IT & Robotics in Construction

Introduction
 The construction process refers to the whole life cycle of a building, from conception to design,
construction and maintenance.
 The construction process is often a lengthy and complex one involving clients, architects,
consultants, contractors and suppliers.
 Although the construction industry is lagging behind other industries in adopting IT, the
penetration of computers in construction has been gathering pace in recent years due to rapid
improvements in computer hardware and software.

Eleven stages in construction process

 Appraisal
 Strategic briefing
 Outline proposals
 Detailed proposals
 Final proposals
 Production information
 Tender documentation
 Tender action
 Mobilization
 Construction to practical completion
 After practical completion

Five Phases of Construction

 Requirement Analysis phase– Appraisal, strategic briefing.
 Design phase – outline proposals, detailed proposals, final proposals & production of information stages.
 Tendering phase – Tender documentation & tender action stages.
 Construction phase – Mobilization and construction to practical completion stages.
 Maintenance phase – After practical completion stage.

Computerization in construction
 The growing importance of computers is indicated by the steady increase of R & D activities in
this area.
 More & more software packages are becoming available to all disciplines of the construction team
at all stages of the construction process.
 They provide support for a broad range of activities such as computer aided design and drafting,
building visualization, design appraisal, project management, information storage and retrieval,
cost estimating, structural analysis, on-site management, facilities management and others.

IT Applications in Construction
 Business & information management
 Computer aided design & visualization
 Building engineering applications
 Computer aided cost estimating
 Planning, scheduling, controlling & site management
 Computer aided facilities management
 Integration of all the above
Business and Information Management
 The construction process is an information intensive one during which a huge amount of
information is generated and consumed by all the professionals involved.
The common type of information includes site survey, cost analysis, design drawings,
specifications, regulations, bill of quantities, project planning, job costing and estimates, etc.
An Electronic Document Management System can be created to achieve easy access and
control.
Business and Information Management
Computer analytical systems could support design decision making by enabling designers to test
and evaluate design alternatives rapidly in the search for an optimum solution.

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 Computer information management systems could offer instant access to accumulated
knowledge in the building industry.
CAD & Visualization
Computer drafting systems could free designers from distracting and unproductive activities,
allowing them to concentrate on the creative aspects of design.
Some architecture-specific CAD systems, such as AutoCAD Architectural Desktop, even provide
graphical libraries of commonly used building elements such as doors, windows, etc.
The real strength of CAD lies in its ability to allow „editing‟. Once a graphic is drawn, functions
such as delete, move, copy, rotate, scale, mirror, etc., can be applied to any part of it.
CAD & Visualization
 Computer Aided Design (CAD) software is widely used by design professionals.
 AutoCAD has the largest share of the CAD market.
 Other popular CAD packages include Microstation, ArchiCAD, MiniCAD, FastCAD, etc.
 The basic function of CAD packages is that they allow the user to build up drawings by
manipulating lines, circles, rectangles and texts interactively on the screen.
CAD & Visualization
 Visualization and animation systems, like 3D studio, can produce photo-realistic, static and
moving images so that the clients can view the final appearance of the building at the design
stage.
 The emerging Virtual Reality (VR) technology even allows the user to interact with the design
model and experience the building in simulated reality settings.
Building Engineering Applications
 Clients of the construction industry want their buildings to look good visually, to be safe
structurally, to provide comfortable living environments for their occupants and to consume less
energy in operation, etc.
 These demands on the building design process have given rise to the need for a new approach to
building engineering design, based on computer software.
Building Engineering Applications
 Once a building is constructed, it is very costly to correct any design defects.
 It is therefore important to simulate accurately the building‟s performance at the design stage so
that problems can be identified and solved.
 A range of building engineering applications have been developed for energy analysis, HVAC
design, structural analysis, lighting simulation, etc. which will help designers to evaluate
alternative design solutions in order to reach optimum design.
Building Engineering Applications
 CADLink from Cymap and the HEVACOMP package both offer a comprehensive range of
software options for energy, lighting, and building services design.
 Energy consumption of buildings can be undertaken to calculate the cooling, heating , lighting
and equipment costs based on plant efficiencies, building and plant operating times as well as
diversity of occupation.

Cymap – Energy Consumption

Computer Aided Cost Estimating

 Controlling costs is one of the most important requirements of a construction project. To achieve
this control, contractors and sub-contractors must first perform an accurate cost estimation to
establish spending targets.
 Rigorous project accounting must then be employed to ensure that the actual spending will not
exceed the target. Although it is possible to perform these tasks manually, computers can provide
faster and more accurate answers.
 Cost estimates & cost control are essential tasks throughout the whole life cycle of a construction
project. They are usually carried out by cost consultants or quantity surveyors.
 Spread Sheet Applications
 By using in-built formulae

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  Doing „What if analysis‟ i.e., the fact that, by changing a parameter all results will be correctly
updated, will save a lot of recalculation effort.
 Graphical outputs – by using charts etc.
 Bidding & estimating Software, sub applications of Auto CAD etc.
 proBID+, proEST+, QE-pro etc.
Planning, Scheduling &Site Management
 It is a common misconception that computers are of little help on a building site because on-site
operation is mainly physical work. In fact construction work requires careful planning and skilful
management of human and physical resources.
 Computer systems can assist on-site managers to plan ahead, evaluate different options, adopt
and execute the most efficient construction operation.
 On site operations can in fact be simulated by computer to ensure that the various activities are
properly synchronized.
 Widely used planning softwares are Microsoft Project and Primavera.
TM
MS project 2007 & Primavera P 6.0(P6 )
Computer Aided Facilities Management
Facilities management is a relatively new discipline and it reflects the wide recognition of the importance
of the building operation & maintenance and the impact they have on the life cycle of a building.
The software available for FM has developed from a combination of CAD and database management
systems.
Integration
 Different IT applications are developed by different vendors.
 They use their own data formats, which are not compatible with each other.
 Advances in object oriented programming, database management systems and product data
modelling technologies have provided a solid platform for integration.
ENSOFT INDIA
 Ensoft Systems are specialized in development of Engineering Softwares and introduced a
series of softwares for Civil Engineering Construction Applications.
 Build-Master for RCC Building, Design, Drawing and Estimation.
 Steel-Master for Structural Steel Designing.
 Draft-Aid for Steel Fabrication Drawings and BOM.
 Rate-Anly for Rate Analysis of Construction Items.
 Road-Master for Earthwork calculations of Road and Land survey works.
 Build-Quant for Quantity Estimation of Buildings using CAD drawings.
 FORMULATOR for Project Quantity Estimation.
Technology Development Centre
CASTeR (Computer Aided Soil Test Report) is the state-of-the-art and most efficient soil test report
generating software catering to the needs of practicing Geotechnical Engineers.
CASTeR, truly a client server in behavior, takes away the pains of manual report generation
comprehensively and allows the Geotechnical Expert to enjoy more space to efficaciously optimize his
capabilities and skills towards perfect and accurate decision making.
CASTeR, allows you to produce professional quality in highly customized graphs/plots & calculation. It
also calculates several other parameters associated with the plots/graph.
CASTeR can be made GIS enabled. In a Geo-coded MAP different Soil Test Reports at different
locations can be viewed, compared and analysed.
Technology Development Centre
GTeCS (GeoTechnical Computational Software) is another software in the field of geotechnical
engineering being developed by TDC.
Such a software will encircle the entire gamut of this profession so far as the analysis is concerned.

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Amongst others it will have the modules for Slope Stability, Bearing Capacity, Pile Capacity,
Underreamed Pile Capacity, etc.

Technology Development Centre

Research Engineers International (REI)
 The LARSA structural analysis engine has been in commercial use for over 25 years.
 It was originally developed to perform nonlinear static analysis of structures that have large
displacements such as suspension and cable stayed bridges and guyed towers.
th th
 In 2001, LARSA released the 6 version of its product, LARSA 2000/4 Dimension, which
included new analytical features like influence line based moving load analysis, staged
construction analysis, time dependent construction analysis etc.
Deca Soft Engineers
 DecaPlot D2D is a software product that produces automatically Detailed Working Structural
Drawings with Reinforcement Details and Bar Bending Schedule for Foundations, Columns,
Beams and Slabs of R.C.C. Framed Structures from STAAD results, as per the relevant IS Codes
in combination with the prevalent good engineering practices of the country.
 The Drawings produced are in AutoCAD format and can be edited, if required.
Enterprise Resource Planning
An integrated information system that serves all departments within an enterprise.
 Evolving out of the manufacturing industry, ERP implies the use of packaged software rather than
proprietary software written by or for one customer.
 ERP modules may be able to interface with an organization's own software with varying degrees
of effort, and, depending on the software, ERP modules may be alterable via the vendor's
proprietary tools as well as proprietary or standard programming languages.
 An ERP system can include software for manufacturing, order entry, accounts receivable and
payable, general ledger, purchasing, warehousing, transportation and human resources.
 The major ERP vendors are SAP, PeopleSoft, Oracle, Baan and J.D. Edwards. Lawson Software
specializes in back-end processing that integrates with another vendor's manufacturing system.
SAP for Engineering, Construction & Operations
 SAP for EC&O is a comprehensive set of solutions that provide powerful software to manage
engineering, construction, and operations, including plant contracting, home building, and
shipbuilding.
 With SAP for EC&O solutions, you can coordinate complex projects and adopt new technologies.
 The solutions support and enhance all business processes within project and plant life cycles, so
you can increase your performance and become more competitive by collaborating closely with
suppliers, subcontractors, operators, and customers. And you can do all of it regardless of your
company's size.
SAP for Engineering, Construction & Operations
SAP – Screen shot
SAP-Quadra an ERP designed for the construction industry
The solution can be classified into Contractor Suite and Builder Suite.
Contractor Suite features pre and post tender estimation, labour management, purchase and inventory
management, billing and MIS based solutions.
Whereas the Builder Suite has estimation and costing, labour management, client management, billing
and site management.
SAP-Quadra
AURIGO-BRIX
 Solutions for Architecture, Engineering & Construction Industry
 Project Cost Estimation & Bid Management
 Electronic Bidding (tendering)
 Contract Management
 Project scheduling, via integration with tools such as Primavera and Microsoft Project Server
 Project accounting via integration with ERP systems from Microsoft, SAP and Oracle
Robotics in construction

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Robotics
 Robots are computer controlled machine tools that can be programmed to perform tasks that are
monotonous, dangerous, or tiring, where they are often more productive than their human
counterparts.
 These machines can sense changes in the environment and take limited action based on the
information.

Rain Water Harvesting

 Rain water harvesting is the gathering or accumulating and storing of rainwater.
 Traditionally, rainwater harvesting has been practiced in arid and semi-arid areas, and has
provided drinking water, domestic water, water for livestock, water for small irrigation and a way
to replenish ground water levels.
 It is the principle of harvesting rain water from a catchment.
 Rain water harvesting is gaining popularity & it traces it's history to biblical times.
 Extensive rain water harvesting apparatus existed 4000 years ago in the Palestine and Greece.
 As early as the third millennium BC, farming communities in Baluchistan and Kutch impounded
rain water and used it for irrigation dams.
Traditional Systems
 Many water harvesting structures and water conveyance systems specific to the eco-regions and
culture has been developed in India.
 They harvested the rain drop directly. From rooftops, they collected water and stored it in tanks
built in their courtyards. From open community lands, they collected the rain and stored it in
artificial wells.
 They harvested monsoon runoff by capturing water from swollen streams during the monsoon
season and stored it various forms of water bodies.
1. Trans-Himalayan Region - Zing
2. Western Himalaya – Kul, Naula, Kuhl, Khatri
3. Eastern Himalaya - Apatani
4. Northeastern Hill Ranges – Zabo , Cheo-oziihi , Bamboo drip irrigation
5. Brahmaputra valley – Dongs , Dungs/jampois
6. Indo-Gangetic Plains - Ahars-pynes, Bengal's Inundation channels, Dighis, Baolis
7. Thar Desert - Kunds/kundis, Kuis/beris, Baoris/bers, Jhalaras, Nadi, Tobas , Tankas, Khadins,
Vav/Vavdi/Baoli/Bavadi , Virdas, Paar
8. Central Highlands - Talab/Bandhis , Saza Kuva, Johads, Naada/bandh, Pat, Rapat ,
9. Eastern highlands - Katas/Mundas/Bandhas
10. Deccan Plateau – Cheruvu, Kohli tanks, Bhandaras, Phad, Kere, The Ramtek Model
11. Western Ghats - Surangam
12. Western coastal plains – Virdas
13. Eastern Ghats - Korambu
14. Eastern Coastal Plains - Eri, Ooranis
15. The Islands - JackWells

Traditional systems-A “tanka” to collect rain water in Jodhpur, Rajastan

View of a johad at a village Thathawatta, Rajastan
Traditional systems-Community underground cistern in Iran
Traditional systems- Clay lined water cellar in China
Urban RWH
 Urban centres in India are facing on one hand acute water scarcity and on the other, the streets
are often flooded during the monsoons.
 All these cities receive good rainfall, but this rainfall occurs during short spells of high intensity.
(Most of the rain falls in just 100 hours out of 8,760 hours in a year).
 Because of such short duration of heavy rain, most of the rain falling on the surface tends to flow
away rapidly leaving very little for recharge of groundwater.
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  Most of the traditional water harvesting systems in cities have been neglected and fallen into
disuse, worsening the urban water scenario. One of the solutions to the urban water crisis is
rainwater harvesting - capturing the runoff.

Why to harvest rain?

 In areas where there is inadequate GW supply or surface resources are insufficient, RWH offers
an ideal solution.
 Helps in utilizing the primary source of water and prevent the runoff from going into sewer or
storm drains, thereby reducing the load on treatment plants.
 Reduces urban flooding
 Recharging water into the aquifers help in improving the quality of existing GW through dilution.
Rain water harvesting – the need of the hour
 Rapidly developing countries are facing growing pressure on their finite water resources (India &
China).
 Ambitious goals of “clean water supply provision for all” were met in only a few developing
countries.
 70% of our inland water has been contaminated due to industrial/sewage pollution.
Rain water harvesting – the need of the hour
 India is facing acute water scarcity in many states
 Water table in cities falling nearly 2.0 m a year due to the excessive consumption of water.
 Per-capita availability has come down from 6500cum to 2500cum per annum (The Energy
Research Institute-TERI- survey).
 As per the Washington based Worldwatch Institute, India will be highly water stressed country
from 2020 onwards (water stress means that less than 1000 cum of water will be available per
person per annum).
Rain water harvesting – the need of the hour
The use of water across the globe, has increased six fold over the last century more than twice
the rate of population growth.
 With one sixth of the world‟s population India needs to address the issue of RWH on war footing.
 India recognized the important role that traditional RWH technologies can play in integrated
water resources management.
Rain water harvesting – the need of the hour
 Surface water availability is less than demand, due to which dependence on groundwater has
increased. This has resulted in the depletion of groundwater resources.
 Urbanization has resulted in the increased paved area and reduced surface area for infiltration.
This has resulted in following phenomena
 Deepening of water levels & drying up of wells.
 Increased pumping costs.
 Sea water ingress in case of mining in coastal aquifers.
 Hence there is an urgent need to augment the groundwater resources.
The Water Harvesting Potential
 The total amount of water that is received in the form of rainfall over an area is called the
rainwater endowment of that area.
 Out of this, the amount that can be effectively harvested is called the water harvesting
potential .
Influencing factors
A) Rainfall
i)Quantity:
To determine the potential rainwater supply for a given catchment, reliable rainfall data are required,
preferably for a period of at least 10 years.
ii)Pattern:
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The number of annual rainy days also influences the need and design for rainwater harvesting.
If the dry period is too long, big storage tanks would be needed to store rainwater.
In such regions, it is more feasible to use rainwater to recharge groundwater aquifers rather than for
storage.
B) Catchment area characteristics
Runoff depends upon the area and type of the catchment over which it falls as well as surface features.
Runoff coefficient for any catchment is the ratio of the volume of water that runs off a surface to
the volume of rainfall that falls on the surface.
Runoff coefficient accounts for losses due to spillage, leakage, infiltration, catchment surface wetting
and evaporation, which will all contribute to reducing the amount of runoff.
Water harvesting potential = Rainfall (mm) x Area of catchment x Runoff coefficient

Rain water harvesting system

Storage of rainwater at the surface / below the ground for concurrent use.
Rainwater can be stored and used directly and groundwater conserved is saved.
In case of poor quality of water supply, mixing can improve the quality of water.
Recharge to groundwater.

Harvesting System

From where to harvest rain

Rooftops: If buildings with impervious roofs are already in place, the catchment area is effectively
available free of charge and they provide a supply at the point of consumption.
Paved and unpaved areas i.e., landscapes, open fields, parks, storm water drains, roads and
pavements and other open areas can be effectively used to harvest the runoff. The main advantage in
using ground as collecting surface is that water can be collected from a larger area. This is particularly
advantageous in areas of low rainfall.
Water bodies: The potential of lakes, tanks and ponds to store rainwater is immense. The harvested
rainwater can not only be used to meet water requirements of the city, it also recharges groundwater
aquifers.
Storm water drains: Most of the residential colonies have proper network of storm water drains. If
maintained neatly, these offer a simple and cost effective means for harvesting rainwater.

Whether to store rainwater or use it for recharge

 Depends on the rainfall pattern and the potential to do so, in a particular region.
 The sub-surface geology also plays an important role in making this decision.
 For example, Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat where the total annual rainfall occurs during 3 or 4
months, are examples of places where groundwater recharge is usually practiced.
 In places like Kerala, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and Bangalore where rain falls throughout the year
barring a few dry periods, one can depend on a small sized tank for storing rainwater, since
the period between two spells of rain is short.
Whether to store rainwater or use it for recharge
 Wherever sub-strata is impermeable recharging will not be feasible. Hence, it would be ideal to
opt for storage.
 In places where the groundwater is saline or not of potable standards, the alternate system
could be that of storing rainwater.
 Beyond generalizations, it is the requirement that governs the choice of water harvesting
technique.
 For example, in Ahemadabad, which has limited number of rainy days as that of Delhi, traditional
rainwater harvesting tanks, known as tankas, are used to store rainwater even today in
residential areas, temples and hotels.

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Components of Rainwater Catchment Systems
 A catchment surface where the rainwater is collected.
 A delivery system for transporting the water from the catchment to storage reservoirs e.g. gutters,
drains, pipes etc.
 A storage reservoir where the rainwater is stored until required, and the filter pit where the water
is filtered.
The bore well provided to recharge the ground water.
Catchment Surfaces
Variety of catchment surfaces range from natural sloping soil or rock surfaces to artificially treated,
constructed or compacted catchments.
Purpose built catchments can be constructed from various materials including cement tiles or metal
sheets.
Key requirements for a catchment surface is that it has to be impermeable and does not seriously
contaminate the water.
Catchment Surfaces
 Roof Catchments
 Ground catchments
 Rock Catchments
Roof Catchments
 In India, corrugated iron sheets, Mangalore tiles, asbestos cement sheets, and even the RCC
slabs replaced traditional roofing materials such as grass, thatch, clay tiles etc. in rural areas.
 In towns and cities mostly RCC slabs are used as roof.
Catchment with RCC Slab of 200 Sqm Area
Ground Catchments
 All systems which use the ground surface as a catchment area – include natural, treated and
covered surfaces.
 Surfaces such as roads, runways, pavements, car parks, and court yards are designed to shed
water and thus all provide potentially useful catchment areas.
Rock catchments
 Rock catchments are a type of ground catchments systems.
 They are different from other ground catchment systems, having several distinctive features such
as gravity flow supplies.
 Constructed for community supplies in areas with suitable rock out crops.
 The runoff is channeled along stone and cement gutters constructed on the rock surface into the
reservoirs constructed by concrete or stone masonry dams.
 The rainwater also can be diverted through the filter pit/chamber and then to the underground
water tank, and the bore-well dug nearby, to re-charge the ground water.
 Massive unjointed rock surfaces provide excellent catchment surfaces and can yield large
quantities of water - 100mm of rain equal to 1000cum water per hectare.

Roof Catchment System Components

Components - Gutters
 Channels all around the edge of a sloping roof to collect and transport RW to the storage tank.
 Gutters can be semi-circular or rectangular and could be made using:
 Locally available material such as plain galvanized iron sheet (20 to 22 gauge), folded to required
shapes.
 Semi-circular gutters of PVC material can be readily prepared by cutting those pipes into two
equal semi-circular channels.
 Bamboo trunks cut vertically in half.
 The size of the gutter should be according to the flow during the highest intensity rain. It is
advisable to make them 10 to 15 % oversize.
 Gutters need to be supported so they do not sag or fall off when loaded with water.

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  It is possible to fix iron or timber brackets into the walls, but for houses having wider eaves, some
method of attachment to the rafters is necessary.
Conduits
 Conduits are pipelines or drains that carry rainwater from the catchment or rooftop area to the
harvesting system.
 Conduits can be of any material like PVC or GI or materials that are commonly available.
 The diameter of pipe required for draining out RW is based on rainfall intensity and roof area.
First-flushing
A first flush device is a valve that ensures that runoff from the first spell of rain is flushed out and does
not enter the system.
This needs to be done since the first spell of rain carries a relatively larger amount of pollutants from
the air and catchment surface.
Filter
The filter is used to remove suspended pollutants from rainwater collected over roof.
A filter unit is a chamber filled with filtering media such as fibre, coarse sand and gravel layers to
remove debris and dirt from water before it enters the storage tank or recharge structure.
Charcoal can be added for additional filtration.
Charcoal water filter
A simple charcoal filter can be made in a drum or an earthen pot. The filter is made of gravel, sand and
charcoal, all of which are easily available.

Sand filters
 Sand filters have commonly available sand as filter media.
 Sand filters are easy and inexpensive to construct.
 These filters can be employed for treatment of water to effectively remove turbidity (suspended
particles like silt and clay), colour and micro-organisms.
 In a simple sand filter that can be constructed domestically, the top layer comprises coarse sand
followed by a 5-10 mm layer of gravel followed by another 5-25 cm layer of gravel and boulders.

Sand filters
a) Dewas filter
 The district administration of Dewas, Madhya Pradesh initiated a groundwater recharge scheme.
The rooftop water was collected and allowed to pass through a filter system called the Dewas
filter.
 The filter consists of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe 140 mm in diameter and 1.2m long.
 There are three chambers. The first purification chamber has pebbles varying between 2-6 mm,
the second chamber has slightly larger pebbles, between 6 and 12 mm and the third chamber
has the largest - 12-20 mm pebbles. The water thus filtered is put into the service tube well.
 There is a mesh at the outflow side through which clean water flows out after passing through
the three chambers.
The cost of this filter unit is Rs 600/-.
Dewas filter
Filter for large rooftops
 When RW is harvested in a large rooftop area, the filtering system should accommodate the
excess flow.
 A system is designed with three concentric circular chambers in which the outer chamber is
filled with sand, the middle one with coarse aggregate and the inner-most layer with pebbles.
 This way the area of filtration is increased for sand, in relation to coarse aggregate and pebbles.
Rainwater reaches the centre core and is collected in the sump where it is treated with few
tablets of chlorine and is made ready for consumption.
Varun

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'VARUN' is made from a 90 litre HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene) drum. The lid is turned over and
holes are punched in it. This is the first sieve which keeps out large leaves, twigs etc.
Rainwater coming out of the lid sieve then passes through three layers of sponge and a 150 mm thick
layer of coarse sand.
Presence of sponge makes the cleaning process very easy. Remove the first layer of sponge and
soak/clean it in a bucket of water. The sand needs no cleaning at all.
2
'VARUN' can handle a 50 mm/h intensity rainfall from a 50 m roof area.
The basic cost of the filter is about Rs 2250/-
Varun
b) Horizontal roughing filter and slow sand filter
The major components of this filter are 1) Filter channel
1.0 m2 in cross-section and 8m in length, laid across the tank embankment, the filter channel consists of
three uniform compartments, the first packed with broken bricks, the second with coarse sand,
followed by fine sand in the third compartment.
The HRF usually consists of filter material like gravel and coarse sand that successively decreases in
size from 25 mm to 4 mm. The bulk of solids in the incoming water is separated by this coarse filter
media or HRF.
At every outlet and inlet point of the channel, fine graded mesh is implanted to prevent entry of finer
materials into the sump.
The length of a channel varies according to the nature of the site selected for the sump.
The introduction of HRF/SSF to treat surface water has made safe drinking water available in coastal
pockets of Orissa.
Horizontal roughing filter and slow sand filter

2) Sump
A storage provision to collect filtered water from the tank through the filter channel for storage and
collection.
While HRF acts as a physical filter and is applied to retain solid matter, SSF is primarily a biological
filter, used to kill microbes in the water.
Both filter types are generally stable, making full use of the natural purification process of harvested
surface water and do not require any chemicals.
Horizontal roughing filter and slow sand filter
Rain PC
 AcquaSure, a consortium of Netherlands-based companies, has developed a system for the
conversion of RW to drinking water in the form of a Rainwater Purification Centre (RainPC).
 RainPC is developed by scaling down the multi-staged water treatment method (MST), which
involves screening, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration and incorporating existing
technologies like upward flow fine filtration, absorption and ion exchange.
 Coming in a small compact 26 kg unit, the RainPC offers an affordable solution by converting
RW into drinking water.

Rain PC
 RainPC is made of UV resistant poly-ethylene housing and cover, stainless steel rods and bolts,
a nickel-brass valve and an adapter for maintaining constant volume.
 Xenotex-A and activated carbon cartridges along with micro-membrane filtration modules
incorporated in the RainPC has the capacity to deal with E-coli and the potential of meeting the
WHO water regulation standards.
 The components can also be transported individually to be assembled at the site.
 This technology is ideally suited for virtually any situation and is a blessing particularly for those
who have little or no access to regular safe drinking water.
Salient features of Rain PC
 Simple straight-forward installation
 Easy to operate and maintain
 Needs no power and operates at low gravity pressure

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  The system is capable of providing a constant flow of about 40 liters of rainwater per hour,
enough for a family of five for drinking, cooking and bathing purposes.
 Maintains nearly constant volume irrespective of water pressure.
 The Xenotex-A and activated carbon cartridge processes up to 20,000 liters and can be
regenerated up to 10 times.
 Cost per 1000 litres is as low as US $ 2 to 3.
Rainwater harvester
 EA Water Pvt Ltd has launched a unique Rainwater Harvester, which filters runoff water from
roads, which generally contains oil and grease.
 This system has been installed in the Gymkhana club, Sector-15, Faridabad, Haryana.
 This water harvesting system has a sand filter, which filters silt from runoff harvested from roof,
lawns and parking area.
 The cost of the filter is around Rs 60,000/-.

Recharge structures
 Rainwater may be charged into the groundwater aquifers through any suitable structures like
dugwells, borewells, recharge trenches and recharge pits.
 Various recharge structures are possible - some which promote the percolation of water through
soil strata at shallower depth (e.g., recharge trenches, permeable pavements) whereas others
conduct water to greater depths from where it joins the groundwater (e.g. recharge wells).
 At many locations, existing structures like wells, pits and tanks can be modified as recharge
structures, eliminating the need to construct any structures afresh.
Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting
 Rainwater on the roof top can be collected and diverted into a sump and can be used directly with
the existing pumping facility.
 During the rainy days/months, use of groundwater/regular water supply can be deferred to the
later date.
 Rainwater can also be used to recharge groundwater reservoir through following structures
 Recharge pits
 Recharge Trenches
 Recharge through dugwells
 Recharge through tubewells
 Vertical recharge shaft

Recharge Pits
 Recharge pits are to be used for recharging shallow aquifers.
 They are generally 1.0 – 2.0 m wide & 2.0 – 3.0 m deep.
 The pits are refilled with boulders, gravels & coarse sands.
 Size of filter materials are as follows
 Coarse sand :1.5 - 2.0 mm
 Gravels :5.0 - 10.0 mm
 Boulders :5.0 - 20.0 mm

Artificial recharge

Recharge Trench
 Recharge Trench is constructed when permeable strata of adequate thickness is available at
shallow depth.
 Dimension of the trench in general is 0.5 -1.0 m wide, 1.0 - 1.5m deep and 10 – 20 m long
depending upon the availability of land and run off.
 Trenches are constructed across the land slope.
 The trenches are filled with pebbles and boulders.
 It is suitable for buildings having a greater roof area ( 200 - 300 sq.m).
Recharge Trench
Recharging through trench
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Construction details of recharge trench
Recharge through dug well
An existing dug well can be used as recharge structure.
The bottom of the well should be cleaned and all fine materials to be removed.
The recharge water is guided through a pipe to the bottom of well or below the water level to avoid
scouring of bottom and entrapment of air bubbles in the aquifer.
Recharge water should be silt free.
It should be cleaned regularly.
It is suitable for buildings having a greater roof area (more than 1000 sq. m).
Recharge through roof top of individual house
Recharge Shafts
 Recharge Shaft is dug manually in general.
 Diameter of recharge shaft is normally more than 2.0 m depending upon the availability of water
to be recharged.
 Depth of recharge shaft varies from 10 to 15 m.
 It is preferred in places where the aquifer to be recharged is below clayey layer.
 Recharge shaft is back filled with boulders, gravels & coarse sand.
It should end in more permeable strata.
Recharging through shaft
Recharge shaft with Injection well
 Injection well can be combined with Recharge Shaft.
 It is preferred at places where the aquifer to be recharged is at a depth more than 20 m and
overlain by clayey layer.
 The injection well is to be constructed at the bottom of the shaft.
 The diameter of the injection well may be 100 - 150 mm
 The injection well may be filled with gravels.
Artificial recharge in the apartment areas
Recharge through bore well in hard rock area
Recharge with excess rainwater from water tank through hand pump
2
 Suitable for the catchment areas of about 150 m .
 The outlet pipe of the water tank is connected to small sump and the water collected in the sump
is diverted to the bore-well through the hand pump.
 A closing valve is fixed in the conveyance system, very near the hand pump, to avoid the entry
of air in the suction pipe.
Recharging groundwater aquifer with hand-pump with excess water from GL tank
Complete Rainwater Harvesting Scheme with RCC Flat Slab Roof Catchment, of Area 500 sqm. or
more
Dug wells for ground catchments
A novel proposal suggested by the then Honourable President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam in his
th
address to the nation on 14 August 2005 to avoid water logging on city roads causing lot of traffic
problems and also to conserve the precious rainwater which would otherwise go as waste through
drains.
Dug wells for ground catchments
Case study Rain water harvesting in President’s estate, New Delhi
President's Estate, has a campus area of about 1.3 sq.km.
 One injunction well and one recharge shaft have been constructed and two recharge trench with
bore wells are under construction.
 These structures are to be used for harvesting the rainfall in addition to the two existing dug wells.
 The findings of the recharge impact assessment study carried out during monsoon 2000 are
given below.
 Monsoon rainfall : 820.9 mm
 Runoff Availability : 36100 cum
 Recharge to groundwater : 7500 cum
 Rise in water level : 0.94 - 2.32 m

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Precautions to be adopted while recharging the groundwater
At the catchment level
 Keep the catchment clean.
 Using gratings to trap debris at catchment level.
 Paving the catchment with ceramic tiles, stone tiles or other such non-erosive materials.
 In sloping roofs keep the top sheets and the gutter clean.
 Keep the pipes including the down take pipes and also the channel clean, by providing grating
to the pipes.
 Provision of first flush to drain runoff from initial spell of rain shall be made.
At filtration level
 The filtration chamber should be cleaned at least annually replacing the filter media as far as
possible.
At storage level
 A proper storing arrangement must be provided.
 Inlet and overflow connections should be fixed with gratings.
 Provide suitable wire mesh to ventilators.
 Man holes must always be kept closed.
\
Treatment of stored rain water
Chlorination
Use of filters
-Sand filters
-Charcoal filters
Other treatments
-Boiling
-Sunlight
-Chlorine substitutes
Benefits
 Ideal for water shortage areas needing augmentation & provides self sufficiency to your water
supply.
 Provides high quality water, soft and low in minerals.
 Mitigation of drought & achievement of drought proofing.
 Reduction in runoff & hence curtailment of choking of drains.
 Reduction in flooding of roads.
 Rise in the groundwater levels.
 Prevention of soil erosion.
 Saving of energy for lifting of groundwater.
 Less expensive and is easy to construct & maintain.

Renewable energy
 Renewable energy can be defined as the energy flows derived from natural sources that are
continuously at work in our environment and are not depleted by being used.
 Renewable energy effectively utilizes natural resources which are naturally replenished.
 Renewable energy is derived from inexhaustible sources such as sun, wind, water, plant material
etc.
 Renewable energy has a key role to play in reducing CO emissions.
2
 Solar radiation is responsible for the majority of renewable energy sources.
 About 18% of global total energy consumption came from renewable sources, with 13% coming
from traditional biomass, such as wood-burning and 3% from hydroelectricity.
 Modern technologies like small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels
accounted for 2.4%.

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  The share of renewables in electricity generation is around 18%, with 15% of global electricity
coming from hydroelectricity and 3.4% from new renewables.
Indian Power Sector & Renewable energy
Renewable energy
 Solar energy
 Wind energy
 Geothermal energy
 Hydro
 Biomass

Renewable energy
Solar energy
 -solar water heating  Source is the sun.
 -producing electricity  Solar energy based technology &
 -solar space heating storage of captured energy is not as
 -solar cooking cheap as the conventional energy.
 -solar air-conditioning  Initial installation
 -solar lighting
 cost is 5% of the capital in houses and pay back time is 5 to 10 years.

Solar water heating

Most effective, affordable, renewable technology for housing.
It can provide 50% of hot water needs over a year.
Technology based on capture of heat from sunlight - solar water heating systems

 A solar collector for heating water consists of thin board (box) with a glass or clear plastic top and
a black bottom with water tubes embedded within.
 When placed towards the sun, the black bottom gets hot as it absorbs sunlight.
 Water circulating through the tubes is thus heated and is conveyed to the tank where it is stored.
 In active system the heated water is moved by pump.
 In passive system, natural convention current is used and the tank is located at a higher altitude
than the collector.
 Recently this solar thermal system is used in heating of swimming pools.

Solar energy – PV systems

Solar photovoltaic uses energy from the sun to create electricity to run appliances and lighting.
Requires only daylight and not direct sunlight.
Do not generate any Green house gases, saving a lot of CO emission per year.
2
Electricity production
 Photovoltaic cell - converting light to electrical energy, this cell provides enough energy to run the
small electric motor needed to turn these fan blades
Solar space heating
Solar air conditioning:
Same as the conventional one but the compressor is powered by solar energy.
Solar cooking:
Auxiliary reflectors were used to reach higher temperature. Heating of pot inside the hot box was done
by direct absorption and by convention.
Solar lighting:
Same collectors are used to tap energy.
Solar power from a parabolic reflector
15
Solar power as it is dispersed on the planet and radiated back to space. Values are in PW =10 W

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Solar Water Heater
Solar Cooker – use sunshine as a source of heat for cooking
Photovoltaic Array
Wind Energy
Wind is due to the temperature difference in the atmosphere and carries kinetic energy.
Early usage: ships, irrigation, drying cloths etc.
Wind mills
Example of a modern wind machines used for producing electric power
Wind mills
 Location of wind mills contribute to their efficiency.
 The following conditions are to be met
 -wind velocity more than 8 km/hr
 -such winds for more than 60% of the day
 -Availability of wind equipment
 -Vanes are to be kept 4.5 to 5 meter above obstacle.
 The gearing of the wind mills should vary with wind conditions.
 Proper design to ensure free pivoting of wind wheels in response to changes in wind direction.
 Protection from strong winds.
An example of a wind turbine. This 3 bladed turbine is the most common design of modern wind
turbines.
Geothermal energy
Energy extracted from the heat trapped in the earth‟s interior.
Geothermal power is energy generated by heat stored beneath the Earth's surface.
The largest group of geothermal power plants in the world is located in The Geysers, a geothermal
field in California.
Energy Extraction
Three general types:
0
Resource that has temperatures above 150 C -for generating electricity.
0 0
Resource that has temperature between 90 C and 150 C - for heating dwellings.
0
Resource that has temperature below 90 C- not worth exploiting.

Hydropower
Hydroelectricity is electricity produced by hydropower.
Hydroelectricity accounting for over 63% of the total electricity from renewables.
Although large hydroelectric installations generate most of the world's hydroelectricity, small hydro
schemes are particularly popular in China, which has over 50% of world‟s small hydro capacity.

Biomass refers to biological material that can be used as fuel.

Most commonly, biomass refers to plant matter grown for use as biofuel, but it also includes plant or
animal matter used for production of fibres, chemicals or heat.
Biomass may also include biodegradable wastes that can be burnt as fuel.

Tidal energy , sometimes called tidal power , is a form of hydropower that exploits the movement of
water caused by tidal currents or the rise and fall in sea levels due to the tides.
Although not yet widely used, tidal power has potential for future electricity generation and is more
predictable than wind energy and solar power.

Wave power refers to the energy of ocean surface waves and the capture of that energy to do useful
work - including electricity generation, desalination etc.
Though often co-mingled, wave power is distinct from tidal power.
Wave power generation is not a widely employed technology, and no commercial wave farm has yet
been established.

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