Bio Bricks from Agri waste

The researchers from IIT Hyderabad and School of Architecture, Bhubaneswar have developed bio-bricks from agricultural waste. The product serves dual purposes of development of eco-friendly sustainable material and also waste management.

The Process

• The Bagasse from agricultural waste is chopped to desired size.
• A lime-based slurry is prepared.
• The chopped agro-waste is added to the slurry and mixed thoroughly using a mixer to form a homogenous mixture.
• The mixture is then poured into the molds.
• The molds are then rammed with wooden blocks to create compact bricks.
• The bricks attain strength after a month of air drying.

Significance

• The bricks are made from agro-waste like wheat straw, paddy straw, sugarcane bagasse and cotton plant.
• Bio-bricks are more sustainable than clay bricks.
• They also act as carbon sinks as they fix more carbon dioxide than they produce during their lifecycle.
• The bricks also provide good insulation to heat and sound
• They help in maintaining humidity of buildings and make the house more suitable for hot-humid climates.

The bricks will help in building climate change resilient homes. In India as 84 to 141 million tons of agricultural wastes are burnt causing severe air pollution, these steps help in reducing these incidents.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2019