S.HARINIM.Arch 2016-2018, SEM 1, MCE, KKNagar, Chennai

ar.harini@gmail.com

GATED COMMUNITY – TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

This research paper is presented by the author towards the Urban Design Conference, Oct 6, 2016 at MCE, KK Nagar, Chennai. The theme of the conference in “SUSTAINABILITY”

Abstract

Urban sprawls in the developing countries have resulted in increased population growth and this has led to the development of multistoried residential units – the so called gated communities. Natural resources are being exploited to meet the needs of ever increasing population, which has eventually ended up in global warming. What has once been a serene environment has now become a polluted environment. We have now reached a stage where the survival of our future generation is at risk. The aim of this research is to find ways of creating sustainable development within a gated community- at micro level. If each gated community in the city were to follow this, a sustainable environment can be achieved at a mega level. Small droplets of water contribute to a bigger ocean.

Contents:

Need For a Sustainable DevelopmentGated Community _ An IntroductionParameters for a Sustainable Gated CommunityAreas of Study

Solid Waste ManagementDefinitionProcesses Involved Composting and VermicompostingBenefits Of CompostingCollection and Segregation Of Wastes Key Criteria For Vermicomposting Why Vermicomposting in Gated Communities? Case StudyWay To Go

Storm Water Management DefinitionStudy Of Water Origin And ManagementIntegrative Design ChoicesProcesses InvolvedWay to GoCase Studies

Capturing and Utilization of Solar Energy DefinitionWhy Is Renewable Energy Important? Methods Of Harvesting Solar Energy In A Gated CommunityTools and Ways to Storage Solar EnergyBenefits of the Efficiency Of Solar EnergyWay to GoCase Studies

Bibliography

NEED FOR A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Overwhelming population, depletion of natural resources, urbanization, ever prevailing imbalance in standard of living in developing countries, global warming, depletion of ozone layer e. have raised a question of survival in the near future. “How to stop this alarming threat and grow towards a healthy, positive, sustainable development” has become a serious question at the global level. We have almost reached a stage where if we don’t act now, we will no longer be able to save our environment for our future generations.

Economists have used the term sustainable development in an attempt to clarify the balance between economic growths on the one hand and conservation and protection of environment on the other. Sustainable development refers to “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generation”.

The aim of this article is the study of sustainable infrastructure in gated communities and how it can be achieved. The term sustainable infrastructure development in urban design and land use planning has gained importance since last two decades due to the depletion of natural resources. It deals with the increased importance given to the environment in urban design and land use planning decisions.

GATED COMMUNITY AN INTRODUCTION

Gated communities are residential enclaves developed by the private sectors. In Chennai metropolitan area, they are much sought after housing destinations mainly by the IT community. They are developed and being developed by the private developers and are located mostly in the suburbs. This research is significant because it orients the private developers to create a sustainable infrastructure and the same is later maintained by the respective resident welfare association.

The literature data for this study has been collected from the primary source - municipal byelaws and development control rules, secondary source - online references and tertiary source – from the case studies.

PARAMETERS FOR A SUSTAINABLE GATED COMMUNITY

Solid waste management - MSWMStorm water management - SWM

Waste water recycling & sewage treatment plant – STP

Capturing and utilization of solar energy Landscape amenitiesSafety InsightsSustainable infrastructure maintenance

AREAS OF STUDY

Of the above parameters, private developers have started erecting STPs, landscape amenities, safety measures and Resident Welfare Associations in their developments because these are the magnets that attract the buyers.

The parameters like MSWM, SWM and utilization of solar energy is often neglected or it is not made mandatory by our governing authorities. This research focuses on ways to implement MSWM, SWM and Capturing And Utilization Of Solar Energy in gated communities to make it sustainable and measures & policies that could be taken up by the government to make the same mandatory.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

DEFINITION

Solid waste management - SWM in urban level deals with the collection, segregation, transportation and recycling of collected wastes from commercial, corporate, residential and industrial developments in appropriate sites by the municipality.

The issue of solid waste management within the gated community is most important to prevent pollution in the nearby areas, normally arising out of heaps of rubbish which constitutes an eyesore and can become a health hazard.

It is now the era of gated communities due to the ever increasing population and urbanization, and if each gated community could contribute its part in a micro level towards SWM, Sustainable environment can be achieved at macro level.

The wastes generated in any development may broadly be categorized as under:

1. Wet waste – The beneficial waste - kitchen waste – organic matter

2. Dry Waste – Recyclable waste – papers, fabrics, Glass, Ceramics, Metals and Tins Etc

3. Domestic Hazardous and Special Wastes which includes (i) plastic waste (ii) e- waste (iii)

slaughter house waste (iv) Bio- medical waste (v) waste tyres and (vi) lead battery waste.

It is estimated that 2.5kg of waste is generated per household per day and of this .8 to 1 kg of waste is organic.. This research is oriented towards the management of Wet waste in a gated community of 500 to 600 residential units. The dry wastes and the domestic hazardous wastes can be handed over to the municipality for further action.

PROCESSES INVOLVED IN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

1. Composting Types of Composting - Windrow Composting,

Aerated Static Pile Composting, In-Vessel Composting, Decentralized Composting and Vermi Composting

2. Waste to energy (WTE) 3. Production of refuse derived fuel( RDF )4. Incineration, Pyrolysis/ Gasification, Plasma

Pyrolysis Vitrfication5. Sanitary Landfills

COMPOSTING AND VERMICOMPOSTING

Composting is defined as the controlled decomposition of the organic waste in aerobic conditions. This has to be done only with appropriate and effective pre sorting and treatment of feedstock. The byproduct – Compost is used as a very valuable soil amendment which reduces the dependency on chemicals and fertilizers.

BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING

Improved micro-nutrient content and improved soil quality

Enhanced water retention capacity of the soil Increased biological activities

This research focuses on vermicomposting as it is more relevant to SWM in sustainable gated communities.

VERMICOMPOSTING

Vermicompost is the natural organic manure produced from excreta of earthworm which are fed on scientifically semi decomposed organic waste. Vermicompost units of small sizes have been set up in Chennai city- the largest being in Bangalore. Vermicomposting is preferred to microbial composting as it needs less mechanization and ease of operation. Utmost

care to be taken that toxic material does not enter the chain which if present may kill the earthworms.

COLLECTION AND SEGREGATION OF WASTES FROM SOURCE

This can be done manually. At the apartment level, each unit has to be provide d with color codedBins for organic ( Green Color ) and inorganic wastes ( Red Color ) At the service entry of each block bigger bins can be placed to collect the wastes at the block level. Each day the occupant has to put the segregated wastes into each bins respectively or the community welfare association can depute respective labors to do the same.

At the community level, further segregation has to be done to separate ceramic, plastic, paper and organic wastes. Ceramic, plastic and paper wastes can be handed over to municipality and organic wastes as feedstock for the community vermicompost unit.

Collection At Unit Level Collection at Block Level

Collection At Community Level

KEY CRITERIA FOR VERMICOMPOSTING

Amount of waste treated : 200 TPA Land required : 0.5 ACRES Time : 8 weeks Temperature : 30-40°C ideal range Energy input : lowFinancial implications : Though Purchase of

exotic earthworms is expensive; It is after all the gated community who gets benefited.

WHY VERMICOMPOSTING IN GATED COMMUNITIES?

• The cost of setting up of a vermicompost unit is comparatively less and the unit occupies less area

• The maintenance cost of the unit is less and highly skilled labor is not required for making the unit functional

• By adopting the principle of “REDUCE- RECYCLE-REUSE” in a gated community, the cost of storage, transportation and processing of waste and land requirements and maintenance cost for the same at urban level gets in turn reduced.

• The Byproduct of the wet waste management systems – organic manure can be used to enrich the landscape top soil there by creating a sustainable development.

• The excess manure can be sold out and the income can be added towards the community welfare association fund. This reduces the maintenance cost per dwelling unit in the long run and this could be an attractive feature for the promoter to sell his development.

• Not the least, rag pickers can be trained for vermicomposting and they can be appointed by RFA, thereby upgrading their livelihood, for a social cause.

COSTOF 200TPA VERMICOMPOSTING UNIT

SOURCE:http://www.keralaagriculture.gov.in/htmle/bankableagriprojects/ld%5Cvermi.htm

PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS IN MAINTAINING A VERMICOMPOST UNIT

SOURCE: National Workshop for Finalization of the Draft Manual on Municipal Solid Waste Management, July 24th – 25th, 2014

From the above data it can be inferred that, Only less skilled labors are required for the operation of the unit, the unit is not much Maintenance seeking and no mechanical energy is needed.

WAY TO GO

As of now there are no clear policies and mandates for setting up a vermicompost unit in a gated community. By setting up a vermicompost unit in a gated community, we can improve the environment and inch towards a green sustainable environment in the near future.

Following points can be brought in the limelight while planning for the revision of DCR and urban land use patterns:

1. Setting up of a vermicompost unit can be made mandatory for all gated communities

2. Subsidies can be given for each resident for the effective use of the byproduct thereby encouraging them for the maintenance of the unit (there are subsidies for WTE which will help at the city/ state level development.

Subsidies for community level MSWM will encourage the promoters to go for it)

3. Whether the OSR area can accommodate the Vermicompost unit can be debated

4. Whether the government can take up the task of setting up and maintenance of the vermicompost unit in a gated community, by providing employment opportunities for the underprivileged there by upgrading their lives.

CASE STUDY:

VERMICOMPOST UNIT BY HAND IN HAND INDIA at GUINDY. CHENNAI

Waste drying yards Vermi compost pits

Removing liquid waste Waste grinding machines

What was once a huge heap of garbage is now a valuable chemical free byproduct – thanks to vermicomposting

Adjoining land enriched by vermicompost and now a self sustainable and pollution free pocket in the urban scenario.

STORM WATER MANAGEMENT

DEFINITION

The source of storm is rain. It is the excessive rain that cause storm. Increasing Global warming and increasing green house gases has resulted in a situation where storm is unavoidable. Now, the challenge with us is to channelize the storm at urban level for safeguarding our structures and in turn our environment. This research is oriented towards the storm water management within a gated community. What we aim to do in urban level can be scaled down to a community level to achieve a sustainable infrastructure.

STUDY OF WATER ORIGIN AND MANAGEMENT IN URBAN CONTEXT

The source of storm is the built environment where the water is getting logged and eventually it flows along the perimeter and joins the ocean / downstream.

SOURCE: World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology International Journal of Civil, Environmental, Structural, Construction and Architectural Engineering Vol:7, No:6, 2013

This figure shows detailed connections among Source, Perimeter and downstream. The source areas include shops and residences and their immediate landscapes; some storm water management features are

within these areas such as water harvesting. The perimeter area includes the swale alongside the road and a detention pond which buffers downstream flows. The downstream area is the wash where excess flows eventually end up.

INTEGRATIVE DESIGN CHOICES

This conceptual diagram compares potential contributions to place of different types of storm water management facilities.

SOURCE: World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology International Journal of Civil, Environmental, Structural, Construction and Architectural Engineering Vol:7, No:6, 2013

The diagram’s vertical axis is the perceptual contribution to place through degree of human contact, readability, and association with nature. Most facilities occupy a range on the vertical scale, indicating the importance of specific design choices for achieving or not achieving contribution to place in specific applications.

Along the horizontal axis the facilities are arranged in order of priority for spatial use, from fully human on the left to fully water on the right. The overall horizontal sequence is the storm water flow sequence, from source area, through the perimeter, to downstream. The following subsections outline specific design choices for each type of facility which has relative spatial occupation and perceptual contribution to place

PROCESSES INVOLVED IN STORM WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

In a gated community human accommodation and storm water management are equally important. This research explains how rain water can be used to create amenities within the gated community that enhances the community value orienting towards the sustainable development.In building a gated community, the traditional methods of drainage and sanitation are supplemented with guidelines / mandates and byelaws for protection of water quality and quantity, and the resources that depend on water. These guidelines can be generalized as permeable

pavements , green roofs, water harvesting, rain gardens ( BIORETENTIONS) , swales, channels, drain spouts, culverts, storm sewer inserts, traps, inlets, wells, surface filters and screens, ponds, basins and wetlands.

The above methods that can be adopted in a gated

community can be summarized as follows:

1. Rain water harvesting2. Permeable pavements and landscapes3. Rain Gardens 4. Storm water gutters and trenches5. Waterfalls, Ponds and water bodies 6. Swales ( on a larger scale)

RAINWATER HARVESTING

Rain water harvesting is the technique of collection and storage of rain water in surface (or above the ground, natural or man-made structures) or in under-ground aquifers (the under-ground water table), before it is lost as surface run-off. Rooftops of buildings in gated communities offer a large catchment area which is effectively available free of charge and they provide a supply at the point of consumption

Recharge Pits Harvesting From The

Landscaped Areas

Harvesting From the Roof Tops Of Buildings

Permeable Pavement Construction

PERMEABLE PAVEMENTS AND LANDSCAPES

These are landscapes, open fields, parks, storm water drains, roads and pavements and other open areas. These can be effectively used to harvest the run-off. The main advantage in using ground as collecting surface is that water can be collected from a larger area. This is particularly advantageous in areas of low rainfall like Chennai city.

RAIN GARDENS

A Rain Garden receives water from impervious (hard) surfaces such as rooftops, sidewalks, driveways and patios. The shallow depression of the garden holds the water so it can slowly infiltrate back into the soil as the plants, mulch and soil naturally remove pollutants from the runoff.

A Typical Rain Garden

SOURCE: Catch it where it falls – a guide to water conservation and management Author: Centre for Science and Environment.

WATERBODIES, WATERFALLS AND PONDS

The potential of tanks and ponds to store rainwater is immense. The harvested rainwater can not only be used to meet water requirements of the community, it also recharges groundwater levels.

STORMWATER DRAINS, GUTTERS AND TRENCHES

Most of the residential colonies have proper network of storm water drains. If maintained neatly, these offer a simple and cost effective means for harvesting rainwater.

SWALES

Swales are simply shallow, low depressions in the ground designed to encourage the accumulation of rain during storms and hold it for a few hours or days to let it infiltrate into the soil. Swales ideally are tree-lined and store water for the immediate landscape as well as help cleanse the water as it percolates down. Swales on slight slopes can also be used to direct water away into percolation pits that will charge the groundwater. This charges the subsoil over several years allowing the trees planted into the mound to thrive even during the driest of times which provides for a sustainable development.

Bio swales are vegetated open channels specifically designed to attenuate and treat storm water run-off for a defined water volume. Like open ditches, they convey larger storm water volumes from a source to a discharge point, but unlike ditches, they intentionally

promote slowing, cleansing and infiltration along the way.

A Typical Swale

WAY TO GO

1. By adopting the above design processes and solutions in a gated community, the private developers can aim at the sustainability of their gated community at specific level, gated communities in urban level, and in turn towards a sustainable Chennai.

2. Community participation to keep the storm water gutters and trenches clean and unblocked to be encouraged by the developers.

3. The integrated design choice for storm water management in a gated community can be

WATERFALL AND POND IN GATEDCOMMUNITY

STORM WATER GUTTERS AND TRENCHES

debated and amendments and policies can be framed to make SWM in gated communities a mandatory.

4. Whether the government can take up the task of construction and maintenance of the rain water trenches and gutters in a gated community can be analyzed and byelaws can be framed accordingly.

5. based on the extent of SWM incorporated in a gated community, subsidies can be given to the residents Though rain water harvesting is a mandatory in all developments, other means of SWM could be adopted for effective capturing and usage of storm water.

CASE STUDIES:

Rain Garden In Portland, Oregon(1)

Storm Water Basin In Orange County

Rain Garden In Portland, Oregon(2)

Waterbody In University Centre, Charlotte, North Carolina SOURCE: World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology International Journal of Civil, Environmental, Structural, Construction and Architectural Engineering Vol:7, No:6, 2013

CAPTURING AND UTILIZATION OF SOLAR ENERGY

DEFINITION

Sun is a source of energy and it is renewable. This era of ever increasing population and urbanization has led to shortage of electricity t o support our industrial and domestic needs. Energy from the sun can be captured by the use of solar panels and solar cells which convert solar energy to other forms of energy like light energy, heat energy and fuel energy. Harvesting the solar energy in gated communities is still on the dark side and under discussions. This research is oriented towards the means of harvesting solar energy and the implications of the same in a gated community.

WHY IS COMMUNITY RENEWABLE ENERGY IMPORTANT?

Community owned renewable energy projects create social, political, environmental, economic and technological benefits in the following ways:

• Strengthening local economies

• Building community participation, resilience & empowerment

• Educating people about renewable energy and involving them in creating a sustainable low carbon future.

• Directly and significantly reducing a community’s carbon footprint.

• Developing renewable energy outlets and thereby reducing the dependability on electrical and mechanical means.

• Solar energy is a renewable source of energy. By adopting solar energy harvesting techniques, we can aim towards a sustainable development.

METHODS OF HARVESTING SOLAR ENERGY IN A GATED COMMUNITY

This research orient towards the active methods of solar energy harvesting, as it is more relevant to the infrastructure than the passive mode of solar energy harvesting, which is relevant to the building structure itself.

Following are the Methods of harvesting:

1. Solar cells / photovoltaic cells for street lighting2. Solar water heaters3. Solar fuel for battery operated cars

SOLAR / PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS

Solar, or photovoltaic, cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. Most photovoltaic cells are made primarily of silicon, the material used in computer semiconductor chips, and arranged on rectangular panels. When sunlight hits a cell, the energy knocks electrons free of their atoms, allowing them to flow through the material. The resulting DC (direct current) electricity is then sent to a power inverter for conversion to AC (alternating current), which is the form in which electric power is delivered to the community for street lighting.

Conventional Solar Cell

SOLAR WATER HEATERS

A solar water heater uses the energy of the sun to heat water, which is used for various applications like bathing, washing, cooking, and other chores.

A domestic water heater with a capacity of 100 lpd (litres per day) caters to a family of four or five members. It can easily replace a 2-kW electric geyser and can save up to 1500 units of electricity in a year. It recovers its cost in three to five years, depending on the electricity tariff and hot water used in a year. After this, water is available almost free of cost for the remaining lifespan of the system, which is 15–20 years. The cost of the water heater with a capacity of 100 lpd ranges between Rs 18 000 and Rs 25 000.

The overall potential of solar water heating in India is estimated to be 140 million m2. Of this, about 1 million m2 of solar collector area has been realized.

Solar Street Lighting

Schematic Diagram Explaining The Functioning Of A SWH

Solar Water Heater

SOURCE: An abridged manual on ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING GUIDELINES for Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority by TERI

SOLAR POWERED WHEELS

The below figure shows how solar energy can be captured, converted to electric energy and can be stored effectively in batteries. Solar powered vehicles can be used for short distance travel within the gated community like going to a shop, swimming pool, ATMs, Club house, Daycare centers and in-house clinics etc. by this way we can avoid the carbon emission from vehicles within the gated community. Usage of solar powered wheels promote for a sustainable development.

Schematic Diagram Explaining The Functioning Of A Solar Powered Battery

Solar Powered Wheels

TOOLS AND WAYS TO STORAGE SOLAR ENERGY

Another important point about applying solar energy is storage. New technologies have come up to effectively store solar energy. Following are some of the ways:

• use superconducting magnets or flywheels (all of which could provide convenient power storage in many applications)

• Mimic the biological capture of sunshine by photosynthesis in plants (which stores the sun’s energy in the chemical bonds of molecules).

• Nano Antennas or Nantennas which convert infrared Sunlight into Electricity with High Efficiency.

• Artificial photosynthesis

One approach to storing solar energy is artificial photosynthesis, which attempts to replicate and improve on the natural process, mainly to obtain hydrogen as fuel for use in fuel cells, and includes the photo electrochemical splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen (the inverse of a fuel cell, where hydrogen and oxygen recombine to give water, releasing the energy stored in hydrogen. In this way, the photon energy is converted directly into chemical energy rather than into electrical energy as with solid-state or electrochemical PV cells.

BENEFITS OF THE EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR ENERGY

Efficiency of the solar energy exists because solar energy is renewable; it doesn't deplete our earth's natural resources;

Efficiency of the solar energy exists because it is dependable, affordable and easy to distribute, and simple

to connect to existing electrical grids;Efficiency of solar energy exists because you

can lock in long-term electricity rates, putting you in control even if on-grid utility prices soar.

WAY TO GO

1. By adopting the above methods of solar energy harvesting, private developers can aim at the 50% reduction in electricity consumption for street lighting though the initial cost of setting up of this system is high, it is after all the residents who are benefitted and can they be convinced by the developer easily.

2. Public awareness and public participation to use the renewable energy for the gated community can be made.

3. Government can make an amendment to adopt solar energy harvesting a mandatory, apart from the subsidies given, so the developers would be left with no choice than to go for it. Once used, they will never regret it.

CASE STUDIES

SOLAR PARKING LOTS: LOS ANGELS This building received a Solar Incentive Program refund check for installing one of the largest solar panel projects in Los Angeles. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters/File View Caption Of the total surface area in a typical city, 35 to 50 percent is pavement, according to research conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Of the total pavement, about 50 percent is parking lots and 40 percent is exposed parking lots. Researcher Haley Gilbert at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory said that these percentages result in an environmentally damaging cycle of heat energy. Its amazing how hot these pavements get and how weve let them cover most of our urban surfaces, because dark pavements absorb almost all of the suns energy, the pavement surface heats up, which in turn also warms the local air and aggravates urban heat islands. But there is a solution: covering parking lots with solar panel roofs. Such technology would reflect heat from the sun and use the suns energy to power buildings and electric cars. 

SOURCE: http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Energy/2015/0128/Solar-parking-lots-sound-like-a-great-idea.-Why-aren-t-they-catching-on

SOURCE: Meraki Solar – UsPhotovoltaic Panels Provide Power To Wireless Mesh Repeaters, Making Almost Anywhere A Wi-Fi Hot Spot building

Façade with Solar Glass Panels in Kerala

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Extracts from “National workshop for finalization of the draft manual on municipal solid waste management”, July 24th – 25th, 2014

2. Online Reference : http://www.keralaagriculture.gov.in/htmle/bankableagriprojects/ld%5Cvermi.htm

3. “International Journal Of Civil, Environmental, Structural, Construction And Architectural Engineering” Vol:7, No:6, 2013

by World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology

4. “Catch It Where It Falls” – a guide to water conservation and management by Centre For Science And Environment (CFSE)

5. An abridged manual on “Environmental Building Guidelines” for Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) by TERI