Development of ecomaterials for low cost housing

Swiss Coordinator : Karen Scrivener, Construction Materials Laboratory, EPFL
Main Foreign partner : Fernando Martirena, Universidad Central de la Villas
Cooperation with : Cuba
Disciplines : Material Sciences

Download the Poster: scrivener.ppt

Abstract
Housing is one of the most urgent problems to address in Cuba, but also in most developing countries. The existing housing programmes are mounted on mass production of building materials that are not affordable for the poor sectors of society, and are also responsible for considerable environmental damage. This type of production does not encourage creation of local jobs, thus worsening the social situation in rural and suburban areas in developing
countries, where unemployment is rampant.
Low cost housing materials require reduction of the content of Portland cement in concrete products. This can be done by the use of pozzolanic materials as pioneered by Professor Martirena at CIDEM, UCLV, who has headed the emerging movement for the introduction of appropriate technologies in Cuba and Latin America. To date two highly innovative technologies have been developed: (a) Intermixing of clay and biomass in solid fuel blocks(figure 1), which can provide heat to other processes (e.g. brick firing) and then ash which can be used in cementitious materials, and (b) Co-addition of lime with pozzolanic material (figure 2), which enables higher levels of substitution to be used. However, at present, research and development is limited by two factors, firstly the highly variable nature of the raw materials coming from natural sources, secondly by the lack of sophisticated analytical equipment and methods in Cuba.

figure 1: solid fuel block production

The Laboratory of Construction Materials (LMC) at EPFL is the world leading laboratory in the characterisation of cementitious materials. By combining a range of advanced analytical techniques we are able to quantify the reaction process of these materials and relate this to their composition. As part of a collaborative effort, both institutions will share the scientific tasks relevant to this project. The field work will be done in Cuba and other Latin American countries, where pilot workshops are currently available. PhD students, from Cuba and Switzerland will collect the samples to be taken to Switzerland for further testing. This project aims at building capacity in Cuba to undertake fundamental research that will complement Prof Martirena’s applied research, both by increasing the scientific knowledge in the subjects of interest of this project, and by providing access to fundamental research equipment and know-how to the Cuban university partner.

figure 2: pozzolanic mortar for sustainable rural constructions

The research will produce valuable results in the field of pozzolanic binders and their application and so increase in the quality and durability of the products. The results will also have a great potential for further valorisation in terms of knowledge creation and transfer tools, for example by incorporation into post graduate and under-graduate courses, a basis for e-learning, technical books, papers in international journals, multi-media documents, and other sources of information.

Contact Addresses:
Swiss Coordinator
Prof. Karen Scrivener
Rodrigo Fernandez (Phd Student)
Laboratory of Construction Materials
EPFL-STI-IMX-LMC
MXG-Ecublens
CH – 1015 Lausanne
Tel: +41 21 693 68 23
Fax: +41 21 693 58 00
Email: rodrigo.fernandez@epfl.ch

Main Foreign partner
Prof. Fernando Martirena
Universidad Central de la Villas
CIDEM
Santa Clara 42500
Cuba
Tel : +53 42 28 15 39
Tel : +53 42 28 10 64
Fax : +53 42 28 15 39
Email : f.martirena@enet.cu