Menu
OVERVIEW
Construction in hills is different from that in plains due to several factors such as terrain, soil conditions,
weather, and accessibility. Here are some key differences:
1. Terrain: Hills are characterized by sloping and uneven terrain, which poses challenges for building a solid foundation. The foundation needs to be built on a slope, which requires careful planning to ensure the stability of the structure.
2. Soil conditions: Soil in hills is generally less stable and prone to erosion compared to plains. The soil composition is different and may require different building techniques and materials to ensure that the foundation is strong enough to withstand the soil movement.
3. Weather: Hills are more prone to extreme weather conditions such as heavy rains, landslides, and earthquakes. Construction in the hills needs to take these factors into account and use materials and designs that can withstand these challenges.
4. Accessibility: Hills are often more remote and inaccessible than plains, which can make construction more challenging. The transportation of materials and equipment can be difficult and costly, and the workforce may face challenges working on the steep slopes.
Overall, construction in hills requires specialized knowledge, expertise, and equipment to ensure that the buildings are safe, stable, and durable.
CHALLENGES FACED BY ARCHITECTS IN HILLS
According to topographic features, the 10.7% of land area in India is surrounded with mountains, 18.6% are hills, 27.7% are plateaus and 43% are plains. When we talk about architecture on hills these some factors come through our mind such as slope, vegetation, flora and fauna, heterogeneity of climate, and land use pattern. In some years the growth of urbanization is expanding rapidly in the hilly areas. The construction in hilly regions requires professional planning, site selection and design for slopes. In response to these harsh development conditions, numerous vernacular practices and styles have evolved with local materials.
Some of challenges face during construction in hilly region:
1. Frequent and Seismic Tremors.
2. Problems of soil erosion and landslides.
3. Suitable orientation on the hill slopes.
4. Existence of tall shoddy trees and dense forest area, which obstruct the winter sun required for the buildings.
5. Limitations on the height of the building due to earthquake risk.
6. High cost involved in the site development due to the cutting and the filling process.
7. Non-availability and transportation problems of construction materials .
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IN HILLY REGION
There are some of major points that should be considered while planning to construct a building in any hilly region:
SITE SELECTION
LAYOUT
Platform layout planning for sloped platform layout should aim to accommodate the natural contour line and minimize excavation and backfilling of earthworks. Architects in Shimla or say architects in hilly terrain in general have been practicing this for years to make the construction process more sustainable. Some more measures to achieve the same are, try to avoid retaining walls as they require more work in terms of resources and also are more expensive than common earthwork solutions. It is important to orient the layout of the building in order to minimize any irregular settlements.This is achieved by laying out the longitudinal axis of the building parallel to the contours of the original topography, with an infill of uniform thickness under the building. Using piles to support buildings on the embankment, we need to assess the negative skin friction (resistance) acting on the piles if the ground settles over time
SITE SELECTION FOR CONSTRUCTION
Protective measures to ensure the safety of structures built in hilly terrain are essential and are often the
subject of discussion between engineers and the public. Discussions take place after each landslide. Landslides are the most common natural disaster in hilly regions, and their magnitude is increasing day by day.It is also important to understand how the different elements of the mound work, because the dip of the rock should never be in the direction of the slope, especially if this dip is less horizontal than the slope of the site. The presence of groundwater in an area can lead to the formation of cavities that can trigger landslides. During a landslide, materials such as soil, rocks, vegetation, and existing buildings can move rapidly within a second. The result is the loss of human lives, the destruction of people’s socio-economic status and huge revenues spent on unprecedented suffering for landslide victims. Therefore, it is very important to identify the aforementioned areas before starting any type of construction in the hilly areas
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Sustainability is the ability of a society, ecosystem, or any such interacting system to continue to function without depleting essential resources and harming the environment. The construction technology should adopt local materials and easy–to–process materials, such as wood, stone mud, bamboo, etc., which are environmentally friendly, have good weather resistance and have little damage impact. So, for a sustainable development of the building, we must obtain wood by cutting down tree, which will cause us to lose valuable vegetation, which should properly increase reforestation in hilly areas. In contrast contemporary materials are made from raw materials available at specific locations, manufactured and then shipped to different parts of the country. It can guide the development of sustainable buildings in hilly areas.
Conclusions
The building planning, design and construction in hilly regions is a very challenging work. The construction techniques have to be used in proper way with skilled labour. It can guide the development of sustainable buildings in hilly areas of hilly regions has to be studied and understood properly.
Compared to the plains, the development of the mountain/hills is extremely limited. Several aspects affect the design and layout of a building. These include topography, climate, orientation, traffic, usable area, water supply, natural drainage and sidewalks. To have someone who has a good experience of building on hills on your side is an add on, you’ll have throughout the construction process. We being practicing architects in Shimla for the past 25 years felt the need of bringing this knowledge to you with the help of our blog. Hope you found it to be helpful.
