Learn · NPTEL

Course12410600160 lectures

Low-Cost Building Materials and Techniques

Prof. Vishal Chettry · IIT (BHU) Varanasi

Start with lecture 1 At NPTEL

About

The course “Low-Cost Building Materials and Techniques” offers an in-depth understanding of affordable, sustainable construction practices using locally available and alternative materials. It covers traditional earthen techniques, bamboo construction, ferrocement, filler slabs, and modern innovations like waste-based and prefabricated systems. The course also highlights passive design strategies suited to India’s diverse climates. Ideal for students, architects, engineers, and planners, it promotes resource-efficient and cost-effective building solutions.

Intended audience: Students enrolled in B.Arch/M.Arch/allied disciplines

Lectures

Week 1

  1. Introduction to Low Cost Building Material & Techniques - Demand, Energy, Ratings & Green Buil YouTube
  2. Building Cost Components & Influencing Factors YouTube
  3. Need & Policy Framework of Low Cost Construction YouTube
  4. Principles & Practices of Low Cost Construction YouTube
  5. Key challenges in Low Cost Construction & Cost Control Techniques YouTube

Week 2

  1. Building Techniques for Low Cost Construction YouTube
  2. Alternative Building Materials & Systems YouTube
  3. Construction Techniques for Cost Reduction YouTube
  4. Vernacular Architecture Cold & Moderate Climates YouTube
  5. Vernacular Architecture Hot & Humid Climates YouTube

Week 3

  1. Earth as a Building Material - Global Applications & Typologies YouTube
  2. Components, Properties & Soil Testing for Mud Construction YouTube
  3. Stabilizers & Their Uses in Mud Construction YouTube
  4. Contemporary Innovations & Sustainability Aspects in Earth Construction YouTube
  5. Advantages, Limitations, Performance Issues & Case Studies YouTube

Week 4

  1. Cob Wall - Material Composition & Preparation, Construction Process YouTube
  2. Cob Wall - Construction Details, Advantages & Disadvantages, Case Study YouTube
  3. Rammed Earth Wall - Material Composition, Preparation & Construction Process YouTube
  4. Rammed Earth Wall - Construction Details, Advantages & Disadvantages, Case Study YouTube
  5. Comparative Performance, Innovation & Adaptive Use or Innovations in Cob & Rammed Earth Walls YouTube

Week 5

  1. Adobe Blocks Material Composition & Preparation, Construction Process YouTube
  2. Adobe Blocks - Construction Details, Advantages & Disadvantages, Case Study YouTube
  3. Stabilized Mud Blocks ( SMB ) - Material Composition & Preparation, Construction Process YouTube
  4. SMB - Construction Details, Advangates & Disadvantages, Case Study YouTube
  5. Comparative Assessment & Innovations in Adobe & Stabilized Mud Blocks YouTube

Week 6

  1. Compressed Stabilized Mud Blocks CSMB Material Composition, Preparation & Construction Process YouTube
  2. CSMB Construction Techniques, Advantages & Disadvantages, Case Study YouTube
  3. Wattle & Daub Construction - Material Composition, Preparation & Construction Process YouTube
  4. Wattle & Daub Wall Construction Details, Advantages & Disadvantages, Case Study YouTube
  5. Comparative Assessment & Innovations in Compressed Stabilized Mud Blocks CSMB & Wattlee & Daub YouTube

Week 7

  1. Bamboo as a Building Material, Properties, Types & Granding of Bamboo YouTube
  2. Bamboo Preservation & Treatment Methods, Advantages & Disadvantages of Bamboo Construction YouTube
  3. Techniques of Cutting, Splicing & Joinery in Bamboo, Bamboo Joinery for Beams & Lashing Techniques YouTube
  4. Bamboo for Foundation, Floors, Roofs, Doors & Windows YouTube
  5. Traditional Knowledge Systems, Contemporary Innovations & Clobal Case Studies in Bamboo Architecture YouTube

Week 8

  1. Introduction & Need for Ferro cement Construction, Properties & Constituents of Ferro cement YouTube
  2. Process & Detailing of Ferro-cement Construction - Advantages & Disadvantages YouTube
  3. Case Study, Emerging Trends, Research Innovations in the Application of Ferro-cement YouTube
  4. Introduction, Need & Properties of Filler Slab Technology, Comparison wit RCC Slabs & Material YouTube
  5. Process & Detailing of Filler Slab Construction, Advantages, Disadvantages Case Study, Emerging Trends, Research Innovations YouTube

Week 9

  1. Introduction & Properties of Fly Ash Bricks; Comparison with Conventional Bricks YouTube
  2. Process & Detailing of Fly Ash Bricks Construction' Advangages, Disadvantages & Case Study YouTube
  3. Introduction & Need for Recycled & Waste Based Materials, Properties & Types of Recycled Con YouTube
  4. Process & Detailing of Recycled Material Construction, Advantages, Disadvantages & Case Study YouTube
  5. Environmental Impact, Standerds & Trends in Fly Ash & Recycled Material Use YouTube

Week 10

  1. Modular Construction, Principles of Modular Coordination, Dimensional Standardization & Grids YouTube
  2. Modular Planning for Housing Layouts, Material Saving Through Modular Design, Advantages & Di YouTube
  3. Introduction to Prefabrication Concepts, Types, Advangages & Disadvangages of Prefabricated C YouTube
  4. Total Prefabrication Systems, Partial Prefabrication & Hybrid Systems, Transportation & Assem YouTube
  5. Case Study, Emerging Tends, Research Innovations in the Application of Moduler Construction YouTube

Week 11

  1. Architect Laurie Baker Design Philosophy, Low Cost Construction Projects YouTube
  2. Architact B V Doshi Design Philosophy, Low Cost Construction Projects YouTube
  3. Shigeru Ban, Anna Heringer, Alejandro Aravena, Diebedo Grancis Kere Design Philosophy, Low YouTube
  4. Centre of Science for Villages Gramopayogi Vigyan Kendra & Sevagram Asharam at Wardha, Aurovi YouTube
  5. About Building Materials & Tchnology Promotion Council BMTPC YouTube

Week 12

  1. Policies & Schemes in Context of 5 Year Plans YouTube
  2. Affordable Housing Schemes PMAY, JNNURM, IAY, RAY YouTube
  3. Emerging Trends & Innovations in Low Cost Construction in India, Case Studies of Affordeble H YouTube
  4. Low Cost Sanitation Techniques, Waste Water Disposal System, Low Cost Sanitation for Rural YouTube
  5. Conclusion & Future Directions in Low Cost Construction YouTube

Syllabus and materials

At NPTEL, as the course publishes them.

Credits and licence

Institution
IIT (BHU) Varanasi
Department
Architecture
Teacher
Prof. Vishal Chettry
Level
Undergraduate
Language
English
Subjects
Art, architecture and design
Source
NPTEL
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA, as NPTEL states it. Non-commercial use only. NPTEL's terms
Attribution
NPTEL states: "Distributed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike / CC BY - NC - SA", beside a BY-NC-SA badge. Coordinated by IIT Madras.
Who can watch
NPTEL gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Tweens profiles and older, judged from what the source says about it. How courses are placed