In July 1990, the Indian government established the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), with the motive of bridging the gap between research, development and the large-scale implementation of new building material technology. Entrepreneurs in the small, medium and large-scale sectors, have much to benefit from the innovative technologies that the BMTPC comes up with. The central and state governments,a s well as the private sector, can use the BMTPC’s expertise to scale up these technologies for commercial and widespread use by construction agencies, as also others who undertake construction. The body undertakes the extension, application of technology and materials developed by institutions.
Areas of work of the BMTPC
There are many areas of work that the BMTPC focuses on.
Building Materials & Construction Technologies
From lab to land, the BMTPC adopts an integrated approach, when it comes to promotion of cost-effective, environment-friendly and energy-efficient innovative building materials and construction technologies. This is much required, especially for housing in the urban and rural areas of India and more so for affordable housing backed by sustainable development.
The BMTPC has developed methods to use many agro-industrial wastes for construction. For example, the use of flyash based bricks/blocks, cellular lightweight concrete, bamboo based materials, bagasse boards, etc.
The council also prepares drafts and formulates a number of a number of Indian standards, in association with the Bureau of Indian Standards. Moreover, home-grown technologies and materials and emerging technologies like Rapidwall Construction System, Monolithic Construction System, are also areas that the Council takes active interest in.
The major focus areas are the following:
- Environment-friendly materials and techniques
- Building materials from recycled waste.
- Identification, assessment and promotion of building materials and technologies.
- Commercialisation of technologies.
- Cost-effective technologies for the common man.
- Endeavour towards constructing model demonstration houses.
- Techno-economic feasibility reports.
- Housing design packages.
See also: All about the National Buildings Organisation (NBO)
List of technologies developed and commercialised by BMTPC
| S. No. | Description of Technology Developed | Raw Material | Status | Joint Developer |
| Technologies developed, evaluated and commercial production started | ||||
| BT-1 | Red Mud/Flyash, Polymer, fibre, door shutters. Tested as per IS:4020. | Red Mud/Flyash, Sisal fibre, Phenol formaldehyde resin | Product also tested and approved by CPWD, IIT Chennai and Delhi. | Regional Research Laboratory, Bhopal (1998) |
| BT-2 | Eco-friendly rubberwood flush door shutter. Tested as per IS:4020. | Rubberwood, Phenol formaldehyde resin
(Use of rubber-wood for 1st time in India) |
Product also tested and approved by CPWD | Jambhekar Management Consultant Pvt.Ltd., Thane |
| BT-3 | Eco friendly solid core poplar wood flush door shutters. Tested as per IS:4020. | Poplarwood, Phenol formaldehyde resin | Product also tested and approved by CPWD | Jambhekar Management Consultant Pvt.Ltd., Thane |
| BT-4 | Finger jointing & shaping technology
(Earlier this machine was to be Imported from Scandinavian countries at a cost of Rs.40 to 45 lakhs. With the development of machine by BMTPC, the cost is now reduced by 1/3rd. |
Plantation timber (rubber, poplar, eucalyptus etc.) Cutting & joining of slender pieces to make longer pieces | Being manufactured at Ahmedabad by M/s Laxmi Engineers. | HBR Consultants, Bangalore (2001) and for further developing machine with
Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute, Bangalore |
| BT-5 | Micro Concrete Roofing Tiles | Cement, sand, Fine Aggregate | Around 200 entrepreneurs are producing MCR tiles. Indian Standard is under preparation. | Development Alternatives
Validated by BMTPC. (1992) |
| BT-6 | Ferrocement Roofing Channels – suitable for earthquake/cyclone prone areas | Welded wire mesh, chicken mesh, cement, sand, fine aggregate, steel bars (8 to 12 mm dia) depending upon the span (upton 6.1 mtrs.) | Product is being produced at several Building Centres.
BMTPC is taking up with BIS to prepare the Indian Standards |
Development Alternatives
(2001) |
| BT-7 | Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer doors and door frames. Tested as per IS:14856. | Glass fibre, Phenol formaldehyde resin, secondary species of timber | Technology transferred to 40 entrepreneurs in the country jointly by NSIC, RV-TIFAC and BMTPC. Plan to have more 100 units in next 2 years. Being used in demonstration housing under VAMBAY. | RV TIFAC Composite Design Centre, Bangalore
(2000) |
| BT-8 | Bamboo Mat Corrugated Roofing Sheets
Indian Standards (IS:15476:2004 formulated with BIS) |
Bamboo mat, Phenol formaldehyde resin, Polyurethane coating | A Pilot Production Unit for manufacture of sheets has been set up in Meghalaya with production capacity of 3000 sheets per month. | Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute, Bangalore
(2000) |
| S. No. | Description of Technology Developed | Raw Material | Status | Joint Developer |
| 1 | Laminated splint lumber panel doors and door frames from rubber wood (2000) | Rubber wood
Phenol Formaldehyde resin |
– Product tested
– Under consideration for licensing |
Jambhekar Management Consultant Pvt.Ltd., Thane |
| 2 | Veneer laminated lumber panel door and doors frame from poplar wood (IS 14616:1999) (1998) | Poplar wood, Phenol Formaldehyde resin | – Product tested
– Under consideration for licensing |
Jambhekar Management Consultant Pvt.Ltd., Thane |
| 3 | Extended Polyster – Red Mud Polymer Composite Door Shutter (1998) | Red Mud, Extended Polystyrene | – Product tested
– As substitute to timber |
CBRI, Roorkee & Regional Research Laboratory, Bhopal |
| 4 | Paint based on Flyash and other wastes (1999) | 35% Flyash for primers,
18% Flyash for enamel China clay, hardner |
– Product tested
– As substitute to conventional paints |
Regional Research Laboratory, Bhopal |
| 5 | Glass Ceramic products for Floor Tiles using wastes (three types) from Aluminium industry (2001) | Red Mud, Flyash, Spent pot lining | – Product tested
– Pilot Demonstration Plant is likely to set up at BHEL |
Jawahar Lal Nehru Aluminium Research, Development & Design Centre, Nagpur |
| 6 | Light weight Mineral-wood Door Shutter (1998) | Metallurgical slag, Phenol Formaldehyde resin | – Product tested
– As substitute to timber |
Regional Research Laboratory, Bhopal |
| 7 | Building Materials from Marble industry waste (1999) | Marble dust, cement, gypsum | – Marble dust can be used in making masonry cement, autoclaved cellular concrete blocks, gypsum blocks, gypsum plaster board, colour wash, distemper
– Products tested |
Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee |
| 8 | Cementitious Binder and building blocks from Acetylene plant waste (1995) | Cement, sand, fine aggregates | – Final product tested Many entrepreneur are interested in setting up a commercial plant | Central Building Research Institute and Building Centre Roorkee |
| 9 | Rigid PVC – Foam Board and Sheet (2000) | Plastic waste, Stabiliser, innert fillers, elastomeric modifiers, compatibilizers | – Final product tested
– Under consideration for licensing |
Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee |
Source: BMTPC website
Disaster mitigation and management
The BMTPC proactively works towards preparing Indian cities for disasters. Some of the important information that it disseminates include know-how, hazard scenarios, maps, vulnerability and risk analysis, retrofitting strategy and the building capacities within. The first ever Vulnerability Atlas of India (1996 & 2006) is also credited to the BMTPC.
Besides, the major focus of the BMTPC with respect to disaster mitigation and management is as follows:
- Hazard maps of India.
- Initiatives for disaster preparedness, mitigation and management.
- Landslide hazard zonation map of India.
- Earthquake hazard guidelines.
- Wind and cyclone hazard guidelines.
- Flood hazard guidelines.
- Earthquake tips.
- E-course on vulnerability atlas of India.
See also: National Building Code of India (NBC): All about the guidelines for residential buildings
Capacity building and skill development
The BMTPC is in-charge of organising various awareness programmes, workshops, exhibitions and training programmes for construction workers. To disseminate important information, the Council also steps in with seminars, conferences, exhibitions and workshops, etc.
Various important trainings and information is given out the BMTPC which includes the following:
- Sustainable and green construction practices.
- Earthquake-resistant design and construction.
- Design and quality control for concrete mix.
- Use of chemical and mineral admixtures for concrete construction.
- Water-proofing and damp-proofing.
- Quality control and assurance in construction.
- Repair, maintenance and rehabilitation of buildings and seismic retrofitting.
- Use of bamboo in building / housing construction.
Project management and consultancy
The BMTPC has the capability to take on project management and consultancy services, much of which consists of appraisal and monitoring, quality and third-party inspection of various housing projects that are facilitated through various central and state government schemes.
See also: All you need to know about National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC)
BMTPC in India and core areas of work
The BMTPC’s contribution has been relevant in the following areas:
- Identifying, evaluating and promoting new technologies for the housing industry.
- Ensuring speed, quality, as well as efficiency in developing and implementing technologies.
- Enabling an ecosystem of technology being upscaled and mass applied.
- Application of sustainable and environment-friendly technologies through demonstration construction.
- Documentation, with respect to the benefits of new and emerging technologies as also video films, demonstration CDs, interactive websites and blogs including documentation of success stories.
- Capacity building and skill development of construction professionals.
- Promotion of construction technologies that are disaster-resistant.
- Manuals, guidelines, compendiums, directories, brochures and techno-feasibility reports.
FAQ
Is BMTPC active on social media?
You can find @bmtpcdelhi on Twitter to stay connected with the updates.
What is the Vulnerability Atlas?
The Vulnerability Atlas of India is a tool for natural disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation, for housing and related infrastructure.