International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 12 Issue: 01| Jan 2025 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
Developing a Framework for Optimization of Water Usage during Construction in Hot & Dry Climatic Zones: A Case Study of Solapur City
1Sai Mukesh Naigaonkar, 2Sandeep Gunpal Dige, 3Anjali Surat Jadhav
1M.Arch. Student, 2Professor, 3Associate Professor 1Department of Architecture
1S.P.S.M.B.H.’s, College of Architecture, Kolhapur, India ***
Abstract -: The scarcity of water in India is a pressing issue,particularlyinhotanddryclimaticzoneslikeSolapur. This research focuses on developing a comprehensive frameworktooptimizewaterusageduringtheconstruction phaseofresidentialapartmentbuildings.Thestudyinvolves adetailedanalysisofwaterconsumptionpracticesatvarious construction sites, examines case studies, and proposes methods to reduce water usage through efficient construction techniques. The paper highlights the importanceofreducingwaterwasteandimprovingwater efficiency, especially in regions where water scarcity is severe.
Key Words: Water Optimization, Construction, Hot & Dry Climate,Solapur,WaterScarcity,WaterEfficiency
1.INTRODUCTION
1.1 Water Scarcity in India
India, with its rapidly growing population, faces severe water scarcity issues. Despite being home to 17% of the world’s population, India only has 4% of the world’s freshwater resources. Particularly in hot and dry climatic zones like Solapur, water shortages significantly impact varioussectors,includingagricultureandconstruction.
1.2 Water in theConstructionSector
Theconstructionindustryisamajorconsumerofwater, particularly for activities such as mixing mortar, curing concrete, and brickwork. In regions like Solapur, where groundwater resources are already strained, inefficient waterusecanexacerbatewaterscarcity.Thispaperaimsto develop a framework that optimizes water usage during construction,reducingwasteandenhancingsustainability.
1.3 Need of study
Effectivewaterconservationmeasuresmustbeputinplace duringabuildingprojectinordertodecreasewaterusage and lessen the impact on the nearby community's water supplies.Considerwaterconservation whileplanningand designing:Water-efficientdesignideasshouldbeintegrated into the project from the start. Preserving water supplies
guaranteesthesurvivaloftheseecosystems,whichsupports theconservationofbiodiversity.Awell-balancedecosystem benefits the environment and civilization by offering essentialserviceslikefloodcontrolandwaterpurification. Thereisatremendousdailyincreaseinthepopulation,and therearefewerwatersourcesavailable.
We must continue to preserve water and do so for the benefitoffuturegenerationsinordertostoptheshortage. By practicing water conservation, you may lessen the quantity of water thatispoured into our rivers, bays,and estuaries, preserving the ecosystem's health. It can also reducetheenergyneededtoheat,pump,andtreatwater,as wellasthecostoftreatingwastewaterandwater.
Water conservation is necessary to: Ensure that all of our futuregenerationshaveaccesstocleanwater.Preserveour healthbecausedrinkingtaintedwatermighthavenegative effects on us. Make sure there is food resource security becausewaterisalsonecessaryforthegrowthofourplants andcrops.
1.4 Aim and Objectives
Theaimofthisresearchistocreateaframeworktooptimize water usage in the construction of residential apartment buildingsinSolapur.Keyobjectivesinclude:
Studyingwateravailabilityandalternativesources forconstruction.
Collecting and analyzing data on water usage at constructionsites.
Proposing strategies to minimize water consumptionduringconstruction.
1.5Scope and limitation of thestudy
The scope of the study is optimization of water usage,toutilizethewaterduringconstructionand minimalusageofwaterduringconstructioninhot anddryclimate.Thereisscopetostudywastageof waterduringconstructionandscopeofdeveloping frameworkforwateroptimization.
Thestudyislimitedto wateroptimizationduring constructiononly.
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 12 Issue: 01| Jan 2025 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
2. Literature Review
2.1 Importance of saving water in the Construction Industry in India
ThereisaseriouswaterproblemaffectingKarnataka,Kerala, TamilNadu,AndhraPradesh,andTelangana,thefivestates in South India. Subsurface water levels in the states have reachedanall-timelow,hugewaterreservoirshavedried up,dams'waterlevelshavereacheddeadstoragelevels,and atleast75%ofthesmallirrigationtankshavedriedup.
Inthesestates,therehasbeenanearly40–70%decreasein rainfall,resultingindrought-likeconditions.Farmlandshave gottendrybecausetherehasn'tbeenmuchrainorwater.It illustrates how South India's construction industry is impactedbythewaterissue.(GSB,2020)
2.2 Need for water conservation in the construction sector
Right now in India, the water crisis is the most pressing issue.SevenofthetwentyIndiancitiesareclassifiedas"high risk,"and11ofthemfacea"extremerisk"ofawatercrisis, according to the London-based risk analysis firm's Water StressIndex.
It also shows that, although Delhi and Chennai are also at risk,SuratandBangalorearethetwocitieswiththehighest waterconsumption.Accordingtoa2018NITIAayogstudy on groundwater levels, 21 Indian cities will run out of groundwater by 2020. Cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad,andChennaiareamongthem. Water is essential to all economic activities, including the buildingindustry.Theaforementionedpaperstatesthatby 2020,industriesarepredictedtouse"threetimesasmuch waterastheyactuallydo."Asaconsequence,by2050,the annualpercapitawateravailabilitywoulddecreaseto1140 m3. The official threshold for water scarcity is 1000 m3. (Appaiah,2019)
2.3
Water Consumption in Construction (Patil,2016)
It contains the project's basic details, such as the project name,thenameoftheconstructioncompany,theplotand constructionarea,theproject'scostandconstructionrate, andtheproject'sstartandfinishdates.Theamountoflabour and the number of cement bags used for various building tasks,togetherwiththebeginningandendingdatesofeach task. Provides the concrete grade and the approximate amount of water needed to make one bag of cement for a varietyofconstructiontasks.thedetailsofthelabourcamp locatedonthesiteaswellasthedailylabourtotalneededfor acertainbuildingtask.Theareaoftheslabs,thenumberof columnswithminimumandmaximumdiameters,andthe specificsofthewatersupplyusedduringconstruction.Ifthe source is a bore well, please specify the size of the
subterranean storage tank as well as the approximate numberofrefillsthatoccurthroughoutthesummermonths. Thenumberoftankerseachmonthifthetankeriswater.
2.4 Assessment of water resource consumption in buildingconstruction inIndia (S.Bardhan,2011)
Theapproachthatisbeingdescribedhereisdividedintotwo phases: the first evaluates the water embedded in the buildingmaterials,andthesecondevaluatesthewaterused intheconstructionprocess.Thebuilding'sprojectofficewas contacted in order to obtain the purchase records for the materials,andtheevaluationwascompletedusingthedata they supplied. It is crucial to remember that ready-mix concrete, whose embodied watercontent requiresfurther research and is not addressed here, was used in a lot of construction.Theinitialstepofassessmenttookintoaccount theprimarybuildingmaterialswiththelargeststakeinthe completedvolume,suchassteel,cement,andbricks.Inorder to have an idea of the various indirect and otherwise unrecorded heads for which water is used during construction,suchaswateringforsub-gradestabilization, dustcontrol,waterlinetestingandcleaning,usebyon-site residentconstructionlabourers,andsoonandsoforth,the secondstagehadtwooptionalmethods.Thefirstinvolved theoreticalcalculationofthewaterrequirementforconcrete mixes and curing of brick masonry as well as concrete castings. By using water-reducers for concrete mixes containing50milliontonnesofcement,researchonconcrete mixes under Indian conditions has estimated savings of 7,500,000tonnesofcementand3,750,000litresofpotable water,indicating2litresofwaterrequiredpertonofcement usedinconcrete mixes.This studyusesthesecondline of investigationtoaccountfortheindirectcomponentofwater usage.Itoffersthewaterconsumptionestimateduringthe construction stage based on data supplied by the project office on the electrical energy used at the site for water pumpoperation.
3. Research Methodology
Thisresearchemploys both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Primary data were collected from three construction sites in Solapur using field surveys, interviews,andcasestudies.
Secondary data included relevant literature, reports, and guidelines from government bodies andresearchorganizations.
Data Collection Process
Data were gathered on-site from construction projects, includingwaterconsumptionrecords,materialsused,and curingmethods.Interviewswereconductedwithengineers andsitesupervisorstounderstandwaterusagepractices.
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 12 Issue: 01| Jan 2025 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
4. Case Studies
Three residential projects in Solapur were selected for detailedcasestudies:
4.1Case Study1:Ashai Residency
Project Type:Residential,G+8floors.
WaterSource:Borewellandtanker.
Water Usage:WaterusedprimarilyforRCCwork andcuring.Traditionalplastermethodsresultedin highwaterconsumption.
4.2Case Study2:KaveriHeights
Project Type:Residential,G+11floors.
WaterSource:Borewellandtankers,storedintwo 10,000-litertanks.
WaterUsage:AACblockswereusedforbrickwork, reducing water consumption by 25%. However, traditional plastering methods still led to water wastage.
4.3Case Study3:RajashreeHeights
Project Type: Residential & Commercial, G+8 floors.
Water Source: Borewell and tankers, with occasionalmunicipalwater.
WaterUsage:ReadyMixConcrete(RMC)wasused for slabs, reducing on-site water requirements, though plastering and curing remained waterintensive.
5. Data Analysis
Table1ComparisonofCaseStudies
Case Study 1 Case Study 2 Case Study 3
ProjectName Ashai Residency Kaveri Heights Rajashree Heights
Location Vasant Vihar, Bale,Solapur Vasant Vihar, Bale,Solapur JuleSolapur
Project Type Residential Apartment Residential Apartment Residential cum Commercial
Project by Gayatri Developers Gayatri Developers Rajashree Builders
Engineer /Architect Er. Vishal Ghosalkar Er. Sanjay Jatade Er. Sunil Khurade
Area of Plot 5500 14000 15000
Built-upArea 25600 94160 76000
Number of 8 11 8
Floors
Floor Plate size 3200 8560 9500
Project StartingDate October2022 January2021 March2023
Project Ending Date March2024 April2024 December 2025
Duration 30months 41months 34months
Source of water Bore well, Tankers, Bore well, Tankers Bore well, Tankers
Thecollecteddata wereanalyzedtocompareideal versus actual water usage. Results indicated significant water wastageduringcuringandplasteringactivities,whereideal waterconsumptionwasoftenexceededby20-30%.
WaterOptimizationTechniquesIdentified:
1. AAC Blocks: Reduced water consumption by requiring less water for bonding and no need for soaking.
2. Efficient Curing Methods:Useofwater-retaining materials during curing can reduce water requirementsby50%.
3. On-Site Water Recycling: Reusing water from curingforotherconstructionactivitiescanfurther reducetotalwaterusage.
6. Proposed Framework for Water Optimization
Theproposedframeworkfocusesonthreekeyareas:
1. MaterialEfficiency:UseofAACblocksandprecast concrete to minimize water requirements during construction.
2. Efficient Curing Practices: Incorporating watersavingcuringmethodssuchaswet coveringsand admixtures to reduce curing time and water consumption.
3. Water Recycling and Rainwater Harvesting: Implementing rainwater harvesting systems and recycling water used on-site for non-potable purposeslikecuringandcleaning.
This framework can reduce water consumption by up to 30%, based on casestudy data,andcan beapplied across similarregionswithhotanddryclimates.
Three case studies are examined independently and contrasted with one another based on the kinds of water sourcesused,thedurationoftheproject,andtheadditional waterconsumed.
Listofreasonsforextrauseofwaterare
A. PoorProjectManagement
B. DelayofProject
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 12 Issue: 01| Jan 2025 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
C. WaterSourceonSite
D. Negligenceofwateronsite
E. Consideringtheseason
Followingtableshowsthecomparisonbetweenidealwater required for construction and actual water consumed for constructioninlakhliterswithdurationofproject.
Table2DataAnalysisofCaseStudies
7. Recommendations and Conclusion
7.1 Recommendations
Use of Technology: Implement smart water managementtoolstomonitorand optimizewater useonconstructionsites.
Government Regulations: Encourage stricter regulations on water use in construction, particularlyinwater-scarceregionslikeSolapur.
Public Awareness: Raise awareness among constructionprofessionalsabouttheimportanceof waterconservation.
7.2Conclusion
Water scarcity is a critical issue, particularly in the construction sector in regions like Solapur. This research presents a practical framework to optimize water usage during the construction phase, focusing on efficient materials, curing techniques, and recycling methods. Implementingthesestrategiescansignificantlyreducewater consumption, contributing to sustainable development in water-stressedregions.
REFERENCES
Appaiah, M. (2019). Need of water conservation in the constructionsector.
GSB, T. (2020). Importance of saving water in the constructionindustryinIndia.
Patil,N.(2016). WaterConservationinConstruction. Pune: IASTER.
S.Bardhan. (2011). Assessment of water resource consumption. DepartmentofArchitecture,Jadavpur University,India.