7.3. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin Scheme

And also, you know, don’t have too many offsets you know here, this is like too many, so symmetrical but still it’s too many offsets in it but then either try to make more of a defined shape because that is where you can even have a diagonal bracings, you can have some kind of support system so, it will; it is at least bound to a; this plan should be square or rectangular, if it is rectangular then you need to have a kind of intermediate support systems into it.

This chunk discusses the importance of structural design when constructing buildings. It emphasizes the need for defined shapes (square or rectangular) to ensure stability. Buildings with symmetrical designs reduce the risk of structural failure, while excess offsets in design can lead to vulnerabilities. Diagonal bracing and support systems are suggested as solutions to enhance strength.

Think of building a tower out of blocks. If you stack them straight and square, they stand tall and strong. But if you stack them unevenly with many protrusions, they might sway and fall. Similarly, buildings must be designed with stable shapes to withstand forces like wind or earthquakes.

Now, asymmetric buildings with empty pockets are more vulnerable to damage because don’t leave these empty pockets, we tried to fill that and that is where these are more stable you know, the symmetric buildings are more stable and also when we say about the row house planning; the row house planning also creates wind tunnel effects because the moment your house is one step to another, next to the shore and then it channels the wind and that is where it can damage the edges of the walls or the corners.

This chunk highlights the dangers associated with asymmetrical building designs. Empty spaces (empty pockets) in buildings increase the risk of damage during natural disasters. It also mentions the concept of row house planning, where consecutive houses can create a wind tunnel effect that intensifies wind pressure on walls leading to potential damage.

Imagine a row of high-fenced houses next to a beach. When strong winds hit, they create a tunnel effect that increases the hurling force at the fences. If the wind is strong enough, it could topple them. Similarly, buildings need careful planning against high winds.

So, that is where you can even you know, now even the zigzag planning avoid wind tunnel effect right, so how actually, you can actually see about, how you can actually, give a little bit of vastness and then reduce it so, the zigzag pattern as well can have some control, it depends on how you are actually orienting it and similarly, the long phase of the building facing the wind direction.

This part discusses the importance of building orientation and the benefits of zigzag designs. Zigzag layouts can mitigate the wind tunnel effect while providing some open space. The way a building faces the wind can also drastically influence its stability and the safety of its structure.

Consider a car driving into strong wind. If it has a flat front, the wind pushes it back harder. But if the car has an angled front (just like a zigzag building), it can slice through the wind more effectively. Buildings, too, need to be angled just right to cope with natural forces.

In fact, if you ever visit in the coastal villages of Tamil Nadu and the coastal areas; most of the times your short phase is of the building is facing the wind direction and whereas, in horizontal phase because that is where they have less number of openings and either that, if they are facing that side and they will have less number of openings and otherwise, if they mostly they orient so, the whole building pattern is like you have the seashore and you have these.

This chunk points out how building materials and design align with local environmental conditions, especially in coastal areas. The shorter sides of buildings often face oncoming winds, and having fewer openings helps reduce wind damage. Material quality and ratios in construction are also discussed, emphasizing that certain mixing ratios (like cement to sand) are crucial for structural integrity.

Think of strong trees that grow in the mountains. They develop thick bark to protect themselves from harsh winds. Similarly, houses must have a solid 'bark' made from quality materials to withstand the challenging conditions of their environment.

And similarly, in terms of the; this particular manuals also talk about the quality control. In terms of quality control, it is also talks about the material, what are the ratios we have to include. So, when we say about do not use cement and sand to be less than 1.6 okay, 1:6, so for 1 cement and 6 part of the sand.

This section discusses disaster management strategies focusing on quality control in materials used in construction. Specific recommended ratios for materials like cement and sand highlight best practices to ensure structures are resilient and can endure challenging weather conditions.

Just like baking a cake requires the right mix of ingredients to ensure it rises properly, building a house needs the right ratios of materials to remain sturdy. If you don’t follow the recipe, your cake (or house) may collapse!

And many of these manuals, when they are published in English, it becomes very hard how a local mason can understand it, so that is where a recent efforts have been done by architect Benny Kuriakose after the recent Kerala floods.

Here, the importance of making design manuals comprehensible for local builders is emphasized. Architect Benny Kuriakose's efforts in creating accessible resources in local languages following the Kerala floods showcase how tailored information can enhance understanding and implementation among local craftsmen.

Imagine trying to follow a complex recipe in a foreign language. It's challenging! However, having the recipe in your native language—and with simplified instructions—makes it much easier to create a delicious meal, much like how local guides can help masons build sturdy homes.

But still, I could show you some images of what his work and it was very diagrammatic and really illustrative work. He looks into the before coming into the solutions, he actually explains the situation of how the causes you know, this is a very important aspect of developing any guidance, so one has to understand the consequences of these disasters and especially, what are the causes; root causes for it.

This segment discusses the need to understand the root causes of disasters before implementing solutions. By analyzing situations following the floods and how construction near rivers changed, Kuriakose emphasizes learning from past mistakes to avoid future construction errors.

It's like understanding why a particular route keeps flooding before deciding to build a new road. Without addressing the cause—like drainage—simply constructing a road won't prevent future floods.

And whether it is the form of orientation, whether it is the type of construction, whether it is a citing out you know, so this all for instance, here, you have these normal setup where you have the river level and all of them have built on the top, on the mountains and then the average flood level in case, it might have reached here but then because, after the construction of dams...

This chunk covers the impact of floods and water levels on construction practices. It discusses how improper construction near riverbeds can lead to devastating flooding effects, highlighting the need for careful planning and geographical awareness.

Picture a sandcastle built too close to the tide. As the water rises, the castle washes away. It’s crucial to assess where you build to avoid disaster, just as we need to think carefully about building near rivers.

Now, there are different ways of; he explains different scales of these cracks for instance, if it is a smaller crack what to do is; we making a V groove and removal of loose particles, then insertion of stone chips, so there is a Gelatin technique...

This section introduces retrofitting techniques to strengthen building structures post-damage. It explains how addressing cracks promptly using specific methods can prolong the integrity of buildings after natural disasters.

Consider fixing a chipped mug. By smoothing the edges (V groove), adding glue (stone chips), and ensuring it sets properly (curing), you can restore its function. Buildings too need similar care when they have cracks to ensure they last longer.

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