollow cement concrete
blocks
Substitute of claybricks
Economicsdependuponlocalavailability
Iftheeconomyisestablished,theycanbeused

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Use of wood substitutes
Dependsuponavailabilityandtypeofwoodand
substitutedmaterials
Woodsubstitutesarenowlargelyadoptedinall
type ofconstruction

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Use of pre cast slabs/jack arch
roofing
Notsuggestedforearthquakeproneareas
Economy depends on local availability of
materials andlabour

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Use of single stack system,
reduction of traps, low width
shafts etc.
Notadvisableconsideringmaintainability.
Maintenancedifficult.

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Use precast lintels or brick arch
lintels
Pleasedonottryinearthquakeregion
Saves cost if bricks are locally/economically
availablewhilecement/concretearenotavailable
locallyandarecostly

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Plinth area of building
Reducetheareaoftheunitoritscomponents

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Use of locally available materials
Bestwayofeconomyintermsofmaterials,
labour,transportandevenmanagement.

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Statement of Laurie Baker (1975)
Allthebuildingmaterialsshouldbefoundwithin
fivemilesofthesite.
Low cost techniques should not be considered
onlyforthepoor
ouraimshouldbetodesignsimplestofbuildings
forall

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Specifications
Specificationsplayanimportantroleindeciding
the cost of housing. Interior and finishing works
mayhavealargevariationincostdependingupon
the specificationsadopted.
For example if in Chennai, sand stone cladding,
marble flooring, are provided and in Delhi,
granite flooring and textured coating are
provided.
Someoftheoccupantstendtoalterspecifications
even before they occupy the house on their own
andsomeafterlookingtotheirneighbours.

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Reduction in cost
Reductionincostispossiblebysacrificing
something.
Aesthetic
Uniqueness
Durability
Function
maintainability

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Architectural features and design
Architectural features added in a building may
notberequiredfromanyotherconsiderationbut
will add to the cost and may not fit to low cost
housingconcept
Design of various components may not be
optimumaspertherequirements

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Design
Economicdesign
Futureconsiderations

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Life cycle costs
Itisamistaketodefinealowcosthousebasedon
initial cost of construction without giving any
consideration of maintenance or life cycle of the
structure.

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Factors to be considered for
economic housing

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Use of locally available materials
Basepriceislow
Transportationcostislow
Localworkersknowtheiruseandfixing/
installation henceeconomic
Saves thetime

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Make use of traditional methods
Traditionalmethodsaretimetested
Traditionalmethodsareeconomic
Traditionalmethodsarebasedonlocalmaterials
Local workers have the knowledge of using
Traditionalmethods

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Use of free natural resources
Air
Light
 To minimize cost of initial construction and
thereafter maintenancecost

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Reduction in labour cost
 Throughuseoflocalmaterials
Throughuseoflocaltechniques
Throughuseofmoreskilledlabour
Throughuseofsmalltools
Throughmechanization

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Reduction in time of construction
Betterplanning
Through useof small tools
Throughmechanization
Qualityconstruction
Bettermanagement
Reduction inwastage

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Reduction in transport, handling
and storage cost
Use of localmaterials
Byfollowing“Justintime”approachfor
Materials
Avoidstorage,multiplehandling,storage,wastage,
theft, deadstock
Closeco-ordination
Useofprefabricated/precastmembers

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Reduction in wastage
AdoptionofTotalQualityManagementpolicy
Betterplanning
Betterexecution
Bettermanagementofresources
 byfollowingjustintimeapproach

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Plan for reduction in maintenance
cost
Reducelifecyclecosts
Plan for naturallighting
Planforuseofothernaturalbenefits

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Management of men, materials,
machinery and money
Managementofmoney,machineryandmaterials
Management ofworkers
Management ofmanagers

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Basis of economics
Useofeconomiesofscale
Reduce fixedcosts
Convert some of the Fixed costs to semi variable
costs
Horizontal expansion of the associated activities
with marketingstrategies

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Low qualityconcept
cost of low quality of work and low quality
architects, structural designers, and contractors
including skilled workers will also lead to cost
reduction. In fact, these cost reductions are
misconceptsofeconomyparticularlytothehouse
considering its life cycle, to the society and the
nationbutadoptedwidely.

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Fair way
Economy in construction can be achieved by
management of men, materials, money and
machinery and adopting locally available
materials and techniques with the concepts of
economicsandtotalqualitymanagement.

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Conclusions
Low cost housing is considered housing
constructed with low budget. The definition
shouldhavebeenthehousingwithminimumcost
even if budget is available. Thus concept should
then be valid for small or big, single or
multistoriedandEWSorbungalowconstruction
andalltypeofconstruction.

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