Dr. N.Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, inaugurated the Climate Resilient Building and Sustainable Precast SECROBuilT House at CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre (CSIR-SERC), Taramani, on Apr.12.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Dr. M. Ravichandran (Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences), Mahendra Kumar Gupta (Joint Secretary, CSIR), and Directors from CSIR-SERC, CSIR-CLRI, and CSIR-NPL.
Constructed on the CSIR-SERC campus, the 500 sq. ft. building uses two eco-friendly technologies: Eco-friendly Interlocking Masonry Blocks (EIMB) and Thermally Efficient Lightweight Blocks (TELB). The roofing uses SECROBuilT, a precast lightweight solution developed at CSIR-SERC.
The EIMB blocks are composed of 90% industrial waste (calcium carbide sludge and fly ash), enhancing seismic resilience through mechanical interlocking. TELB blocks use EPS cores, making them lightweight with reduced thermal conductivity, thereby enhancing temperature control and reducing seismic mass.
The structure also incorporates a Thermal Monitoring System (TMS). Rooms using EIMB technology achieved an internal comfort temperature improvement of around 6°C.
The initiative demonstrates dual climate-resilient strategies: conserving resources to reduce the carbon footprint and improving indoor thermal comfort. The event concluded with a tree-planting ceremony by the dignitaries.
