SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL MUD HOUSES IN JHARKHAND:

ANALYSIS RELATED TO THERMAL COMFORT

ABSTRACT
This paper aims to assess passive solar design techniques and the extent to which they promote high thermal
comfort in a vernacular rural mud house in the state of Jharkhand in India. The study of this mud house provides
an insight for designing an energy efficient rural house that provides thermally comfortable conditions, as well
as leaving behind a very low environmental footprint. The existing realities of the mud house are studied and a
few reforms have been suggested after a thorough study.
Jharkhand has, as per the 2011 census, 75.9 % of its total population living in rural areas, and it is in this context
that the development of proper rural architecture is important. With the energy crisis deepening, the role of the
built environment becomes more significant. Mud has a number of properties which make it a perfectly suitable
material for constructions which aim at achieving thermal comfort at a low cost specially in a climate like that of
Jharkhand. The various parameters which are considered in the study of the existing mud house are
orientation, plan-form, building exposure to sun, surface-volume ratio, openings, shading, building envelope
material, roofing materials and ventilation.
As a tool for studying the thermal comfort conditions inside the mud house and in order to simulate different
thermal conditions, the software Autodesk Ecotect Analysis sustainable design analysis is used. Once the
existing realities of the mud house under the existing conditions is studied, the paper intends to suggest reforms
and a few passive design strategies through which existing conditions in the hut can be improved.
Key Words Mud architecture, Passive Design strategies, Thermal Comfort, Environment Friendliness,
Simulation, Thatch,

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Since the Iron Age, Jharkhand has been a land of thirty different tribes on the Chotanagpur plateau.
Before British colonization in 1870, Jharkhand had an agrarian society. Huts made of mud walls and
thatched roofs were the standard construction. Along with a thermally-responsive construction, the
architecture of Jharkhand also responded to interactive social life by creating community courtyards.
According to available data, these buildings constituted 48% of total residential construction until
1960 (Das & Pushplata, 2005).
Jharkhand has, as per the 2011 census, 75.9 % of its total population living in rural areas, and it is in
this context that the development of proper rural architecture is important. With the energy crisis
deepening, the role of the built environment becomes more significant.
Jharkhand predominantly has two different styles of vernacular houses: huts and havelis. These
houses were constructed, without any mechanical means, in such a manner as to create micro-climates
inside them to provide high thermal comfort levels. Out of these two, mud houses have a lot of
potential to provide both reasonable living conditions and thermal comfort at affordable prices for the
rural people if properly dealt with. 30% of the worlds total population lived in earthen structures in
1990 as reported by Cofirman et al. (1990)
1.1 Typical Existing Vernacular Mud Huts in Jharkhand in rural and suburban areas
1.1.1 Size & Layout
An average hut measured approximately 5 to 6 meters (15 to 18 feet) long and 3 to 4 meters (10 to 12
feet) wide (Dhar, 1992). The huts vary in size. There are also a considerable number of larger huts
that extend up to 12 to 14 meters in length and 8 to 9 meters in width. These huts are arranged in a
linear pattern along the main street of a village, usually amidst a group of bamboo trees. The houses
are normally surrounded by a fence made of bamboo, shrubs, or twigs that defined the boundary
between the public street and the semi-public courtyard area in front and at the rear of the hut. This
open-to-sky courtyard acts as a prime space for the house, especially during the day in winter and in
the evenings in summer. Most day to day activities occur in this space. Often there is a well in this
courtyard that serves as the source for water for drinking, bathing, washing, and cooking. (Figure 1)
People use this courtyard to dry clothes, crops, and eatables during the day time. The aged of the
house use this as a rest area, supervising the children at play.
The houses are often on a raised platform made of compacted earth. The high thermal mass helps to
keep the house cool in the evenings in summer which makes it pleasant for people to rest in the
evenings. The huts normally have minimal openings. Often the only opening on the external walls is
the main door. Some houses have windows, but they are small and placed high to ventilate the indoors
while, at the same time, acting as a visual barrier for the private spaces. The small windows also help
to keep the hot summer sun and cold winter winds out.


Figure 1: Courtyard Type Planning, often with wells provided in the courtyard (source: photographs by author)

1.1.2 Typical mud huts in Jharkhand construction & details
The four types of mud-house construction employed in Jharkhand are:

1. Cob: Fresh lumps of mud [soil & water & local fibre materials] stacked on each other. Made by
stacking lumps of mud. (Figure 2)

2. Wattle and Daub: Woven work of sticks intertwined with twigs or bamboo covered with mud. (Figure
3)

3. Rammed Earth: Damp earth laid between formwork and moulded and compacted by ramming.

4. Straw-bale: Made by plastering the bundle of hay with mud. Out of these, the Cob method &
Wattle and Daub method is the most commonly used in Jharkhand huts. Wattle and Daub was the
method used in the hut studied.

Figure 2: Cob Construction Figure 3: Wattle & Daub
Construction
Source: Uthaipattrakul, Dh. (2004). Mud-house construction technique. Building the house with mud. Suan-
ngarn-mena Press, Bangkok, 27-50.
The hutments were originally built of mud, sticks, grass, and pebbles. These houses were mostly self-
built by family members, sometimes aided by neighbours. Traditional architecture developed its
individuality by tapping nearby resources and exploiting them to confront problems posed by the local
environment (Cooper & Dawson, 1998). The huts were made of local materials. Timber, bamboo,
clay, straw, cow dung, and a special variety of grass were used to build houses (Dhar, 1992). The
walls were made of a special type of mud obtained by souring earth by adding vegetable waste and
leaving it to mature. The decaying waste produced tannic acid and other organic colloids, greatly
improving the muds plasticity (Cooper & Dawson, 1998).(Figure 4) This mud was then mixed with
cow dung, chopped straw, and gravel or stones to make the raw material for the walls. In the Middle
East fibrous ingredients like straw are used to improve tensile strength of mud bricks. Binici et al
(2007) investigated the thermal isolation and mechanical properties of fibre reinforced mud
bricks as wall materials.





Figure 4: Special mud blocks left with vegetable waste matter to mature for wall construction.








Figure 5: Mud wall with wooden-posts of typical hut plan & detail (Reproduced
from Dhar, 1992)






Figure 6: View of decayed thatch roof in a hut over a period of time. (Source: Gautam Avinash(2008), Climate
Responsive Vernacular Architecture: Jharkhand, India, Masters Of Science Thesis, Department of Architecture,
Kansas State University, Manhattan,Kansas.

The walls were formed by applying a thick coat of the mixture on both sides of bamboo mesh that
wrapped around the posts (see figure 5). Sometimes the mesh was made of wooden logs obtained
from sal trees that grow in abundance in this region. The walls are approximately 450 mm (18 inches)
thick. The roof rested on nine wooden posts erected in three rows, with three posts per row, as shown
and purlins that supported the roof structure. The huts usually had a gabled thatch roof. Bamboo sticks
formed the mullions to support the thatch. The thick thatch used as roofing material prevented rain
from entering the house and at the same time provided insulation to the building. While providing
some benefits to the house, thatch had its own drawbacks. It tended to house parasites, rodents, and
birds (see Figure 6). Over time, as an effect of industrial hybridization, the thatch in the huts was
replaced by sun-dried or burnt clay Mangalore tiles that are today more commonly used as roofing
material for the huts as has been done in the house studied. { Gautam Avinash(2008), Climate Responsive
Vernacular Architecture: Jharkhand, India, Masters Of Science Thesis, Department of Architecture, Kansas
State University, Manhattan,Kansas.}

2.0 STUDY & ANALYSIS OF EXISTING MUD HUT.
The hut is located in Mesra village, 16 kms from Ranchi. Its dimension is 12 meters in length by 7
meters in breadth. (Figure 7) It is made of mud walls and has a Mangalore tiled roof. It has 450 mm
thick mud walls and was constructed by wattle and daub construction.
Ranchi has a Sub-Tropical Humid type of climate as per Koppens Classification of Indian Climates.
(Fig 7)
Figure 7: Source: www.ijlct.oxfordjournals.org

Figure 8: Digital Recreation of Study Hut
2.1 Orientation: The mud house has its longer side oriented along East-West Axis. The two doors
are placed in the southern side. (Figure 8)The solitary small void like opening is placed on the
northern wall.


Figure 9: Study Hut, photographs (source: photographs by author)


Figure 10: Ecotect software analysis of simulated study-hut Mean radiant temperature (Thermal Comfort)
inside mud hut at 12 Noon, 1st June. East-West Orientation of house, void (window like smaller opening) on
northern wall.
Analysis: The best orientation for least heat gain for rectangular built form with one side longer than
the other is the longer sides facing the East-South and North-West direction making an angle of about
40 degrees or 45 degrees with the East-West Axis, rather than the longer side of the building aligned
along the East-West Axis as done in the mud house studied. With the longer side orientated along
NW-SE direction heat gained would be even lesser. Thus, with proper orientation, the heat gained by
the mud house would be even lesser. (Figure 11)

Figure 11: Ideal orientation of hut for least solar heat gain in summer & ventilation


Figure 12: Ecotect software analysis of simulated study-hut Mean radiant temperature (Thermal Comfort)
inside mud hut at 12 Noon, 1st June longer side orientated along NW-SE direction, at an angle of 45 degrees to
the East-West Axis. Void on northern wall.

Figure 13: Ecotect software analysis of simulated study-hut Mean radiant temperature (Thermal Comfort)
inside mud hut at 9 AM, 1st June longer side orientated along NW-SE direction, at an angle of 45 degrees to the
East-West Axis. Void on northern wall.


Figure 14: Window on southern face, results in higher average temperature. Not advisable.
2.2 Surface Area to Volume Ratio(S/V): The total surface area (excluding ventilation opening &
including roof area) is 185 square meters in mud hut studied. The total volume is 210 meter cube. The
ratio comes to be 0.88. In composite or sub-tropical humid type climate the S/V ratio should be as low
as possible as this would minimize heat gain.
Analysis: The Surface Area to Volume Ratio can be reduced further by using a domical or vaulted
roof. A domical roof & vaulted roof would further reduce direct heat gain. A vault roof mud-house
with roof made of stabilized mud blocks (composition: soil, sand, lime/cement and water) would be
very helpful in creating better thermal comfort. The vault would also induce better convective air
movement thereby cooling the internal space.
The annual heating and cooling energy saving potential of a vault roof mud-house was determined as
1481 kW h/year and 1813 kW h/year respectively for New Delhi composite climate. The total
mitigation of CO
2
emissions due to both heating and cooling energy saving potential was determined
as 5.2 metric tons/year. A vaulted roof would also increase the attic area, which can act as a thermal
buffer and help in thermal insulation both during summer and winter.


Figure 15: Improved thermal comfort in vaulted roof building made of stabilized mud blocks (composition: soil,
sand, lime/cement and water) (east west orientation)
2.3 Ventilation: The portion through which cool air at night could come in at the top portion of the
roof and through which warm air can go out by convective process has been blocked in this particular
hut due to rain water coming inside the hut during rains. This causes lack of ventilation in summer
and convective air flow at evening and night. A probable solution is to let the openings remain and
cover them by bamboo mesh like surface to stop rain water coming in monsoons. (Figure 16)

Figure 16: Extended Eave projection & bamboo meshing to prevent rain ingress & allow ventilation

Figure 17: Ideal nocturnal ventilative cooling carried out with small gap to allow air-flow.

Figure 18: Heat Gain/Loss Breakdown (Period- 1
st
January to 30
th
June)
The above graph generated through Ecotect software for the period from 1
st
January to 30
th
June
shows, heat gain and heat loss sources. Whereas heat gain is showed through be mainly through
conduction (95.5%), the heat loss is showed to be through a combination of ventilation/air movement
(69.9%) and 28.4% validating the need for ventilative cooling in summer for loss of heat gained
during the day.
2.4 Building Materials: The building material for the walls is mud and the roof material is
Mangalore Tiles. The U value for mud is 3.44 W/sq m K & the U value for Mangalore Tiles is 3.1
W/sq m K.
Analysis: Though U value of Mangalore/Clay Tiles and khapra used is not that high, the insulating
property of thatch is much more, as its U value is even lesser. So in summer, it keeps the inside of the
hut even cooler than clay tiles do. The disadvantages with thatch as mentioned before in this paper
can be mitigated with modern day industrially improved hatch use.
Modern day thatch treated and improved industrially can also be used for mass use in rural areas,
being low cost and having very good thermal properties. Thatch is a natural reed and grass which,
when properly cut, dried, and installed, forms a waterproof roof. The most durable thatching material
is water reed which can last up to 60 years. A water reed thatched roof, 12 inches thick at a pitch
angle of 45 degrees meets the most modern insulation standards. The U-value of a properly thatched
roof is 0.35 W/sq m K, which is equivalent to 4 inches of fibreglass insulation between the joists.
Only in the last decade have building codes begun to demand this level of roof insulation. Yet, thatch
has been providing insulation since much longer.
2.5 Shading: There is no shading except for the projection of the roof. Due to the high solar
elevation angle around noon time during the summer period, solar radiation on south-facing facades is
lower and direct sunlight is easier to shade.
Analysis: If shading is increased by having greater eave projections and also sunken window or
chajjah then heat gained can be considerably reduced.



Figure 19: Thermal Comfort at 9 P.M, 1
st
June at night (Ecotect simulation)



Figure 20: Thermal Comfort at 12 Noon, 1
st
September (Ecotect simulation)

Figure 21: Passive heat gains breakdown in studied hut(10
th
May-10
th
June)





Figure 22: Probable cooling in summer by earth-berming.
3.0 RESULTS OF OCCUPANT-SURVEY
The occupants of the hut moved outdoors during the evenings in summers because of air
movement; air movement inside the house was nearly non-existent. This further necessitates
the use of nocturnal ventilative cooling carried out with small gap to allow air-flow through
slit like openings in the roof with suitable eve-projections.
Despite spending most of their time indoors, washing, bathing, drying of clothes, praying
were done in the courtyard early in the morning when the temperature outside was cooler than
in the afternoon.
The users slept inside the huts throughout the year.
Occupants of the entire hut felt more comfortable all day inside the house during summer
because it was relatively cooler inside than out.
Some occupants said temperature was most uncomfortable in summer and winter. They also
felt humidity and lack of air movement were uncomfortable in summer.
Occupants of the other huts said that the rainy season was the most uncomfortable season
because they could not perform day-to-day activities as usual.
Temperature measurements results indicate that the selected hut exhibited lower ambient
temperature than outside during the day and a slightly higher ambient temperature at night.

4.0 OUTCOMES
The Mud house studied reinforced the fact that mud as a building envelope keeps the inside of
the hut cooler in summer. However the cooling effect of these traditional mud houses can be
further improved and living conditions inside the huts improved by proper design
considerations like proper building orientation, surface-volume ratio minimisation, creating
vaulted roof mud-house(roof made of stabilized mud blocks) and having proper openings in
roof which guard against water ingress of huts to facilitate nocturnal ventilative cooling, use
of shading devices being properly used and proper building material selection which can be
economically viable for rural areas as well as have proper thermal insulation properties.
Earth-berming can be also used to proper insulating effect.(Figure 22)
Modern day industrially improved thatch can be used with all the good thermal properties
intact and the disadvantages of thatch gone.
Use of rationalized traditional technologies, like that done and displayed at the Rural Building
Centre of National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad (NIRD), a HUDCO initiative,
which has created model huts for 16 diverse climatic areas of India including Kutch regions,
hot-dry area, coastal high-rain areas, Deccan Plateau, etc. However the region Jharkhand with
its sub-tropical humid climate or composite climate does not feature in the list of those 16
regions.
It would be a great boon to the vast rural populace of Jharkhand if they could see their
modest mud-house being improved by use of rationalized traditional technologies and if they
could be given a easily constructible prototype mud-hut on the lines of the 16 other prototypes
being developed by the NIRD initiative.
These can be systematically being made available to the rural poor through awareness and
government initiatives and loans/grants.

REFERENCES
Books:
1. Krishan Arvind, Baker Nick, Yannas Simos, Szokolay S.V. (2001), Climate Responsive
Architecture A Design Handbook for Energy Efficient Buildings, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing
Company Limited, New Delhi.
2. Olgyay Victor (1963), Design With Climate- Bioclimatic Approach to Architectural Regionalism,
Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.
3. Majumdar Mili.(2001), Energy-Efficient Buildings In India, Tata Energy Research Institute,
Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources.
4. Uthaipattrakul, Dh. (2004). Mud-house construction technique. Building the house with mud. Suan-
ngarn-mena Press, Bangkok, 27-50.
Journal articles:
1. Arvind Chel,G.N.Tiwari(2009), Case study of vault roof mud-house in India, Thermal performance
and embodied energy analysis of a passive house , Energy, Volume 86, Issue 10, October. (An
original research article) Pages 1956-1969.
2. Garg H.P, Sawhney R.L (1989), A case study of passive houses built for three climatic conditions
of India, Solar & Wind Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4.
Conference Proceedings:
1. Janmejoy Gupta, Manjari Chakraborty (2012), Thermal Performance of Rural Architecture in
Jharkhand : Case-Study of a Typical Mud House, National Conference on Emerging Trends of Energy
Conservation in Buildings, CSIR-Central Building Research Institute, Uttarakhand. Pages 126-135.
Student Research Dissertation:
1. Gautam Avinash(2008), Climate Responsive Vernacular Architecture: Jharkhand, India, Masters
Of Science Thesis, Department of Architecture, Kansas State University, Manhattan,Kansas.